Beautifully written, atmospheric novel
932112
I became immersed in the mysterious world created by Wyld. There is a sense of menace and also some mystery about the central character & the location. Not sure whether the ending gives the reader quite enough resolution though.
2424291
Transatlantic, by Colum McCann, is a wonderful symphony of a novel. Lilting in places; poignantly, achingly moving in others; powerfully grim, dryly witty; always sharply, beautifully composed; it is the kind of novel whose quiet nature seeps in under your skin and lingers well after that final page.

 Told in non-linear fashion, the novel moves between 1845 and 2012, with stops in the late 1800s, 1929, 1978, and 2011.  Ireland lies at the center of it all, with three important crossings to the island: the 1919 transatlantic flight from Newfoundland by two airmen--Brown and Alcock, an 1845 trip by Frederick Douglass, and one of George Mitchell's journeys over in 1998 as he tries to broker the eventual peace accord.  While all three journeys are made by men and famous historical figures at that, the book is much more the story of several generations of women who open and close the novel, tying its strands together and forming the true heart and soul of the story:
* Lily Duggan, a young Irish maid who meets Douglass on his trip and later emigrates to America
* Lily's daughter Emily, who as a reporter living in Newfoundland covers Brown and Alcock's journey and who also gives Brown a mysterious sealed letter to carry over to Ireland
* Emily's daughter Lottie, who takes photos to go with her mother's article and who travels with her to Ireland to interview Brown for an anniversary article in 1929, where he returns the letter he'd forgotten to deliver.
* Lottie's daughter Hannah, who with her mother meets Senator Mitchell during his trip in 1998 and who in 2011 is struggling financially and facing the loss of her home due to foreclosure, leading her to consider selling the still unopened letter.

The prose is lyrical and precise throughout, offering up an unending parade of beautiful, quotable lines (I dot each such one in the margins as I read and there are, believe me, a lot of dots in my copy). Perhaps the best review would simply be a listing of such lines; it would certainly be enough to ensure I picked up any book holding just a few of them.

Interior monologue dominates many of the longer sections, allowing McCollum (and the reader) to deep into his characters thoughts and feelings, both the historical figures and the fictional ones.  Each comes fully, movingly alive as McCollum wholly inhabits each separate voice.

The nonlinear structure lends great impact to events, coloring them and recoloring them, and the whole thing is masterfully put together, with a web of connecting tissue of character and setting and parallel themes and events.  Connections, to take one obvious example, are drawn between the American Civil War via Lily's experiences as a nurse and the Irish Civil Troubles through their impact on Lottie and Hannah and Hannah's son Tomas. Flight, freedom, slavery, the onward march of time, the difficulties of communication:  all of these themes wend their way through the work, along with others.

The book is filled with life and light and beauty as well as death and darkness and ugliness and McCollum weaves them all together with the assured and confident grace of a maestro.  "Nothing ever finishes," one of the characters, muses. Unfortunately, Transatlantic does, but its haunting, hopeful grace and elegance will stay with you some time. Highly, highly recommended.
3517549
Rarely do I encounter such well-researched, beautifully-written, theme-rich historical fiction as The Mark of the King. From the first page, I was riveted to Julianne's story. Chock-full of atmospheric detail, this novel transported me to a place I had never read much about, and even though it brought to light horrors I had never heard of, the entirety of the story was wrapped with the repeated theme of the grace of God. I love books that gently bring timeless truths to life (as opposed to spelling those truths out for us, leaving no room for nuance), and this novel does that. Best of all, it had a combination of factors that made it one of my new favorites: memorable, believable characters, unpredictable twists, and a story that keeps living in my head long after I turn the last page. C'est bon! ***I received a copy of this book from the publisher under no obligation to review, but I was happy to share my thoughts on this excellent novel, which I highly recommend.***
8828
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh is a book that doesnt neatly fit into any genre, but one in which the writing is so beautiful I think anyone interested should read it. The story is about a girl named Lindy Simpson, who was raped at the age of fifteen in her Baton Rouge neighborhood, and is told from the point of view of one of the suspects, who just happens to be in love with her. Yet while this is a mystery novel to discover who the culprit is, its much more than that. My Sunshine Away gives readers an inside look to a southern neighborhood that is replete with fascinating characters and somewhat unbelievable events.

I first want to discuss the age group for which this book is appropriate. Ive seen My Sunshine Away listed in both the young adult and adult sections of bookstores. While the story does follow the protagonists teenage life, for the most part, I personally consider this an adult novel. There are many graphic scenes, and I think the content is more appropriate for an older audience. That being said, I would recommend the book for the ages of 16 and up, but, as always, thats a choice every individual reader has to make.

In terms of the story itself, I have to say Ive never read anything quite like this before. The writing is very well done. I felt as if the protagonist was speaking directly to me, but in a way that is more poetic than colloquial. There are many quotable passages, and there is a depth to the writing as well. I don't read literary fiction often, so I did struggle to find some of the metaphors and how they connected to the story. My paperback edition contains a discussion section, and I found that really helpful. It added to my understanding of the book, and also increased the storys rereadability.

My Sunshine Away did have a slow pace, especially at the beginning, despite being a short book of about 300 pages. I think this is mainly due to the way time is used in the book. Instead of following a linear format, the protagonist jumps forward and backward in time. This does help to create a vivid picture of his childhood, but also made me slow down to ensure I got all of the details in order.

My favorite part of the novel is definitely getting to see inside a neighborhood in the south. Im from the northeast, and am so interested with the southern culture that is in some ways quite different from my own. The characters in the novel are so richly written, and they are beyond unique. The author does an amazing job at mixing in shocking and disturbing moments with the normalcy of everyday events. It balanced out the story well to have a rape on page one, and then childhood games between the neighborhood children for the following chapters.

Similarly, I loved how real life events, such as the Challenger explosion, are included in the book. This makes everything seem so real and vivid. I had an easier time picturing our characters as real people, and that made my emotional connection to them grow strong.

Finally, the ending was a bit hot and cold for me. I do really love how the book wrapped up, but I was let down by the mysterys resolve. I recognize that Lindys rape is not the sole focus of My Sunshine Away, but I almost feel like she wasn't given the respect she deserved when the rapists identity was just glossed over in the end. Its definitely something to think about after completing the book.

Overall, I did really enjoy My Sunshine Away, and I highly recommend it. I think this is a good book for those who want to break into the mystery genre, and those who love family dramas. You will get all of that and more in this novel. I look forward to reading more form M.O. Walsh in the future, and giving this one another read at some point, too.

*This review originally posted on Adventures in Polishland
4412693
The House of the Spirits is a beautifully written book, set in the home of a wealthy Chilean family, the Trueba's. The book follows their family through many ups and downs throughout the lives of three different generations, focusing specifically on one special woman, Clara, and her powerful and loving husband, Esteban, and their family and friends.
 The plot of this book is a very dramatic, capturing one. Its almost like a soap opera the way that one bad thing after another seems to happen to some of the characters. It begins with a young Esteban- before his days of political power and wealth, falling in love with the mute Clara De Valle. Clara is a special woman in that she is clairvoyant, and is capable of things such as telekinesis and necromancy. Esteban is a selfish and materialistic man who focuses his life on getting what he thinks will make him happy, only to find that material items cant do that. They have three children, twin boys Jaime and Nicholas, and a daughter Blanca. When Blanca has a secret and forbidden love affair with a man of an inappropriate class, she surprises her parents with a granddaughter, who quickly becomes close with her grandfather Esteban, and changes their family forever.
 The author of this book, Isabel Allende, writes in a very rhythmic and smooth way to tell this story. Allende uses a light and playful tone to convey the nature of the families relationships, and to make the reader feel as if they are reading about their own family. The tone brings out sympathy from the reader as well, so that the reader will take the events lightheartedly and as if they were happening to one of the readers own family members.
 The setting of this book is a very interesting and, in my opinion, a unique one. Although it is never mentioned in the book, it is known that this book takes place in Chile, sometime in the 1900s. The setting is very important to the plot of the book, because Esteban becomes a politician during the time of the Chilean socialist revolution and conservationist counterrevolution.
 To conclude, this book was a very well written take on the life of a wealthy Chilean family living in a tough political time, with a dramatic and mystic twist.
1045226
Beautifully written, insightful novel that captures the atmosphere and personal experience of life during the period between the world wars in Germany.  It is often challenging, always engrossing.  There is a true depth of understanding in this author's work and the writing rises to the level of some of the finest literature produced concerning the national character of the German people.  The individual characters are well defined, real, and involving.  It is a book that makes the reader think and successfully evokes an empathy for the characters, avoiding stereotypes and creating memorable dialog and feelings. It is much more than a simple look at the rise of Nazism and more about the challenges to the human soul in a world where one's beloved home has gone mad and you have become a stranger.  I hope to read more from this author in the near future and recommend this novel without reserve.
3063854
Grab a cup of something hot and settle under a blanket before you start this book, you aren't going to want to get up and do anything else for a while.

I love atmospheric novels that can take you away from daily life, and this book is perfect example of that. Set in Scotland the story surrounds a mysterious and crumbling old estate and the author's descriptions are so good you can smell the sea and feel the chilly air around you.

This author did a great job creating realistic characters that I was able to get emotionally attached to. I was so sad to see this book end, as I knew it would be hard to find another one to replace it when the last page was read.

This is beautifully written, compelling and sure to keep you busy for the hours you spend with it. I'm looking forward to more work from this author.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
317538
TEN WHITE GEESE (or THE DETOUR in its UK translation of 2012) by Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker is a book that surprised me.  Reading the first pages I wasn't sure this story would be one to capture and take hold of my imagination. How wrong I was!  Picking it up again and allowing the writing to unfold slowly, I became more and more drawn to the central character, Emily, and the rural North Wales landscape she has retreated to.  I soon realized that Bakker's novel is not primarily about plot and what happens and why; it is first of all a sensitively developed portrait of a woman living through a critical moment in her life. It is extraordinary how the author conveys with such subtle balance the interplay between his heroine's inner frame of mind and the outer, natural environment.  Through his descriptions we can easily sense any change in atmosphere and mood and follow Emily's exploration of a world that is new to her.

At the surface the story is simple enough: a mid-career Dutch woman, teaching and writing her thesis on Emily Dickinson, drops out of study, work, and marriage without anybody knowing why or where she is. The novel opens with her walking in the Welsh countryside near the farmhouse she has rented.  We follow as she explores her surroundings, discovers interesting stone circles, has an encounter with badgers, and skinny-dips into a pond despite it being November. She also feels responsibility for the farmhouse garden with ten geese, but wonders about her role, if any, in taking care of the cows and the sheep in the fields that clearly belong to the farm.  She is determined to be self-reliant and rebuffs any attempt by the local farmer (who owns those animals in the fields) or the villagers to get to know her... The exception is a young man who appears one day and in his quietly confident way, gains her trust and more.

As readers we very slowly learn to piece together some of the reasons why she is there, why she lives "in the moment", why she feels, somehow, emotionally connected to Emily Dickinson. There are other "ghosts" that occupy her mind: the presence of the previous owner of the house, her much loved uncle... Is this an expression of loneliness? of homesickness? Maybe. It is admirable and very convincing how Bakker has been feeling himself into the female mind and spirit. His writing is deceptively simple, yet, he creates a natural environment that is alive and visceral and of which Emily becomes an integral part. And, last but not least, while the story flows gently, the author nonetheless builds in a kind of dramatic tension that captures the reader. We feel compelled to continue reading to find out what is underlying Emilie's behaviour and situation. [Friederike Knabe]
3960372
Andre Aciman has written a stunning novel.  The protagonists are a 17 year old Italian boy (Elio) and a 24 year old American professor putting final touches on a masterpiece.  For his age Elio demonstrates intellectual yearning along with sophisticated classical music musicology. The setting is a six week period in an unidentified town near Venice where the Piave River empties into the Adriatic Sea.  Both primary characters are complex persons with often internally warring emotions and attractions.  Aciman's writing is beautiful and cultured.  His depiction of the scenery and other characters is wonderfully detailed. As I read the initial portion of the novel, I saw the plot unfolding quite slowly.  Aciman's writing portrays in considerable detail the developing emotions of the two.  Is there going to be a real connection?  As you read further, the draw of the plot pulls you "in" more and more strongly -- and I found myself reading more slowly and savoring each phrase.  With the days spent in Rome and through the end of the novel, the reader is pulled into the lives of both Elio and the professor.  I would be surprised if almost all readers weren't similarly moved.
1323842
Walli Leff's new book is a beautifully written, well paced, immediately absorbing story of multiple themes
artfully woven together, integrated through the voice of the central character: environmental issues,
alternative energy, music, art, family relationships,mystery of the psychology of the mind and buried
memories. A great read--I strongly recommend this novel-I couldn't put it down.
1971398
Peter lives a solitary life along the rural Maine coast;  Elaine, eight months pregnant, comes into his life in the midst of a terrible ice storm, seeking a solitude of her own in which to sort out her life.  In this beautifully crafted novel, the secrets each carries are revealed early in the plot.  It is to see how Peter and Elaine each come to terms with their own secrets that keeps one reading.
  Peter has spent the last twenty years living in guilt for the loss of his family to a fire while he was away at a bagpipe championship.  Winning the national prize was no comfort for him upon learning that his whole family perished in the blaze, and so, he retreats to his lonely existence at a family cottage, never playing the pipes again.
  Elaine crashes into his quiet and well ordered life, refusing to be moved from her spot.  She too, has demons with which she must wrestle, but hers are spiritual.  Her religion does not allow transfusions, and because of a youthful transgression, she may have a baby with Rh postive blood.  Peter, with much trepidation, allows her to settle in to find the answers she needs to her problems.  Her baby is born, and their life takes on a new type of ordinariness, cadenced by the daily rhythms of milking, planting, cooking and tending to the flocks.  As Peter comes to enjoy her presence, he also comes to realize that his past is passed, and he needs to come to terms with that, too.
  This quiet story glows with the depth of the characters and their thoughts, and the reader, through the author's ability to evoke a sense of place, can feel and smell the barns, the rhubarb pie cooking, can hear the quiet night sounds of the cabin and the plantive singing of Elaine or Peter finally playing his pipes again.  The story moves along, much like life itself, through normal days, dramatic events, quiet epiphanies and endings that are hopeful, but not Hollywood.
4890722
A wonderfully involving novel. The atmosphere created was brought to vivid life by the author as were the characters whose lives were wrenchingly dilineated. It was a beautifully written story that created questions not easily answered long after the final page
was read. I loved it even though it brought frequent tears to my eyes. I strongly recommend it.
1343525
American Rust is a haunting, ultimately satisfying novel that will delight you with the quality of its prose even as it submerges you in a landscape of despair and emotional turmoil.  Author Philipp Meyer uses the devastation of the Pennsylvania steel industry as a backdrop for a moving character study of people trapped in it.  The stark physical symbolism - broken hulks of buildings, rusting barges tied to polluted riverbanks - creates a mood of uncontrollable and accelerating decay.  The characters are brilliantly drawn.  Inner thoughts, which comprise much of the book, are often written in a choppy almost stream-of-consciousness style that is pleasing to read and very natural.  Dialogue and narrative are sparing, tying together the captivating conflict-to-resolution progression of each character.  I highly recommend American Rust.  The praise for the author on the book cover as a powerful new literary force is well deserved.
4322371
This is a strong first novel for the writer, Natasha Pulley.  It's described as an atmospheric mystery and that is accurate.  The characters are well-developed and interesting; their lives start out separately but ultimately converge in this winding time-bending tale. The descriptions are vivid and make it easy to picture the settings, even though unfamiliar.

Taking place in England and Japan in the late 19th century, it opens with a telegraph worker with synesthesia (the ability to hear colors) receiving an unexpected gift-- a gold watch-- on the same day he receives a bomb threat warning of a bomb to be set off in 6 months. At first he doesn't connect the two events, but as he starts to learn more unusual facts about the gold watch (why can't he pawn it?) he ultimately realizes just how connected it is to the bombing.  What starts as a curious kind of mystery transpires into the bombing of Scotland Yard, juxtaposed with the cultural and historical events of the time including suffragette meetings, the Irish troubles,  the Japanese civil war, and even clandestine trips to the library by a woman dressed as a man (due to restrictions against women traveling alone).

I usually skip through descriptive paragraphs in search of plot or dialogue-- but Pulley's descriptions are so interesting I found myself reading every word.  An unusual and interesting book.  I look forward to more books from the author.
4089196
Dying Embers by Glenn Trust is an atmospheric novel set against the backdrop of the struggle for racial equality. The action plays out in a small, rural community in Georgia during the late 1960s, as both blacks and whites deal with the realities of desegregation. Trust cleverly uses a variety of characters to show how every sector of society was affected by the changes, which were to rip asunder life as, up until then, the community had always know it.

The novel begins as a warm tale of friendship between four teenage boys but everything changes as the local school prepares to put the desegregation laws into practise. As white racists spew hatred, events spiral out of control and a black youth is murdered. From the very outset, the reader is aware of tension bubbling beneath the surface of the pages as Trust uses the overbearing summer heat to foreshadow the danger that is just around the corner.

It is a novel that carries a very important message, about both history and human nature and, it is Trusts skill in characterisation that allows the reader to actually feel the complexities of the situation. The teenage boys, whose innocence is poisoned by the behaviour of the adults around them. Carl Pell, an old black farmer, who has created a successful business against all the odds and who hasn't allowed the injustices and cruelties hes faced to define him. Louis Spannel, the white store owner, who does the right thing despite half wishing he could just look the other way. Darcy Rhodes, the sheriff, who fights tirelessly for justice for the murdered youth.

I cant recommend this novel highly enough, it has both heart and social relevance and I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.
3637056
The Ice Garden by Moira Crone is an engaging, captivating novel that shows how a child living with two parents can still be an orphan. Claire, the reliable narrator, reminds me of Frankie in The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. So often we forget that children on the cusp of young adulthood have ears, eyes, and feelings. The Ice Garden  takes us into a dark world where the source of Claires miseryher mentally ill motheris unable to see the harm she is doing to her daughters, and where Claires fatherblinded by love for his wifeis unavailable to Claire or her baby sister, the delightful Sweetie. Crone also gives us an unusual portrait in Sidney, the maid employed by this family in the early 60s. Sidney will not be persuaded to come to work when her own family needs her. She loves strongly and expresses her feelings vividly, and she is the perfect counterpoint for Claire. I cherish certain lines: a baby in a black dress was the saddest thing there could be. And, in a perfect description of older women in small Southern towns: All those widows and old maidsknew how to get the florist to work, how to find musicians in a federal disaster area. This is a novel I will read again, perhaps more slowly next time; my first reading was swift, compelled by my desire to know the outcome. I recommend this book without reservation.
3600995
Luz is such a beautifully written book.  This entire year, out of maybe 20 books I have read, there are only two I would aggressively recommend to everyone I meet - this is one of the two.

The prose is beautiful, it's powerful, it really encompasses the attitude and outlook of main character Clara.  Each and every character is expanded upon and explored; moreover, each character seems real.  I grew up in a completely different world from Clara, but as the story explored her relationships with her family and friends, it felt as though those people were my friends and family as well.  The characters are lively and dynamic, and the protagonist is certainly likeable and relatable.

In particular, I loved the celestial characters and their characterizations, particularly because they are interpretations of Biblical characters.  It's extremely interesting (as well as entertaining) to read an interpretation in which these great beings move along with the times as well, and are often humanized in their voices.

The plot is a slow burn, but it draws you in.  There are few, if any, real lulls in the story.  This is due to Gonzalez's powerful storytelling.  The diction, the rhetoric of Clara's thoughts:  I felt as though I were in her head, examining the situation in Cuba through her eyes, and through her I felt her anger at the injustice of it all as if it were my own.  If you really like to lose yourself in a story, enter the narrator's mind, enter their world, and get lost in their struggles and relationships, this is the book for you.

Honestly, I cannot recommend it enough.  I'm never one for period pieces, and I'm certainly not one for stories that heavily focus on religion, but this story does both extremely well.  Well done.