This is an excellent piece of Canadian historical fiction that takes the reader to Saskatchewan, the Northern Plains in the 1920’s. It’s introspectiveThis is an excellent piece of Canadian historical fiction that takes the reader to Saskatchewan, the Northern Plains in the 1920’s. It’s introspective with a sense of sadness that permeates the story moving back and forth in time with flashbacks and memories from eleven year old Emer and her later in life self. I knew from the first beautiful sentences that I would love this book.
“Late last night I woke when the prairie moon slid into the upper million of my window, then reached inside and touched my face. I rose, flung off the eiderdown, and stood shivering by the sill for a few moments, looking at the blue-tinted snow with fury and sorrow inside me from a dream I couldn’t recall.�
After migrating from Ireland to Ontario, Canada , Emer’s family moves to Saskatchewan where she is horribly injured after “a big wind�. A long time spent in the hospital connects her to some equally amazing characters, among them other suffering children, amazing nursing nuns, a doctor who recites poetry. A long affair as an adult and her deep connection to literature, love of teaching, her desire to know more about her mother are part of the story that Emer tells. The novel is filled with pain and grief and perseverance, and hope that allowed her to see love that ultimately heals. There are also broader themes of the immigrant experience which was a part of the Canadian history that was new to me.
Thanks to my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend , Jodi for bringing this book to my attention . This was my first book by Jane Urquart, but won’t be my last ....more
The novel takes place in alternating time frames relating the stories of sisters Nell and Evie and their mother in 1971 North Carolina and Becca’s stoThe novel takes place in alternating time frames relating the stories of sisters Nell and Evie and their mother in 1971 North Carolina and Becca’s story in 1932 Mississippi. There are vague memories and secrets unfolding about Nell and Evie’s childhood. My interest was held as Becca’s story unfolds and as it moves back and forth in the time frames. I was anxious for the stories to merge. While I was emotionally connected in the beginning , and even in the end, too many characters kept appearing. It would have been a more meaningful story for me if the connections were kept more simple . The story line at times felt a bit too much , almost soap opera like, and the basic story introduced in the earlier part of the book got diluted for me . Overall, I was disappointed. I will give it a generous three stars because I genuinely liked the characters I wanted to discover as they did what happened.
I received a copy of this from Sourcebooks through Edelweiss.
I read this with my book buddy , Diane. Wish we had read one we liked more. Hopefully, next time . ...more
Four misfit teenagers are broken by dysfunctional family situations, by grief and the heartaches that sometimes come with self discovery. They manage Four misfit teenagers are broken by dysfunctional family situations, by grief and the heartaches that sometimes come with self discovery. They manage to survive their sad existences because they have each other . “I trust you . I love you� they say to each other. The depth of friendship they feel for and show each other is everything when you believe you have nothing .
Twenty five years later, two of the friends connect with , through one of the friend’s paintings, a misfit teenage girl who is broken by loss , grief and the foster care system. They immediately recognize she is � one of them.� Our journey begins with Louisa’s present story and takes us back twenty five years as Ted tells the story of the four friends in the painting to Louisa while forging a bond of friendship between them.
If you can manage their sadness, if you can manage their pain sometimes emotional and sometimes physical, if you can manage the violence , it’s totally worth it getting into their hearts and minds and learning their stories. It’s not always all heartbreak as there are moments of love and caring, fun, and many funny moments that have the four friends laughing their heads off over their corny and clever jokes. The majority of the story is about these teenagers, but this should not be mistaken for a teenage novel. This is a story about the depth of friendship that helps them survive the worst things in their lives. It’s also a commentary on life and art and hope when it seems there isn’t any to be found. The emotional connection I feel with Backman’s characters is immediate and deep . I felt it in all of his novels, especially The Beartown series, but then I read this book. Backman’s understanding and ability to express the twists and turns of the human heart in this novel is nothing short of stunning.
I received a copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
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