The Yellow Bird Sings: A Novel
by Jennifer Rosner
Pros and Cons (12/21/2019)
I had high hopes for this book but found that the development of important plot elements just didn't seem plausible to me. Some components of the novel were successful however, so I will touch on those first. This author was very good atmospherically. She was able to create an environment that balanced an almost mystical sense of the ordinary within a situation fraught with stress and danger. Her two main characters were capably delineated and their close relationship to each other was explored very realistically without being reduced to sentimentality. The main concept behind the narrative was based on a solid idea. What didn't work for me was the implausibility of some of the plot lines and the personal behavior of the characters driving the narrative. I also found the historical references a little cursory. While they were all accurate, they were very basic and reflected only limited research.
This was an easy read but I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone when there are other books on the same topic out there that are so much better. Sophie's Choice for one.The Yellow Bird Sings never fully engaged me emotionally.
The Removes
by Tatjana Soli
The Removes (8/29/2018)
I confess I have mixed feelings about this book. Generally speaking I don't like reading fiction that focuses on historical figures because I feel that the authors of such books manipulate reality to suit their own purposes. Such was the case with this book. Soli openly admits that she is no historian and her view of the Custers is almost totally predicated on their psyches or at least her interpretation of them. I found her writing to be choppy at times but, in many cases, that served the energy of the narrative. The two concurrent story lines didn't meld well and I often felt that I was reading 2 separate books, but the genuine descriptions of life on the frontier came alive with true authenticity and I appreciated the fact that the author never attempted to romanticize life on the plains for either of the protagonists, White or Indian.
The Second Mrs. Hockaday
by Susan Rivers
"a nice little book" (12/21/2017)
Susan Rivers is a romance novelist from way back..a genre I graduated from years ago.I credit her with being one of the better writers in this category and Mrs. Hockaday proves that her skills as a story teller have not diminished.Having said that I also feel that the discriminatory practices of the mid to late 19th century in America dictate the motivations of each character in a relatively predictable way......so while the entertainment value is indisputable the "mystery" is no more than the reality of life at the time.....nothing memorable or instructive here for me...simply a reminder that the mores of the past rarely survive the scrutiny of the present without some readjustment.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande
Palliative Care (5/31/2017)
This should be required reading for anyone over 30.....what Gwande has to say is important.....we are all mortal and at some point the effort to cure should be replaced with the effort to provide humane support and freedom from pain....to end our lives with dignity and peace....the medical profession and family members need to understand that treatments which prolong life at all costs ,no matter how well intended,only prolong pain and suffering.....professional hubris and selfish justification need to give way to a more humane acceptance of reality .....and certainly Hospice is one option for doing just that....clearly written with reason and compassion this book is a definitive argument for a realistic approach to illness and death.
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
911 Editor (5/12/2017)
This is not one book it's an amalgamate of seven or eight creative writing assignments! And while there is an interesting discussion of motherhood and some promising character development both suffer from an onslaught of intrusive italics rehashing Ashby's previous literary "triumphs". Far from highlighting her much touted genius they only illustrate that she is barely competent. My agreement to review this book is the singular reason I kept wading through it...certainly NOT the beautiful prose or the consistent pace or the subliminal content and I'm afraid that not even decent editing can "resurrect" Joan Ashby!!
The Wonder
by Emma Donoghue
The Wonder (10/14/2016)
I purchased this book on the strength of the author's first which,in retrospect,was not a good decision.Each book stands on its own and I found this one very disappointing.The Characters seemed one dimensional...more like caricatures and at times I had to remind myself that I was NOT reading a Gothic romance but a serious attempt to describe a different species of confinement both of the body and the spirit.....unfortunately this narrative missed the mark for me ......I think this author is very adept at setting the stage and selecting a story line that should be fascinating....but isn't.....and although her research is impressive particularly as it concerns the body's reaction to slow starvation Anna never really comes alive for me....seeming more like a medical specimen than a little girl....in fact,I wish Anna herself had narrated the story ....THAT might have given me the emotional depth I was looking for and a point of view that was sadly missing....my own personal rating was a 5 out of 10
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