Chopin and His World
Jonathan D. Bellman and Halina Goldberg
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A new look at the life, times, and music of Polish composer and piano virtuoso Fryderyk Chopin...
The British Amp Invasion: How Marshall, Hiwatt, Vox, and More Changed the Sound of Music
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The seminal British amps of the late 50s onward were always distinct from their American...
The Life and Times of Moses Jacob Ezekiel: American Sculptor, Arcadian Knight
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The Life and Times of Moses Jacob Ezekiel: American Sculptor, Arcadian Knight tells the remarkable...
True Yankees: The South Seas and the Discovery of American Identity
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With American independence came the freedom to sail anywhere in the world under a new flag. During...
Perfect/Imperfect: Embracing Natural Design in Bali
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The home designs of Alejandra Cicneros mark a significant departure from the tropical 'Bali' style...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Expatriates in Books
Feb 13, 2018
It sounds trite - the linked stories of three women, but the book is nearly magical. The chapters are compelling and amazing: you truly feel as if you are there, with the characters, getting completely caught up in their lives and stories. It's one of those books where not a lot happens, yet in some ways, everything happens, and it's mesmerizing somehow. Lee has a unique voice for each character and they each become clearer and defined as the book goes on; they are so themselves that you can't ever imagine not knowing them, or how they would react to a given situation. Much of what happens is sad- in fact, there were times where I felt like my heart was physically hurting reading - but there is much redemption in the book as well. I truly found parts of it to be beautiful.
The ending, which I felt like could have been too easy, or conversely, easily ruined, felt perfect somehow. My only complaint with this book? That it ended. After I finished it, I found myself standing at the sink later that evening, washing some dishes, and thinking, "oh at least I get to read my book later tonight" and then feeling nothing but profound disappointment that the book was over, and I was done being a part of these characters' lives. Lovely, poignant book - highly recommend.
I must note that I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley (thanks!), though I wasn't approved until after it was published. The good news for you is that this novel is available now (as of 1/12/16) in all the various publication forms. You can check out a review of this book and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.
Haiti Glass
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Winner of the 2015 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award In her debut collection of verse and...