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Big Little Lies
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Don't want Big Little Lies to end? Then why not order Liane Moriarty's new hit, Truly Madly...
Pamela Hansford Johnson: Her Life, Work and Times
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This first biography of Pamela Hansford Johnson (1912-1981) has been written with the full...
A Circle of Firelight
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The execution is for the most part charming and clever, with lively dialogue, easy pacing, and...
Like a Lily Among the Thorns
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There are those who are born into loving families and then there are the less fortunate who must...
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Valley of the Moon in Books
Sep 5, 2017
New Time Traveler's Wife
received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
For fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife (Niffenegger, 2003) this captivating story by Melanie Gideon is an alluring, spellbinding work of fiction about loving, being loved and finding somewhere you belong. With a touch of time travel in an otherwise typical reality, Valley of the Moon will excite, enrapture and touch readers’ hearts.
It is difficult to give a synoptic review without giving too much of the plot away. In short, the book contains the two lives of complete strangers who meet under extremely unlikely circumstances. It is 1975 and Lux Lysander is struggling to make ends meet as a single mother in San Francisco. Estranged from her parents, Benno has become her life; Lux would do anything for him. The other half of the story begins in 1906 in the Californian Sonoma Valley. Joseph has achieved his dream of creating an Edenic community where races and classes can live in harmony. Greengage is a self-sufficient society where everyone is seen as equal, however, something happens to shake up the peace – literally. A huge earthquake mysteriously leaves the valley unharmed but completely surrounded by a deadly fog. No one can leave and no one can enter, that is until Lux does.
Until the two characters’ lives collide, the narrative is fairly typical, but it quickly takes on a theme that most minds would attempt to debunk. Through a wall of fog, Lux can pass between 1975 and 1906, whereas Joseph and his friends can only stay in their own timeline. Lux begins to live a double life: one with her son Benno and one with the antiquated lifestyle of the Greengage community. Unfortunately, it is only possible to pass through the fog on a fall moon, and not necessarily every month.
Lux’s modern appearance and colloquialisms baffle the community but she soon finds herself a place amongst the inhabitants. For a while, Lux is able to keep her two lives separate, but one slip up causes her to temporarily lose the love and trust of her only son. Torn between her own flesh and blood and the only place she feels she belongs, Lux has to decide how far she would go for the people she loves.
One of the key themes of the novel is relationship. Although romance develops toward the latter stages of the story, the majority is focused on familial love and love between friends. Lux and Benno’s relationship is particularly important, especially when their love becomes strained by Lux’s secret dalliance with the past. The other significant theme is about finding oneself. Lux lives in an era where, despite developments in women’s equality, single mothers are still shunned. Conversely, in 1906 where historically things were worse for women, the egalitarian society feels much more like home.
Lux’s temerity is to be admired as she continues to visit the past despite it being beyond the bounds of possibility. More applaudable is her determination to win back her son as well as her distant parents.
Despite being set for the most part in the 1970s and 80s, Valley of the Moon has a futuristic air about it, with an element of fantasy and science fiction. It is almost a version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Lewis, 1950) but for adults, with more realistic themes. Melanie Gideon admits that she got the idea for the novel from the film Brigadoon (1954) in which the protagonist stumbles across a magical land in the woods. With similarities, Gideon has created her own version of this fairy-tale-like scenario.
Journeying through a range of emotions, Valley of the Moon is a story that engages readers from beginning to end. With ups and downs, the author explores the lives and personalities of the main characters, which develop beautifully over time. This book is not one likely to disappoint its readers.
For fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife (Niffenegger, 2003) this captivating story by Melanie Gideon is an alluring, spellbinding work of fiction about loving, being loved and finding somewhere you belong. With a touch of time travel in an otherwise typical reality, Valley of the Moon will excite, enrapture and touch readers’ hearts.
It is difficult to give a synoptic review without giving too much of the plot away. In short, the book contains the two lives of complete strangers who meet under extremely unlikely circumstances. It is 1975 and Lux Lysander is struggling to make ends meet as a single mother in San Francisco. Estranged from her parents, Benno has become her life; Lux would do anything for him. The other half of the story begins in 1906 in the Californian Sonoma Valley. Joseph has achieved his dream of creating an Edenic community where races and classes can live in harmony. Greengage is a self-sufficient society where everyone is seen as equal, however, something happens to shake up the peace – literally. A huge earthquake mysteriously leaves the valley unharmed but completely surrounded by a deadly fog. No one can leave and no one can enter, that is until Lux does.
Until the two characters’ lives collide, the narrative is fairly typical, but it quickly takes on a theme that most minds would attempt to debunk. Through a wall of fog, Lux can pass between 1975 and 1906, whereas Joseph and his friends can only stay in their own timeline. Lux begins to live a double life: one with her son Benno and one with the antiquated lifestyle of the Greengage community. Unfortunately, it is only possible to pass through the fog on a fall moon, and not necessarily every month.
Lux’s modern appearance and colloquialisms baffle the community but she soon finds herself a place amongst the inhabitants. For a while, Lux is able to keep her two lives separate, but one slip up causes her to temporarily lose the love and trust of her only son. Torn between her own flesh and blood and the only place she feels she belongs, Lux has to decide how far she would go for the people she loves.
One of the key themes of the novel is relationship. Although romance develops toward the latter stages of the story, the majority is focused on familial love and love between friends. Lux and Benno’s relationship is particularly important, especially when their love becomes strained by Lux’s secret dalliance with the past. The other significant theme is about finding oneself. Lux lives in an era where, despite developments in women’s equality, single mothers are still shunned. Conversely, in 1906 where historically things were worse for women, the egalitarian society feels much more like home.
Lux’s temerity is to be admired as she continues to visit the past despite it being beyond the bounds of possibility. More applaudable is her determination to win back her son as well as her distant parents.
Despite being set for the most part in the 1970s and 80s, Valley of the Moon has a futuristic air about it, with an element of fantasy and science fiction. It is almost a version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Lewis, 1950) but for adults, with more realistic themes. Melanie Gideon admits that she got the idea for the novel from the film Brigadoon (1954) in which the protagonist stumbles across a magical land in the woods. With similarities, Gideon has created her own version of this fairy-tale-like scenario.
Journeying through a range of emotions, Valley of the Moon is a story that engages readers from beginning to end. With ups and downs, the author explores the lives and personalities of the main characters, which develop beautifully over time. This book is not one likely to disappoint its readers.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Distant Melody (Wings of Glory, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Allie has never been able to please her parents, so she’ll do anything to make them happy, even if it means marrying a man she doesn’t love. But when she goes to visit her best friend for her wedding, she meets Walter Novak, flyer in the Air Force, and her heart begins to open to him. Allie and Walter write letters while he’s oversees, and Allie tries to anticipate her wedding with her promised fiancé, but as she gets to know Baxter more and more, she begins to have doubts about God’s will for her life—obey and honor her parents and marry a non-Christian in hopes of leading him to Christ, or disobey her parents and refuse to be “unevenly yoked?” And the fact that she’s falling in love with Walt isn’t helping things any.
I adored A Distant Melody. From the second I opened it, it captured my imagination and swept me away.
The plot seemed simple at first, but it kept taking little twists and turns that I didn’t expect. It was suspenseful, but not in a thriller kind of way. There were times when Walt was flying that were very exciting and thrilling, but it wasn’t enough to put it in that genre. It had just enough. The pacing itself was perfect—nothing felt rushed. I hate a rushed romance, it’s implausible. A Distant Melody is the perfect speed. I devoured it within a few hours.
I love these characters! I want more with them!!! One awesome aspect about A Distant Melody is it is not a victim of “happy-land syndrome,” or “perfect plot” syndrome. The story didn’t seem to work out just perfect with everyone happy all the time, and everyone talking about God all the time, and everyone acting like perfect Christians all the time. No, they were real people who sinned and suffered the consequences, both from other people and from their guilt and grief. There were times and parts where you say “Oh no! Now he’s going to think this!” or “Oh no she hasn’t gotten his letter yet!” and so on. However, their confessions of said sins were also such a key part of the story, and made you love them so much more.
I liked the writing a lot. Sundin has a clear concise way with words, and paints a picture without being poetic. I also loved her wit and humor, and those Sarah-Dessen-like running jokes. You have to love those running jokes that run through the whole book, that make you feel like you’re part of the character’s life.
I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover because generally I don’t care about the cover. In this case, the cover is perfect. It has every detail mentioned in the book, from the right clothing and hairstyles of the characters to the detail work on the air plane.
A very important thing about a Christian novel is it shouldn't feel like it’s preaching at you. There was prayer, Bible verses, hymns and such. But it didn’t feel cheesy and fake: partially because of the characters (as I mentioned above) and partially because although they were mentioned and discussed, they weren’t hammered. Basically, this was not Sundin’s way of publishing a theology book. It’s a novel, and it feels like one.
I think I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, I loved the plot and the pacing, I loved the jokes, I even love the cover. I can’t think of one thing that I didn’t like, or that distracted me from the story. I devoured A Distant Melody, thoroughly enjoyed every part of it, and I cannot wait for the next book.
I adored A Distant Melody. From the second I opened it, it captured my imagination and swept me away.
The plot seemed simple at first, but it kept taking little twists and turns that I didn’t expect. It was suspenseful, but not in a thriller kind of way. There were times when Walt was flying that were very exciting and thrilling, but it wasn’t enough to put it in that genre. It had just enough. The pacing itself was perfect—nothing felt rushed. I hate a rushed romance, it’s implausible. A Distant Melody is the perfect speed. I devoured it within a few hours.
I love these characters! I want more with them!!! One awesome aspect about A Distant Melody is it is not a victim of “happy-land syndrome,” or “perfect plot” syndrome. The story didn’t seem to work out just perfect with everyone happy all the time, and everyone talking about God all the time, and everyone acting like perfect Christians all the time. No, they were real people who sinned and suffered the consequences, both from other people and from their guilt and grief. There were times and parts where you say “Oh no! Now he’s going to think this!” or “Oh no she hasn’t gotten his letter yet!” and so on. However, their confessions of said sins were also such a key part of the story, and made you love them so much more.
I liked the writing a lot. Sundin has a clear concise way with words, and paints a picture without being poetic. I also loved her wit and humor, and those Sarah-Dessen-like running jokes. You have to love those running jokes that run through the whole book, that make you feel like you’re part of the character’s life.
I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover because generally I don’t care about the cover. In this case, the cover is perfect. It has every detail mentioned in the book, from the right clothing and hairstyles of the characters to the detail work on the air plane.
A very important thing about a Christian novel is it shouldn't feel like it’s preaching at you. There was prayer, Bible verses, hymns and such. But it didn’t feel cheesy and fake: partially because of the characters (as I mentioned above) and partially because although they were mentioned and discussed, they weren’t hammered. Basically, this was not Sundin’s way of publishing a theology book. It’s a novel, and it feels like one.
I think I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, I loved the plot and the pacing, I loved the jokes, I even love the cover. I can’t think of one thing that I didn’t like, or that distracted me from the story. I devoured A Distant Melody, thoroughly enjoyed every part of it, and I cannot wait for the next book.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Piece Of The World in Books
May 30, 2018
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Until reading Christina Baker Kline’s note at the end of the book, it is impossible to guess that it is based on real people, although, admittedly, it is a little strange to name the main character after oneself. In fact, A Piece of the World is written around a single painting in the Museum of Modern Art, New York: Christina’s World (1948) by Andrew Wyeth, a man who appears and paints this work in the story.
Baker Cline researched thoroughly into the background story of the painting. Christina Olson, the main character of this book, was a real person who posed for Wyeth as he painted this striking picture. Although the overall story is a work of fiction, the dates and key characters are biographically accurate. Beginning in 1939, the narrative weaves too and fro, from Christina’s present day to her childhood and back again. Christina is an ageing woman who can barely walk and lives in a dilapidated cottage with her brother on a hill in the village of Cushing, Maine. Having lived in this state for so long, it is a welcome surprise to be visited by the young Andrew Wyeth who falls in love with the cottage and regularly comes to work on his canvases in their upper rooms. Through their peaceful relationship and flashbacks to her past, Christina’s character development is investigated and knitted together to explain why she has become this recluse on a hill.
Christina had problems from a very young age. After almost dying from a fever, she developed an undiagnosed degenerative disease that slowly ate away at the nerves in her arms and legs. Today, neurologists believe this to be Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease but there were no doctors able to provide this diagnosis at the time. Christina suffered aches and pains growing up and could barely walk in a straight line. Her determination to keep going is admirable and makes her a strong female protagonist.
One day in her early twenties, Christina meets a boy who pays her the kind of attention that she has never received before. Believing his promises that they will be together forever, she dares to dream of having a normal life. The reader, however, knows that the future Christina is alone with only her brother for company, making it heartbreaking to read of their developing romance knowing that it is not going to last.
There is no “happy-ever-after” to this story, nor is there a sad ending. It is an account of a woman who had been dealt a raw deal in life but continued getting on despite it. The end result, the painting Christina’s World, shows Christina as she sees herself. She may not be able to walk but she is still a woman; she made the most of her childhood, she never complained. This painting is her “letter to the World that never wrote to [Her].”
A Piece of the World is a powerful novel about purpose and determination. Christina may not have had a typical, successful life or become famous but she had her daily achievements: crawling through a field for an hour to visit a friend, cooking dinners despite not being able to stand up, carrying on after the end of a romantic relationship …
Written as gracefully as the brushstrokes of a painting with elements of Emily Dickinson thrown in here and there, A Piece of the World is a beautiful piece of work. It is something that can be enjoyed as you are mentally drawn into the storyline, leaving you wondering what happens to Christina and her brother after the completion of the painting. It is a novel the author can be proud of.
Until reading Christina Baker Kline’s note at the end of the book, it is impossible to guess that it is based on real people, although, admittedly, it is a little strange to name the main character after oneself. In fact, A Piece of the World is written around a single painting in the Museum of Modern Art, New York: Christina’s World (1948) by Andrew Wyeth, a man who appears and paints this work in the story.
Baker Cline researched thoroughly into the background story of the painting. Christina Olson, the main character of this book, was a real person who posed for Wyeth as he painted this striking picture. Although the overall story is a work of fiction, the dates and key characters are biographically accurate. Beginning in 1939, the narrative weaves too and fro, from Christina’s present day to her childhood and back again. Christina is an ageing woman who can barely walk and lives in a dilapidated cottage with her brother on a hill in the village of Cushing, Maine. Having lived in this state for so long, it is a welcome surprise to be visited by the young Andrew Wyeth who falls in love with the cottage and regularly comes to work on his canvases in their upper rooms. Through their peaceful relationship and flashbacks to her past, Christina’s character development is investigated and knitted together to explain why she has become this recluse on a hill.
Christina had problems from a very young age. After almost dying from a fever, she developed an undiagnosed degenerative disease that slowly ate away at the nerves in her arms and legs. Today, neurologists believe this to be Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease but there were no doctors able to provide this diagnosis at the time. Christina suffered aches and pains growing up and could barely walk in a straight line. Her determination to keep going is admirable and makes her a strong female protagonist.
One day in her early twenties, Christina meets a boy who pays her the kind of attention that she has never received before. Believing his promises that they will be together forever, she dares to dream of having a normal life. The reader, however, knows that the future Christina is alone with only her brother for company, making it heartbreaking to read of their developing romance knowing that it is not going to last.
There is no “happy-ever-after” to this story, nor is there a sad ending. It is an account of a woman who had been dealt a raw deal in life but continued getting on despite it. The end result, the painting Christina’s World, shows Christina as she sees herself. She may not be able to walk but she is still a woman; she made the most of her childhood, she never complained. This painting is her “letter to the World that never wrote to [Her].”
A Piece of the World is a powerful novel about purpose and determination. Christina may not have had a typical, successful life or become famous but she had her daily achievements: crawling through a field for an hour to visit a friend, cooking dinners despite not being able to stand up, carrying on after the end of a romantic relationship …
Written as gracefully as the brushstrokes of a painting with elements of Emily Dickinson thrown in here and there, A Piece of the World is a beautiful piece of work. It is something that can be enjoyed as you are mentally drawn into the storyline, leaving you wondering what happens to Christina and her brother after the completion of the painting. It is a novel the author can be proud of.
Louise (64 KP) rated When Dimple Met Rishi in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I do love myself a good YA contemporary, and this delivered. ‘When Dimple met Rishi’ has everything that you could want in a coming of age novel, it was diverse, there was romance, families, friendships and the difficulties of growing up.
I couldn’t believe this was Sandhya Menon’s debut novel as the characters felt so real and the writing was amazing.
Dimple Shah is 17 and looking forward to the prospect of college, she has enrolled for a course for computer programming and has so many ideas buzzing around her brain. Her mother has always wanted Dimple to get married and find the IIH (Ideal Indian Husband) than become a student. Dimple also wants to attend a summer camp where she can show off her programming skills and start making a name for herself, the course costs $1000 and is shocked when her parents allow her to go but what she doesn’t know is that they have other plans.
Rishi Patel wants to follow in his parents footsteps with his own arranged marriage. He too is to go to the same Summer camp where he is to meet his future bride, however when they come face to face he realises that Dimple’s parents have failed to mention the arrangement to her. Her future of computer programming seems to be slipping from her grasp at lightening speed.
This book was great it is told in dual perspective and the chapters are just the right length. The writing is easy to read and with the dual narrative you don’t get bored.
Going in to this book I had very little knowledge of Indian culture and arranged marriages as it’s not something that I have read about. This is a positive light on arranged marriages rather than the awful experiences that you hear about. I felt the impact that their culture had on these individuals to carry on with the traditions as expected of them.
I loved the characters Dimple and Rishi,they were different yet so right for each other. Dimple was head strong, determined to make a future out of something she loved and living her life as she wanted rather than expectations. She found her mother over-bearing at times as she was forceful in her suggestions. I loved that Dimple was a nerd, nowadays it’s cool to be one and be different from others and I see that now that I am older but not necessarily when I was a teenager.
Rishi was adorable, he was funny,nerdy and also really talented. He wanted to please his parents by doing what they thought best in his school work but when it came to LOVE, Rishi wanted to follow his culture, have an arranged marriage and children. This was firmly his decision and he such passion when he talked about his culture and the times he visited India.
There were a couple of reasons that I didn’t rate this book a 5 stars and they were; I didn’t really like Ashish’s storyline. The plot was a little predictable, it had great feels in the middle but then it fizzled out as I was getting frustrated with Dimples stubbornness.
This book was great it’s a perfect summer/beach read, I loved the characters, the feels that I got from Menon’s writing and the fulfillment of learning something new. I hope this isn’t the last we see from her as she can only continue to get better.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
I do love myself a good YA contemporary, and this delivered. ‘When Dimple met Rishi’ has everything that you could want in a coming of age novel, it was diverse, there was romance, families, friendships and the difficulties of growing up.
I couldn’t believe this was Sandhya Menon’s debut novel as the characters felt so real and the writing was amazing.
Dimple Shah is 17 and looking forward to the prospect of college, she has enrolled for a course for computer programming and has so many ideas buzzing around her brain. Her mother has always wanted Dimple to get married and find the IIH (Ideal Indian Husband) than become a student. Dimple also wants to attend a summer camp where she can show off her programming skills and start making a name for herself, the course costs $1000 and is shocked when her parents allow her to go but what she doesn’t know is that they have other plans.
Rishi Patel wants to follow in his parents footsteps with his own arranged marriage. He too is to go to the same Summer camp where he is to meet his future bride, however when they come face to face he realises that Dimple’s parents have failed to mention the arrangement to her. Her future of computer programming seems to be slipping from her grasp at lightening speed.
This book was great it is told in dual perspective and the chapters are just the right length. The writing is easy to read and with the dual narrative you don’t get bored.
Going in to this book I had very little knowledge of Indian culture and arranged marriages as it’s not something that I have read about. This is a positive light on arranged marriages rather than the awful experiences that you hear about. I felt the impact that their culture had on these individuals to carry on with the traditions as expected of them.
I loved the characters Dimple and Rishi,they were different yet so right for each other. Dimple was head strong, determined to make a future out of something she loved and living her life as she wanted rather than expectations. She found her mother over-bearing at times as she was forceful in her suggestions. I loved that Dimple was a nerd, nowadays it’s cool to be one and be different from others and I see that now that I am older but not necessarily when I was a teenager.
Rishi was adorable, he was funny,nerdy and also really talented. He wanted to please his parents by doing what they thought best in his school work but when it came to LOVE, Rishi wanted to follow his culture, have an arranged marriage and children. This was firmly his decision and he such passion when he talked about his culture and the times he visited India.
There were a couple of reasons that I didn’t rate this book a 5 stars and they were; I didn’t really like Ashish’s storyline. The plot was a little predictable, it had great feels in the middle but then it fizzled out as I was getting frustrated with Dimples stubbornness.
This book was great it’s a perfect summer/beach read, I loved the characters, the feels that I got from Menon’s writing and the fulfillment of learning something new. I hope this isn’t the last we see from her as she can only continue to get better.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Piece Of The World in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Until reading Christina Baker Kline’s note at the end of the book, it is impossible to guess that it is based on real people, although, admittedly, it is a little strange to name the main character after oneself. In fact, <i>A Piece of the World</i> is written around a single painting in the Museum of Modern Art, New York: <i>Christina’s World</i> (1948) by Andrew Wyeth, a man who appears and paints this work in the story.
Baker Cline researched thoroughly into the background story of the painting. Christina Olson, the main character of this book, was a real person who posed for Wyeth as he painted this striking picture. Although the overall story is a work of fiction, the dates and key characters are biographically accurate. Beginning in 1939, the narrative weaves too and fro, from Christina’s present day to her childhood and back again. Christina is an ageing woman who can barely walk and lives in a dilapidated cottage with her brother on a hill in the village of Cushing, Maine. Having lived in this state for so long, it is a welcome surprise to be visited by the young Andrew Wyeth who falls in love with the cottage and regularly comes to work on his canvases in their upper rooms. Through their peaceful relationship and flashbacks to her past, Christina’s character development is investigated and knitted together to explain why she has become this recluse on a hill.
Christina had problems from a very young age. After almost dying from a fever, she developed an undiagnosed degenerative disease that slowly ate away at the nerves in her arms and legs. Today, neurologists believe this to be <i>Charcot-Marie-Tooth</i> disease but there were no doctors able to provide this diagnosis at the time. Christina suffered aches and pains growing up and could barely walk in a straight line. Her determination to keep going is admirable and makes her a strong female protagonist.
One day in her early twenties, Christina meets a boy who pays her the kind of attention that she has never received before. Believing his promises that they will be together forever, she dares to dream of having a normal life. The reader, however, knows that the future Christina is alone with only her brother for company, making it heartbreaking to read of their developing romance knowing that it is not going to last.
There is no “happy-ever-after” to this story, nor is there a sad ending. It is an account of a woman who had been dealt a raw deal in life but continued getting on despite it. The end result, the painting <i>Christina’s World</i>, shows Christina as she sees herself. She may not be able to walk but she is still a woman; she made the most of her childhood, she never complained. This painting is her “letter to the World that never wrote to [Her].”
<i>A Piece of the World</i> is a powerful novel about purpose and determination. Christina may not have had a typical, successful life or become famous but she had her daily achievements: crawling through a field for an hour to visit a friend, cooking dinners despite not being able to stand up, carrying on after the end of a romantic relationship …
Written as gracefully as the brushstrokes of a painting with elements of Emily Dickinson thrown in here and there, </i>A Piece of the World</i> is a beautiful piece of work. It is something that can be enjoyed as you are mentally drawn into the storyline, leaving you wondering what happens to Christina and her brother after the completion of the painting. It is a novel the author can be proud of.
<imgsrc="https://www.moma.org/media/W1siZiIsIjE2NTQ1NyJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQiLCItcmVzaXplIDIwMDB4MjAwMFx1MDAzZSJdXQ.jpg?sha=33c151dba7f8de4c"width="100"height="40"alt="ChristinasWorld"/>;
Until reading Christina Baker Kline’s note at the end of the book, it is impossible to guess that it is based on real people, although, admittedly, it is a little strange to name the main character after oneself. In fact, <i>A Piece of the World</i> is written around a single painting in the Museum of Modern Art, New York: <i>Christina’s World</i> (1948) by Andrew Wyeth, a man who appears and paints this work in the story.
Baker Cline researched thoroughly into the background story of the painting. Christina Olson, the main character of this book, was a real person who posed for Wyeth as he painted this striking picture. Although the overall story is a work of fiction, the dates and key characters are biographically accurate. Beginning in 1939, the narrative weaves too and fro, from Christina’s present day to her childhood and back again. Christina is an ageing woman who can barely walk and lives in a dilapidated cottage with her brother on a hill in the village of Cushing, Maine. Having lived in this state for so long, it is a welcome surprise to be visited by the young Andrew Wyeth who falls in love with the cottage and regularly comes to work on his canvases in their upper rooms. Through their peaceful relationship and flashbacks to her past, Christina’s character development is investigated and knitted together to explain why she has become this recluse on a hill.
Christina had problems from a very young age. After almost dying from a fever, she developed an undiagnosed degenerative disease that slowly ate away at the nerves in her arms and legs. Today, neurologists believe this to be <i>Charcot-Marie-Tooth</i> disease but there were no doctors able to provide this diagnosis at the time. Christina suffered aches and pains growing up and could barely walk in a straight line. Her determination to keep going is admirable and makes her a strong female protagonist.
One day in her early twenties, Christina meets a boy who pays her the kind of attention that she has never received before. Believing his promises that they will be together forever, she dares to dream of having a normal life. The reader, however, knows that the future Christina is alone with only her brother for company, making it heartbreaking to read of their developing romance knowing that it is not going to last.
There is no “happy-ever-after” to this story, nor is there a sad ending. It is an account of a woman who had been dealt a raw deal in life but continued getting on despite it. The end result, the painting <i>Christina’s World</i>, shows Christina as she sees herself. She may not be able to walk but she is still a woman; she made the most of her childhood, she never complained. This painting is her “letter to the World that never wrote to [Her].”
<i>A Piece of the World</i> is a powerful novel about purpose and determination. Christina may not have had a typical, successful life or become famous but she had her daily achievements: crawling through a field for an hour to visit a friend, cooking dinners despite not being able to stand up, carrying on after the end of a romantic relationship …
Written as gracefully as the brushstrokes of a painting with elements of Emily Dickinson thrown in here and there, </i>A Piece of the World</i> is a beautiful piece of work. It is something that can be enjoyed as you are mentally drawn into the storyline, leaving you wondering what happens to Christina and her brother after the completion of the painting. It is a novel the author can be proud of.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Keeper of Portals in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review </i>
Awaiting young adult readers in early 2017 is a fantasy story unlike any other. <i>The Keeper of Portals</i> is the debut novel of V.S. Nelson, the soon-to-be-published author with an imagination worth sharing. Incorporating the familiar concept of time travel into a new way of visualizing the world results in a story that will leave minds reeling.
Nelson’s theory is that every aspect of life has a keeper, a creature in charge of making sure their assigned element functions smoothly. There are the major keepers responsible for time, causality and other things that cannot be seen, yet objects as small as buttons have their own keeper, too. Humans, of course, are unaware of these keepers, therefore fifteen-year-old Martin Lockford initially believes he is going mad when the Keeper of Portals reveals his existence in Martin’s bedroom.
Martin and his mother, with nowhere else to go, have moved into a dilapidated manor once owned by a distant relative. Whilst exploring his new room, Martin is startled by a disembodied voice claiming to be the Keeper of Portals. Having not spoken to anyone for 400 years, Portals is eager to show off his role in the flowing of the unpredictable universe. The keeper’s task is to make sure each door leads to the correct place – something that he demonstrates by sending Martin to the <i>wrong</i> places. However, there is one door in the manor that he has been unable to open.
The very next morning, Martin awakes to discover the sealed door is no longer locked and, being the curious boy that he is, goes through to explore. The mystery door does not only transport Martin to a different place, it sends him back in time to 1623. Here he meets the young Isabel, a maid, who is intrigued with the inventions of the future, especially from a personal hygiene perspective. However, she is not the only one curious about the 21st century.
The irascible master of the manor is not who he initially seems. With the desire to control everything, he places Martin and Isabel in a grave predicament, trapping them in the 17th century. At risk of creating a paradox, Martin needs to return to his own time – a difficult feat in itself – however, with the Keeper of Portals missing, the master has caused many problems that need to be solved, otherwise a whole new future will be born.
Admittedly, it takes a while for the story to warm up – the reader may be introduced to the idea of keepers fairly early on, yet the key storyline does not reveal itself until much later. After perseverance on the reader’s behalf, <i>The Keeper of Portals</i>, becomes an exciting mix of fantasy and science fiction, cleverly thought out to create an unpredictable scenario. Adventure after adventure, until bittersweet conclusion, keeps readers engaged and compelled to read on long after bedtime.
Although Martin is the protagonist of the novel, Isabel’s role is equally important. Despite women in the 1600s being deprived on the rights they have in this day and age, Isabel is an intelligent, independent girl, perfectly able to handle everything that is thrown at her. She is an inspiration to teenage girls.
Written with teenage readers in mind, <i>The Keeper of Portals</i> is suitable for fantasy-loving adults, too. With equipoise of adventure and intellectual theory, as well as a touch of romance, it is definitely a book to look out for. V.S. Nelson writes with clarity, exuding remarkable intelligence; let us hope that there will be more from where this came from.
Awaiting young adult readers in early 2017 is a fantasy story unlike any other. <i>The Keeper of Portals</i> is the debut novel of V.S. Nelson, the soon-to-be-published author with an imagination worth sharing. Incorporating the familiar concept of time travel into a new way of visualizing the world results in a story that will leave minds reeling.
Nelson’s theory is that every aspect of life has a keeper, a creature in charge of making sure their assigned element functions smoothly. There are the major keepers responsible for time, causality and other things that cannot be seen, yet objects as small as buttons have their own keeper, too. Humans, of course, are unaware of these keepers, therefore fifteen-year-old Martin Lockford initially believes he is going mad when the Keeper of Portals reveals his existence in Martin’s bedroom.
Martin and his mother, with nowhere else to go, have moved into a dilapidated manor once owned by a distant relative. Whilst exploring his new room, Martin is startled by a disembodied voice claiming to be the Keeper of Portals. Having not spoken to anyone for 400 years, Portals is eager to show off his role in the flowing of the unpredictable universe. The keeper’s task is to make sure each door leads to the correct place – something that he demonstrates by sending Martin to the <i>wrong</i> places. However, there is one door in the manor that he has been unable to open.
The very next morning, Martin awakes to discover the sealed door is no longer locked and, being the curious boy that he is, goes through to explore. The mystery door does not only transport Martin to a different place, it sends him back in time to 1623. Here he meets the young Isabel, a maid, who is intrigued with the inventions of the future, especially from a personal hygiene perspective. However, she is not the only one curious about the 21st century.
The irascible master of the manor is not who he initially seems. With the desire to control everything, he places Martin and Isabel in a grave predicament, trapping them in the 17th century. At risk of creating a paradox, Martin needs to return to his own time – a difficult feat in itself – however, with the Keeper of Portals missing, the master has caused many problems that need to be solved, otherwise a whole new future will be born.
Admittedly, it takes a while for the story to warm up – the reader may be introduced to the idea of keepers fairly early on, yet the key storyline does not reveal itself until much later. After perseverance on the reader’s behalf, <i>The Keeper of Portals</i>, becomes an exciting mix of fantasy and science fiction, cleverly thought out to create an unpredictable scenario. Adventure after adventure, until bittersweet conclusion, keeps readers engaged and compelled to read on long after bedtime.
Although Martin is the protagonist of the novel, Isabel’s role is equally important. Despite women in the 1600s being deprived on the rights they have in this day and age, Isabel is an intelligent, independent girl, perfectly able to handle everything that is thrown at her. She is an inspiration to teenage girls.
Written with teenage readers in mind, <i>The Keeper of Portals</i> is suitable for fantasy-loving adults, too. With equipoise of adventure and intellectual theory, as well as a touch of romance, it is definitely a book to look out for. V.S. Nelson writes with clarity, exuding remarkable intelligence; let us hope that there will be more from where this came from.