false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183171984m/1387073.jpg 1387073 2 A debut novel about a young girl at the center of the secret world of professional mourners, where women are trained extensively and paid handsomely to attend the funerals of strangers. Mem is a wailer, a professional mourner hired to cry at funerals. One of the few remaining American girls in this secret, illegal profession, Mem hails from a long line of mourners, including her mother, a legendary master wailer hired for the most important funerals in her hometown of Philadelphia. Though Mem is to eventually become a renowned wailer herself, she at first struggles with her calling. She is a girl who cannot make herself cry, and though her mother loves her fiercely, she must use ancient, emotionally abusive, cultlike rituals to train Mem to weep. When Mem emerges as the greatest wailer that the profession has ever seen, her infamy brings with it unwanted attention, especially from the authorities. Interweaving poetic prose and artifacts spanning six thousand years and seven continents, Open Me is an utterly original novel about mothers and daughters, dark underworlds, and the play between fact and fiction. 1377137 22 6 2007 Open Me total:74|5:13|4:22|3:24|2:12|1:3| 74 252 125 22 5 1 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 05 21:01:30 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 05 21:17:07 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Oct 28 16:31:46 -0700 2007 Tue Dec 04 00:18:23 -0800 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 07:26:24 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 07:33:53 -0700 2007 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat Jan 24 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 12:25:18 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 12:27:46 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jan 04 12:29:38 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 23 11:36:05 -0700 2008
I've always heard of professional mourners, "Wailing Women", etc. I wasn't awar...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun May 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 00:38:20 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 21:34:30 -0700 2009
It did deliver on those two items, but the rest of it fell short for me. It...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 24 21:21:01 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 20:29:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jul 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 17:46:31 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 17:47:41 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 10:17:58 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 10:18:19 -0800 2009 2 0 false false Tue Mar 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 17:49:01 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 17:49:52 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sat Feb 02 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 23 13:56:13 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 02 11:31:01 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun May 24 08:09:47 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 13:30:52 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed May 28 10:26:10 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 07 08:29:00 -0700 2008
The book is interjected with odd "historical notes" to make the plot seem more realistic. I am still getting used to this style....]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 15 18:49:41 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 15 18:49:58 -0700 2007 2 0 false false Sun Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 18 13:01:46 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 05:48:31 -0700 2008
Update: I've actually given up on this one without finishing it. I find the writing style too amateurish to lose myself in it.]]> 2 0 false false Thu Sep 11 22:39:11 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 11 22:40:02 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 23 13:56:27 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 10 10:54:59 -0700 2008 1 0 false false Wed Mar 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Feb 10 07:10:15 -0800 2008 Sat Apr 05 10:59:46 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 13 14:19:57 -0700 2007 Tue Jan 01 09:38:32 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 04 11:47:22 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 10 06:41:34 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1387073