A Gate at the Stairs in Around the World in 80 Books

Dec 06, 2010 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: adoption, fiction, 2010-reads, total-read

his is the first of her books I've read, and honestly I'm not sure if I like it or not. It certainly is an interesting exploration of adoption, and transracial adoption to be exact, but it's also at times pretty bizarre and I felt like it went totally off the rails at the end. I do have to admit the last scene had a lot of punch and the last sentence was stellar.

The characters were all interesting though I felt bonded with none of them (perhaps with the exception of Mary Emma. The conduct of her ...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Tanya rated it did not like it

Shelves: format-audiobook, list-1001-btrbyd, 2013, list-1-001-btrbyd-2012-additions

There are some laugh-out-loud funny lines in here (I listened on audio on an airplane, so can't write them down as I have nothing to refer back to). That some of the actions of Tessie are peculiar and not well thought out just remind me of being 20 and trying to figure things out and making bad decisions at times along the way.

By the halfway point, the book just had too much detail that I was bored. I kept with it, but knowing every thought of the protagonist is overbearing. Also, it is hard to ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 Georgia Carvalho rated it did not like it

I read this as a member of a selection committee at work. It was not at all what I expected, given so many glowing reviews. It was difficult for me to finish reading the book. The characters were not sympathetic or very interesting. I did not care much about what happened to them, with the exception of Mary Emma. Although individual sentences were beautiful, the overall arch of the story was erratic and painful, the attitude of the characters -- towards all groups, classes, and races --felt cond ...more

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Dec 20, 2009 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

Chapter One did not impress me. I set it aside for several days only to pick it back up after seeing it on fifty recommended reads lists of 2009. Okay, let me give it another chance.

Glad I did. The story is a thoughtful one. Parenting. Caring for others. Coming of age. Atonement. Loss. Carelessness. Lots to think about here.

I loved the story, but I loved, more than that even, how much Moore enjoyed word play. All her characters, even the most dour, can’t seem to help themselves, throwing a pun o ...more

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