This guy stereotypes his own relatives. Last I heard, Scotch-Irish people were not all violent, uneducated hillbillies, even if they are from VirginiaThis guy stereotypes his own relatives. Last I heard, Scotch-Irish people were not all violent, uneducated hillbillies, even if they are from Virginia or Tennessee. Remember all those ministers, educators, and founding fathers?...more
The main character, a 50-something concierge who secretly reads Kant and Tolstoy yet dislikes the pretentions of people living in her building, is aThe main character, a 50-something concierge who secretly reads Kant and Tolstoy yet dislikes the pretentions of people living in her building, is a delight. The other narrator, a 12 year old smarty-pants of a girl, not so much. I kind of wish the story had been just about the older, more interesting character. I still liked the book, though; it was fun, entertaining, and sweetly satisfying....more
Malfi's tale of a mother returning to the creepily gothic home of her youth with her husband and daughter is reminiscent of Henry James' Turn of theMalfi's tale of a mother returning to the creepily gothic home of her youth with her husband and daughter is reminiscent of Henry James' Turn of the Screw. Children slip too close to ghost-like figures; there is a troubled romance and repressed memories; and we are not sure if insanity plays a part in it (either for ourselves or the unfortunate heroine). Throw in strikingly realistic images of Anne Arundel county in Maryland and a hidden sexual affair, and you have a classic, well-rounded supernatural thriller....more
This book is a fantasy with a multilayered historical context. The teen boy narrator discovers that his grandfather, recently killed by "a pack ofThis book is a fantasy with a multilayered historical context. The teen boy narrator discovers that his grandfather, recently killed by "a pack of animals," was sent to Wales for safety as a boy during the war, like the children in the Narnia tales--only this boy was Jewish. The children's home where he resides, he discovers, is for "peculiars," which are something like Xmen mutants with different powers they must hide from the world. One of the best things about the story is the Jamesian (yes, really!) way the narrator and his family, for half the book, keep thinking that he is imagining the children in episodes of psychotic grief. The story turns action- adventurous when he discovers that he, too, is peculiar....more
My husband and I listened to this long book in audio form on our road trip through New England this summer. We both give it five stars. It was so goodMy husband and I listened to this long book in audio form on our road trip through New England this summer. We both give it five stars. It was so good that we couldn't wait to get back in the car and drive endlessly just so we could listen to it, enthralled. It is simply the best story I've encountered in a long time--and this is NONfiction. Not only do I admire Hildebrand's deep biographical and historical research for this book, which took her years, I am also awed by how well she takes that hard core context and rich, often devastating detail, and turns them into an alternately gripping and soaring novel-like narrative. You do get expository pieces, but even those are so fascinating that you don't want them to stop. I learned so much about Olympic running, WWII, survival in the sea after a plane crash, Japanese POW camps, and the indomitable human spirit. The biographical narrative makes it so much better than any plain old history without a focused person as a point of view. If you liked the Serial podcast, you'll love this in audio so much more. Get it in audio and listen with your bestie....more
The first time I read this was 33 years ago when I was 14. I just read it again on the plane to San Francisco. It was just as delightful the secondThe first time I read this was 33 years ago when I was 14. I just read it again on the plane to San Francisco. It was just as delightful the second time around, mainly because of the strong and especially round characters. Her world-building is entirely believable, perhaps because she doesn't over-describe. I gave it to my 18 year old daughter to read. Maybe she'll get hooked on LeGuin....more
I hesitated starting this book because I had some incorrect presuppositions about what it would be like. From all they hype, it seemed like an OprahI hesitated starting this book because I had some incorrect presuppositions about what it would be like. From all they hype, it seemed like an Oprah kind of book, but one with a preachy bent. In actuality, it was an adventure story about a wandering, obsessive humanitarian and a travelogue about rural Pakistan. I liked it for the way David Oliver Relin wrote the narrative in a close 3rd-person limited voice. Because I want to write about people I know, this was a good example for me. I wonder at the long conversations Mortenson and Relin must have had in the researching and writing of this book, and I admire them both....more
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