I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War...
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To me, this looked like a cheesy romance novel. But I read it because my co-worker who recommended it has never steered me wrong, and it turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read. A classic case of never judging a book by it's cover.
The book begins with the brutal and violent raid of a Texas settlement by a band of Comanche Indians in which most of the adults are murdered and the children kidnapped, among them 9-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker. She is given to a childless Comanche couple to raise as their own, and the story follows her life as she grows up with the tribe.
This is a work of historical fiction, based in solid and well-researched facts and history, but since the real Cynthia Ann Parker never told her own story, of course most of the story from her perspective is speculation. But the author does a masterful job of weaving fiction with history, creating a beautiful and heartbreaking story of the struggle between the "savages" and the settlers of the west in the mid- to late-1800s.
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(5 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
A chilling read for anyone who's ever wondered what leads a child to massacre their schoolmates. We like the safety of thinking that it was something in their upbringing, maybe abusive or neglectful parents. But what about a child who came from a happy family with loving parents and what, from all outward appearances, should have been an idyllic childhood? Told from the perspective of Kevin's mother in letters to her now-estranged husband, she relives and recounts the years from the time they met through present-day visits with Kevin in prison.
Near the end of the book, Shriver brings in a stunning and unexpected twist that chilled me to the bone. Not for the weak of heart, this one stays with you.
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(5 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
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Lynda Manstrom has commented on (2) products.
Ride the Wind by Lucia St Clair-robson
Lynda Manstrom, January 6, 2008
To me, this looked like a cheesy romance novel. But I read it because my co-worker who recommended it has never steered me wrong, and it turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read. A classic case of never judging a book by it's cover.The book begins with the brutal and violent raid of a Texas settlement by a band of Comanche Indians in which most of the adults are murdered and the children kidnapped, among them 9-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker. She is given to a childless Comanche couple to raise as their own, and the story follows her life as she grows up with the tribe.
This is a work of historical fiction, based in solid and well-researched facts and history, but since the real Cynthia Ann Parker never told her own story, of course most of the story from her perspective is speculation. But the author does a masterful job of weaving fiction with history, creating a beautiful and heartbreaking story of the struggle between the "savages" and the settlers of the west in the mid- to late-1800s.
(5 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Lynda Manstrom, December 2, 2007
A chilling read for anyone who's ever wondered what leads a child to massacre their schoolmates. We like the safety of thinking that it was something in their upbringing, maybe abusive or neglectful parents. But what about a child who came from a happy family with loving parents and what, from all outward appearances, should have been an idyllic childhood? Told from the perspective of Kevin's mother in letters to her now-estranged husband, she relives and recounts the years from the time they met through present-day visits with Kevin in prison.Near the end of the book, Shriver brings in a stunning and unexpected twist that chilled me to the bone. Not for the weak of heart, this one stays with you.
(5 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)