When I set out to write a book about the natural history of breasts, I knew I'd have to answer some awkward questions about my book topic. At a...
Continue »
A moving portrait of a family (specifically the wife) dealing with the separation, shame, and loneliness that comes with having a husband in jail. O'Nan has a unique style - it feels like I'm just peeking in on this life as time passes (the story takes place over a period of about 25 years). I grieved for Patty, for her struggle to avoid embarrassment in her small town, to make a life for herself and her son while trying to make ends meet, to deal with not being able to touch her husband. But I was also amazed by her strength, love, and devotion, and Tommy's, too. A beautiful novel, sad yet hopeful.
A moving portrait of a family (specifically the wife) dealing with the separation, shame, and loneliness that comes with having a husband in jail. O'Nan has a unique style - it feels like I'm just peeking in on this life as time passes (the story takes place over a period of about 25 years). I grieved for Patty, for her struggle to avoid embarrassment in her small town, to make a life for herself and her son while trying to make ends meet, to deal with not being able to touch her husband. But I was also amazed by her strength, love, and devotion, and Tommy's, too. A beautiful novel, sad yet hopeful.
This was definitely one of my favorite books of 2010. I first heard about it during an interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" (and I can I just say that Terry Gross an is amazing interviewer?) It was one of those interviews where you stayed in the car for an extra 45 minutes so you didn't miss a single word. I immediately placed the book on hold from the library; it wasn't even ordered yet! Once I had it in my hands, it didn't leave. So engrossing, fascinating, and shocking. Skloot's extensive research, and the lengths she traveled to achieve it, are quite impressive. I would recommend this to anyone, even if they are not nonfiction lovers.
I was disappointed with this book. The information regarding the Line, the Others, the dystopian society in general, was all dispensed slowly and in a "history lesson" format. The text felt stilted at times and rather juvenile for a YA book (one thing that bugged me was the author's continued use of the word "giggle" to describe the mother's laugh, which didn't seem to fit her characterization). There was a lot of potential with the plot line, but I felt it was poorly executed, and the dangling ending felt like a cop-out. Would not recommend.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
I was really blown away by this book in many ways. Interest was first piqued when I learned that the main character communicates in sign language (I'm teaching my preschool students sign to help communicate with a special needs classmate). Even more fascinating is how Edgar communicates with and trains his dogs. I enjoyed the fascination with names, and I'm really curious to learn how Wroblewski chose the names for his characters. This book was incredibly engaging and the perfect length; it seemd to last forever, but you didn't want it to end anyways! The only issue I have is with the ending, as it felt like a cop-out. Other than that, I would highly recommend this book.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
Reading Jess has commented on (5) products.
The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan
Reading Jess, September 1, 2011
A moving portrait of a family (specifically the wife) dealing with the separation, shame, and loneliness that comes with having a husband in jail. O'Nan has a unique style - it feels like I'm just peeking in on this life as time passes (the story takes place over a period of about 25 years). I grieved for Patty, for her struggle to avoid embarrassment in her small town, to make a life for herself and her son while trying to make ends meet, to deal with not being able to touch her husband. But I was also amazed by her strength, love, and devotion, and Tommy's, too. A beautiful novel, sad yet hopeful.The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan
Reading Jess, September 1, 2011
A moving portrait of a family (specifically the wife) dealing with the separation, shame, and loneliness that comes with having a husband in jail. O'Nan has a unique style - it feels like I'm just peeking in on this life as time passes (the story takes place over a period of about 25 years). I grieved for Patty, for her struggle to avoid embarrassment in her small town, to make a life for herself and her son while trying to make ends meet, to deal with not being able to touch her husband. But I was also amazed by her strength, love, and devotion, and Tommy's, too. A beautiful novel, sad yet hopeful.The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Reading Jess, January 1, 2011
This was definitely one of my favorite books of 2010. I first heard about it during an interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" (and I can I just say that Terry Gross an is amazing interviewer?) It was one of those interviews where you stayed in the car for an extra 45 minutes so you didn't miss a single word. I immediately placed the book on hold from the library; it wasn't even ordered yet! Once I had it in my hands, it didn't leave. So engrossing, fascinating, and shocking. Skloot's extensive research, and the lengths she traveled to achieve it, are quite impressive. I would recommend this to anyone, even if they are not nonfiction lovers.The Line by Teri Hall
Reading Jess, September 1, 2010
I was disappointed with this book. The information regarding the Line, the Others, the dystopian society in general, was all dispensed slowly and in a "history lesson" format. The text felt stilted at times and rather juvenile for a YA book (one thing that bugged me was the author's continued use of the word "giggle" to describe the mother's laugh, which didn't seem to fit her characterization). There was a lot of potential with the plot line, but I felt it was poorly executed, and the dangling ending felt like a cop-out. Would not recommend.(1 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Reading Jess, January 12, 2010
I was really blown away by this book in many ways. Interest was first piqued when I learned that the main character communicates in sign language (I'm teaching my preschool students sign to help communicate with a special needs classmate). Even more fascinating is how Edgar communicates with and trains his dogs. I enjoyed the fascination with names, and I'm really curious to learn how Wroblewski chose the names for his characters. This book was incredibly engaging and the perfect length; it seemd to last forever, but you didn't want it to end anyways! The only issue I have is with the ending, as it felt like a cop-out. Other than that, I would highly recommend this book.(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)