I will never get back the time I wasted reading this book. It is truly awful! The main character, Sara, for reasons never truly explained, is disliked and picked on by her family. It is suggested that she is disliked because she looks different (she has wild, curly hair?)and because she seeks knowledge. I never thought that she was seeking knowledge or further education. I felt she was very confused, but it was never explained why,and her banishment to the teachers college was a big surprise. It was never used as the stepping-off point it could have been for her growth as a person and the opening of her mind to both her religion and to the outside world. Instead, it further closed her off, both mentally and religiously, even though she was married, traveled across the country and was introduced to different peoples and cultures. Every time she had the opportunity to grow as a person, the author had her fall back on her confused religious beliefs. Even new people in her life, still for unexplained reasons (except her wild, curly hair) abused her both mentally and physically, and she fell further into confusion and delusion.
The characters of the Indians start out interesting. The author describes each person physically in detail, but never goes beyond that in developing their characters. Sexual tension was suggested, but never explored. It was suggested that Broken Nose was the sexually active and attractive character, and that there was an attraction between him and Sara, but that was also never fully explored. I was completely surprised when, late in the book, there actually was a sexual encounter between them. I felt Sara was more interested in Many Visions. The Indians never fully accepted Sara. Even after she "miraculously" found she could speak their language and had survived on her own, they treated her like less than dirt. She never accepted them or their life, either. She continally fell back on her confused religious faith, and the title of the book aptly describes her mental state. In her confused mind, she wishes for equally her old life with her mother and her life with the Indians. Whe she returns to her own culture with Little Bird, she appears ambivilant towards this life, her life with the Indians, and her previous life. In fact, she appears ambivilant towards everything around her.
The author misses every opportunity to turn Sara into a well-rounded character. None of the characters in the book were fully developed, the story line was rambling and unclear, and the dialogue was stilted.
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This is a thoughtfully written first-hand account of the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Dr. Verghese was an infectious disease doctor in the tri-cities area of northeast Tennessee. Johnson City is a small pocket of HIV/AIDS infections, covering the gamut of high- and low-risk people. My Own Country describes each person infected with, and affected by, the disease. Each has their own unique story, and Dr. Verghese details their personal struggles, as well as family and community reactions, with insight, heartbreak, and humor. He gives names and stories to the first victims of this disease. They are your neighbors and your friends, not faceless people in far away places.
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br6645 has commented on (2) products.
Crazy Woman by Kate Horsley
br6645, August 7, 2008
I will never get back the time I wasted reading this book. It is truly awful! The main character, Sara, for reasons never truly explained, is disliked and picked on by her family. It is suggested that she is disliked because she looks different (she has wild, curly hair?)and because she seeks knowledge. I never thought that she was seeking knowledge or further education. I felt she was very confused, but it was never explained why,and her banishment to the teachers college was a big surprise. It was never used as the stepping-off point it could have been for her growth as a person and the opening of her mind to both her religion and to the outside world. Instead, it further closed her off, both mentally and religiously, even though she was married, traveled across the country and was introduced to different peoples and cultures. Every time she had the opportunity to grow as a person, the author had her fall back on her confused religious beliefs. Even new people in her life, still for unexplained reasons (except her wild, curly hair) abused her both mentally and physically, and she fell further into confusion and delusion.The characters of the Indians start out interesting. The author describes each person physically in detail, but never goes beyond that in developing their characters. Sexual tension was suggested, but never explored. It was suggested that Broken Nose was the sexually active and attractive character, and that there was an attraction between him and Sara, but that was also never fully explored. I was completely surprised when, late in the book, there actually was a sexual encounter between them. I felt Sara was more interested in Many Visions. The Indians never fully accepted Sara. Even after she "miraculously" found she could speak their language and had survived on her own, they treated her like less than dirt. She never accepted them or their life, either. She continally fell back on her confused religious faith, and the title of the book aptly describes her mental state. In her confused mind, she wishes for equally her old life with her mother and her life with the Indians. Whe she returns to her own culture with Little Bird, she appears ambivilant towards this life, her life with the Indians, and her previous life. In fact, she appears ambivilant towards everything around her.
The author misses every opportunity to turn Sara into a well-rounded character. None of the characters in the book were fully developed, the story line was rambling and unclear, and the dialogue was stilted.
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
My Own Country: A Doctor's Story by Abraham Verghese
br6645, August 7, 2008
This is a thoughtfully written first-hand account of the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Dr. Verghese was an infectious disease doctor in the tri-cities area of northeast Tennessee. Johnson City is a small pocket of HIV/AIDS infections, covering the gamut of high- and low-risk people. My Own Country describes each person infected with, and affected by, the disease. Each has their own unique story, and Dr. Verghese details their personal struggles, as well as family and community reactions, with insight, heartbreak, and humor. He gives names and stories to the first victims of this disease. They are your neighbors and your friends, not faceless people in far away places.(5 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)