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Book Review

Review, Giveaway & Tour: In the Garden of Stone

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In the Garden of Stone

In the Garden of Stone
By Susan Tekulve
(Hub City Press, Paperback, 9781891885211, April 2013, 250pp.)

The Short of It:

Full of sorrowful, memorable characters with writing that immediately pulls you in.

The Rest of It:

The story begins in War, West Virginia and spans from 1924 to the 70’s. After a rail accident buries her home in coal, sixteen-year-old Emma is rescued by a railroad man by the name of Caleb. Shortly thereafter, the two marry and begin their life together. Caleb is a good man but prone to dreaming and when he dreams up a garden to rival that of any found in Sicily, Emma has her doubts but she goes along with it. When tragedy strikes and Emma is left to fend for herself, what we are given is only a brief glimpse of what is to come. Told in alternating chapters and ending with Emma’s granddaughter, Hannah, this is a family saga that began strong but left me wanting more.

Emma’s story was the most appealing to me. I wanted to know more about her and Caleb but when it jumped to her son Dean as an adult, I began to lose interest. Dean was not likable and his marriage to Sadie and her eventual decline in health, made me not like him even more. And when the story ended with Hannah, his daughter, I found myself even less interested. From the strong beginning, I had high hopes for this one. In the end, I enjoyed the book but not as much as I had hoped.

Had this story stuck with Emma and Caleb I think I would have liked it more. The dreamy, fantastical part of Caleb was particularly interesting against Emma’s more sensible nature. What these characters all share is a sense of longing. The type that can never be fulfilled. They seem to struggle with happiness. Both what it is and how to achieve it. Flawed as they are, the story doesn’t dwell long enough on any one aspect of their unhappiness so it steers clear of the depression you’d expect to find in a book like this. If I were to take the story out of the equation, I’d say that the writing was lovely. Lovely, without being over-the-top. The imagery and the voice of the characters came through enough for me to want to finish the book and I would absolutely read another book by Tekulve.

If you are intrigued by anything I’ve said here and want to read it for yourself, enter to win your own copy. Details below.

Susan Tekulve

To visit the publisher’s website, click here.

To visit her other tour stops, click here.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of In the Garden of Stone and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person.  Giveaway closes on June 14, 2013 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

 

Book Review

Review, Tour & Giveaway: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

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Constellation of Vital Phenomena

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
By Anthony Marra
(Hogarth, Hardcover, 9780770436407, May 2013, 400pp.)

The Short of It:

A haunting glimpse of war, as seen through the eyes of those affected.

The Rest of It:

I know little about the War in Chechnya. That’s the first thing I’ll tell you as I attempt to review a book that pushed me away as much as it pulled me in. The second thing I’ll admit is that I’ve never read a book quite like this one. Marra’s handling of the subject is both delicate and brutal. A combination that I was not expecting.

The story follows a handful of characters as they experience war between the years of 1994-2004. Havaa, a young girl who ran from her home as the Russians took her father away. Akhmed, the neighbor next door who lives with his ill, bedridden wife, Ula. Sonja, a brilliant surgeon, trying to keep a hospital open with just two full time staff to run it. Natasha, Sonja’s sister, addicted to heroin and nowhere to be found. Khassan, an old man who lives across from Havaa and is the father to Ramzan, a young man who has been enlisted by the Russians as an informer. Dokka, Havaa’s father, who gives refugees a bed to sleep in as they make their way to the camps.

The character list is short, but the complexities of each character make this a very rich story, filled with moments that will haunt your memories for days. The hospital serves as a gateway to the other side. Many come for help, but some never leave given their injuries or the lack of supplies available to Sonja. She makes do with dental floss for sutures, heroin instead of morphine and when Akhmed brings the young girl to her and asks her to provide a place for her to sleep, Sonja is not ready to care for a child. Akhmed’s only saving grace? The mediocre medical experience he holds. Help is what she desperately needs so she takes what she can get and agrees to take the girl in.

The pace of the story falters a bit as Marra takes us back and forth through time. At times I zipped through the pages and at other times, I had to push myself to get through a chapter. It wasn’t until the final third of the book that I found myself unable to put the book down. The fate of these characters and how Marra walks us down each of their paths was riveting and heartbreaking.

It’s beautifully written and the complexities of war are displayed in acts both large and small. The amputation of a limb, a young girl’s collection of items left behind by refugees, feeding a band of loyal dogs. This is one of those books that seeps into you slowly but it’s a story that you will never forget.

Enter to win your own copy. Details below.

Anthony Marra

To visit her Facebook page, click here.

Follow @anthonyfmarra to follow him on Twitter!

To visit her other tour stops, click here.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person.  Giveaway closes on June 7, 2013 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!