Sometimes my daughter will tell me about a recent dream, in great detail. It's a dream, so there's never any real narrative arc, and there's a lot of Sometimes my daughter will tell me about a recent dream, in great detail. It's a dream, so there's never any real narrative arc, and there's a lot of elements that are essentially nonsensical but in the dream they are as if they make perfect sense. But then, it's somebody else's dream, so to them it's an interesting situation of their brain working out whatever issues they are having in regular life, but to a bystander, not that interesting, only long and strange and hard to get invested in.
Full disclosure: I read this only because my book club was reading romance novels (each member picked their own to read) that month. Romance is not myFull disclosure: I read this only because my book club was reading romance novels (each member picked their own to read) that month. Romance is not my usual genre, and this book was thus not something I would ordinarily read. For something outside my preferences, it was fine - but my preferences being what they are, I did not super like it....more
Impulsive and naive young teacher tries to survive a year and beyond teaching in a poor all-black school on an isolated South Carolina island in the lImpulsive and naive young teacher tries to survive a year and beyond teaching in a poor all-black school on an isolated South Carolina island in the late 1960s. It's a good story, but for my taste it is too much about the strengths and weaknesses of Pat Conroy himself, when I wanted something more about the students and the island, who only played bit parts....more
This book tells an interesting and complicated story, in an interesting and complicated way. As a very VERY amateur family genealogist I related to MaThis book tells an interesting and complicated story, in an interesting and complicated way. As a very VERY amateur family genealogist I related to Macy's challenges in trying to piece together the truth from family oral histories and limited historical records, both of which contain their own sort of uncertainty, and in the ultimate notion that the truth is both bigger and different than the facts. ...more
Margaret Verble did a great job of painting a real-feeling picture of this time and place. I'm giving it two stars because I could never quite fully eMargaret Verble did a great job of painting a real-feeling picture of this time and place. I'm giving it two stars because I could never quite fully engage with the plot. ...more
I did not love the way this book was written, and I wanted to feel the characters more deeply than I did, but in any case, the subject matter of this I did not love the way this book was written, and I wanted to feel the characters more deeply than I did, but in any case, the subject matter of this book is fascinating all by itself. I almost enjoyed the authors notes at the end more than the actual novel....more
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