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Bottomland
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
15 posts | 9 read | 19 to read
At once intimate and sweeping, "Bottomland" follows the Hess family in the years after World War I, as they attempt to rid themselves of the Anti-German sentiment that left a stain on their name. But when the youngest two daughters vanish in the middle of the night, the family must piece together what happened while struggling to maintain their life on the unforgiving Iowa plains. In the weeks after Esther and Myrle s disappearance, their siblings desperately search for them, through the stark farmlands to unfamiliar world of far-off Chicago. Have the girls run away to another farm? Have they gone to the city to seek a new life? Or were they abducted? Ostracized and misunderstood in their small town in the wake of the war, the Hesses fear the worst. "Bottomland" is a haunting story of pride, love, and betrayal, set among the rugged terrain of Iowa, the fields of war-torn Flanders, and the bustling Chicago streets. With exquisite lyricism, Michelle Hoover deftly examines the intrepid ways a person can forge a life of one's own despite the dangerous obstacles of prejudice and oppression."
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DarcysMom
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟
#audiobook
#overdrive

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DarcysMom
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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DarcysMom
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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DarcysMom
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Iowalibrarychick
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Mehso-so

This the All Iowa Reads for this year. Just discussed at book club tonight. The story of a German family living in rural Iowa post WWI. Two youngest daughters disappear. Story told from the perspectives of 5 family members. Excellent writing but just a heavy and fairly unhappy story.

Librarylady I liked that this has some basis in the author's family's history. I'm also always excited to see books by Iowa authors. 8y
Iowalibrarychick Me, too! It was definitely worth reading. I just didn't love it. 8y
4 likes2 comments
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Jana
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
Mehso-so

This is a depressing story of family, loss, pain, and hardship told from 6 different POV. It's beautifully written but it begins super slow and stays slow but it gets stronger as the story goes on. The characters become more interesting, tragic, and engaging and I found myself caring about them and what happens more than in the beginning. It's a good book, not a must read or a read in one sitting book, but it didn't feel like a waste.

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Librarylady
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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The bad news is I forgot the book I am reading at school/work today. The good news is that I started Bottomland and am loving it.

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Texreader
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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I'm back for #marchintoreading after spring break and here is my #setinthe1920s book at least as best as I can tell. A post WWI anti-German novel. I recall stories from that era that my Swiss ancestor suffered a good deal of racism in south Texas where he emigrated. Even though he was Swiss, he spoke the Swiss-German dialect and therefore assumed guilty of whatever American Germans were guilty of.

74 likes3 stack adds
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Texreader
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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I finished this tonight. Thanks @Lindy for recommending it. I liked the audio version a lot until the second to last narrator who talked way too fast. If I slowed it down she had a terrible Texas drawl. Then I got lost in the switching timeframes and all the new characters with the last narrator. I think I would have liked the book better--it is a good story about a time period and subject we don't hear enough about, often lost in WWII stories.

Lindy I'm glad you (mostly) enjoyed this. I heard about it from @Liberty 😊 8y
69 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Texreader
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Look at what I get to start tomorrow on audible for a long drive to meet with a client. 😊 It makes having clients all around south Texas quite enjoyable, and I have awesome clients too. 😁

Suzze I'd have you wave to my son and family in Richmond, but they're leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in Dallas. 8y
slhbooks Somehow I missed hearing about this book🤗It sounds really good and I bet it's good on audio with all the different narrators. Onto the 📚📚📚it goes! Enjoy! 8y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lindy
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Two teenage sisters disappear from their farm one night after World War I. A somewhat melancholy family saga that spans nearly a century. German American immigrants. Same sex relationship. Four points of view, voiced by four different narrators in the audiobook. Rewarding.

LauraBrook Michelle Hoover is such a great writer! Didn't know about this one, will have to add it to my after-Christmas list! 8y
Lindy @LauraBrook I heard about it from @Liberty on her list of great 2016 releases from indie publishers. 8y
shawnmooney Ooh, this sounds good! 8y
Lindy @shawnmooney I think you would like it. 😊 8y
53 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Lindy
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Home. The idea alone is not solid enough to carry with us, yet without it, on what can we stand?

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Lindy
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Next up in audio. But before that, some sleep. 😴

50 likes1 stack add
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librariankris
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Pickpick

I pretty much love any book set in Iowa, but this one also made me think a lot about families who are trying to make a life in a new place while retaining their heritage.

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LibrarianMike773
Bottomland | Michelle Hoover
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Set shortly after World War I, two girls mysterious disappear from their family's farm in Iowa.

Told from a variety of perspectives, this is a vividly written suspense story about two girls, born of German immigrants, and the troubles they and their family encounter in the wake of the Great War.