Real life is just a bit too much right now. So it strikes me apropos that all 3 of my main media reads (kindle, audio, print) are serious period pieces with dramatic settings including beauty and terror more (but significantly different from) my own circumstances. “Art can save your life.” -comedian Josh Johnson.
so-soI believe my hopes were too high for this and consequently I ended up feeling meh about it. An American Civil War novel (and its aftermath) that takes place in West Virginia in what was then called a lunatic asylum?? Plus it won the Pulitzer? Sign me up! I was hooked at the beginning and the end but the middle section lost me. A look at how war has wide reaching impacts, through the experiences of a young girl and her mother.
pick8th book read November 2024
Beautifully written but so sad. It is the situation of this family struggling and trying to survive during the depression era. The story is narrated by Margaret one of the Haldmarnes daughters. The author describes the environment so well during this period of time, the poverty situation, racism, mental health, etc. no happy endings, no hopes just the real situation that permeated at that time⬇️
pickI have mixed feelings on this one. The writing was beautiful, and so much about the story was compelling, but a few cringy sections nearly ruined it for me. It's a pick, but I felt at times like rating it 2 stars and at other times 5 stars. This was my November #Doublespin @TheAromaofBooks
This was my choice for August #TBRTarot - Choose a book… that is based on a true story/real person. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is written by an author from my home state of West Virginia. It takes place during and after the War Between the States. West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863. The story mostly takes place at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, a real place constructed from 1858 and 1881. It (cont)⬇️
pickFabulous read. The story of ConaLee and her family during and after the cataclysm that was the U.S. Civil War and the horrors it wrought moved me deeply. As a Yankee living in Virginia, I was reminded of the history of this in-between state and the chaos it meant for individuals who were forced to choose sides. A friend recently visited the Trans-AlleghenyLunatic asylum and recommended it highly. I‘d def like to take a tour.
so-soThis year‘s dark horse Pulitzer winner, on post-Civil War West Virginia.
Overall, for me this novel has some good aspects, but also problems. I liked the slightly difficult prose, and the various aspects of history and place. The plot seemed flawed to me, full of aspects that I couldn't make sense of. Slightly disappointing, maybe. 🤷🏻♂️
pickOverall, I really enjoyed this read about a family in the wake of the civil war. It was an engaging story about a daughter who needed to care for her mother and siblings in the aftermath of the war. Some aspects of the story I found confusing but overall enjoyed the book. 3.5/5
