Lachlan Bullock Bullock itibaren Danylivka, Zhytomyrs'ka oblast, Ukraine
This is a tour-de-force in the genre of "family history" novels, tracing the roots of one family and their descendents through decades of tragedies, yet all depicted in gorgeous, vivid prose, with unforgettable characters. A must-read!
THE STORY OF BEAUTIFUL GIRL By Rachel Simon This is a beautiful 40 year journey of love and a desperate whispered plea that is a marvelous read. A young woman with a developmental disability locked away in an institution called The School for the Incurable and Feebleminded escapes with an African American deaf man. They are deeply in love, and she has just given birth to a baby. Seeking refuge at the farmhouse of a retired widow, they are discovered, the man escapes, and the young woman is returned to the institution. But, not before she pleads with the widow to hide her baby. The incredible and spellbinding depiction of each of the character’s traumatic road is really amazing. This novel is also an indictment of the cruel and inhumane treatment of the less fortunate, and hopefully reaffirms our need to be sure this treatment never happens again.
As the mother of an almost-5-yr old, I thought I would be much more bothered by this book. The story is disturbing, but the fact that it's told through 5-yr-old Jack's innocent voice I think makes it easier to digest. Jack has no idea his life is horrific because he has nothing to compare it to. It was a quick read for me, I finished it in just 3 days. Although I didn't LOVE it, I had trouble putting it down - I wanted to know if they were going to be OK. There were times it was difficult and somewhat annoying to read a story narrated completely by a 5-yr-old, but other times I was grateful for this. I didn't choose this book, it was a book club pick and I honestly wasn't looking forward to it, but it was much better than I expected. Overall a good pick.