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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audio book performed by Anna Fields.
3.5*** rounded up to 4****
Adapted from the book jacket: Bakerton is a company town built on coal, a town of church festivals and ethnic neighborhoods, hunters’ breakfasts and firemen’s parades. The looming black piles of mine dirt (are called) Baker Towers; they are local landmarks, clear evidence that the mines are booming. The mines were not named for Bakerton; Bakerton was named for the mines. This is an important distinction. It explains the order of things. Born and raised on Bakerton’s Polish Hill, the five Novak children come of age during wartime.
My reaction:
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.
The five Novaks are as different as night and day. The oldest, Georgie, serves in the Pacific during World War II, but after the war he moves away with his new wife, rarely returning home. Next is Dorothy, a pretty but insecure young woman who takes a job in Washington D.C., but falters. Joyce is the middle child, smart and driven, always helping out and taking charge of the household when her widowed mother is unable to cope. Sandy is the family charmer, relying on his good looks and smooth talk to get by in life; like his older brother, he leaves home and rarely returns. And finally, there is Lucy, who is showered with affection and seems unable to grow out of her role as the baby of the family.
Through the lens of this family the reader watches the changes in America as the town prospers in the post-war era, deals with changes in American manufacturing, and begins an inevitable decline. The residents face the changing expectations as women get a taste of “important” work during the war and chafe against restrictions when the men return. Haigh mentions the changes outside Bakerton – the death of FDR, the Eisenhower years, the assassination of President Kennedy, Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon, etc – but the changes within the town have greater impact, from getting a phone or car, to a long strike for better conditions and wages at the mine.
I do not usually round up when awarding half-stars, but I will in this case because it’s a discussion-worthy book.
Anna Fields does a fine job performing the audio book. She has a good pace and enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.
3.5*** rounded up to 4****
Adapted from the book jacket: Bakerton is a company town built on coal, a town of church festivals and ethnic neighborhoods, hunters’ breakfasts and firemen’s parades. The looming black piles of mine dirt (are called) Baker Towers; they are local landmarks, clear evidence that the mines are booming. The mines were not named for Bakerton; Bakerton was named for the mines. This is an important distinction. It explains the order of things. Born and raised on Bakerton’s Polish Hill, the five Novak children come of age during wartime.
My reaction:
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.
The five Novaks are as different as night and day. The oldest, Georgie, serves in the Pacific during World War II, but after the war he moves away with his new wife, rarely returning home. Next is Dorothy, a pretty but insecure young woman who takes a job in Washington D.C., but falters. Joyce is the middle child, smart and driven, always helping out and taking charge of the household when her widowed mother is unable to cope. Sandy is the family charmer, relying on his good looks and smooth talk to get by in life; like his older brother, he leaves home and rarely returns. And finally, there is Lucy, who is showered with affection and seems unable to grow out of her role as the baby of the family.
Through the lens of this family the reader watches the changes in America as the town prospers in the post-war era, deals with changes in American manufacturing, and begins an inevitable decline. The residents face the changing expectations as women get a taste of “important” work during the war and chafe against restrictions when the men return. Haigh mentions the changes outside Bakerton – the death of FDR, the Eisenhower years, the assassination of President Kennedy, Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon, etc – but the changes within the town have greater impact, from getting a phone or car, to a long strike for better conditions and wages at the mine.
I do not usually round up when awarding half-stars, but I will in this case because it’s a discussion-worthy book.
Anna Fields does a fine job performing the audio book. She has a good pace and enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.
mschrock8's review against another edition
LOLA had an author phone chat with Jennifer Haigh.
cmhunter's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tigerknitting's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually read historical fiction, but I picked one up recently called Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh. It follows the lives of 5 children in Bakerton PA, a small mining town, starting in the 1940s. At the start of the book Stanley Novak, coal miner and father of 5, dies shortly after returning home from work. His wife, Rose, is left to raise the children. George, the oldest, is already away from home serving in the armed forces. Dorothy is about to graduate from high school, Joyce is a few years younger. Sandy is in grade school and Lucy is an infant. Without their father around, Sandy becomes a bit wild and Joyce takes on the role of the second parent-making sure that Sandy and Lucy go to school. All the children think that they want to move away from Bakerton. Some move away and then come back. Some make good choices, others not so much.
This was not an edge of your seat type of book. The story moved at a leisurely pace. The reader was able to see each child's perspective on living in or away from Bakerton. I would recommend it to people who like family sagas.
This was not an edge of your seat type of book. The story moved at a leisurely pace. The reader was able to see each child's perspective on living in or away from Bakerton. I would recommend it to people who like family sagas.
b00kish_babs's review against another edition
2.0
The author provides an incredible account of life in a Pennsylvania coal mining town in the early part of the 20th century. It follows a single family through various tragedies or decisions in life. I found the book immensely descriptive but very slow and boring. There is no story line here, unless you simply wanted to learn what life is like in a coal mining town.
asurges's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent writing, would love to revisit. However, a story about a town falling into economic ruin is maybe coming at the wrong time.
amycrea's review against another edition
3.0
3.5, I think. I read this after reading Heat & Light, which is the better book, but then author Haigh had several more books under her belt when she wrote H&L. This is a good introduction to the town of Bakerton that she explores in H&L.
maureenmacaire's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
jenniferlyoung's review against another edition
4.0
Another fantastic novel by Jennifer Haigh. One of my favorite authors!
mandyc1977's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. My favorite kind of books are ones that settle into a place where you begin to feel part of the town, the community. You get to know people from when they were young and you see them in all phases of life. You know the history of this town and people and the ways their stories connect.
I found myself sighing repeatedly throughout the last 100 pages - sometimes because I was so sad and other times because I thought HOW PERFECT.
There's not much that happens in terms of exciting twists and turns, rather it's more of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary - which is my favorite. I'm excited to read more from this author.
I found myself sighing repeatedly throughout the last 100 pages - sometimes because I was so sad and other times because I thought HOW PERFECT.
There's not much that happens in terms of exciting twists and turns, rather it's more of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary - which is my favorite. I'm excited to read more from this author.