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anniecatherineo's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book very touching. It was full of impactful vignettes about life in Post-War Germany; the stories, however, transcended time and space and made me think of my own childhood. It fed my nostalgia.
lvandyk's review against another edition
5.0
This book is tremendous. I hope to have more to say after I digest it for a while.
infosifter's review against another edition
4.0
This was a reread for me, though I didn't realize it when I started the book. Not much happens on the surface of the story, but it's interesting from a psychological viewpoint. The main character has flashes of uncommon empathy with the people who live in her town. 3.5 stars; I love watching history flow by on the page.
jessica_gilkison's review against another edition
5.0
"Stones from the River" is possibly my favorite book, yet I've only read it once (years ago) and have managed to never read anything else by Hegi since. Thankfully I've rectified the latter with "Floating in My Mother's Palm." Now I need to read "Stones" again, followed by everything else she has written.
Something about Hegi's writing style--her word choice, the way she constructs a sentence, her disjointed but compelling character development--just pulls me in and mesmerizes me. I don't read much fiction and I'm quite particular when I do, yet I find myself rereading certain sentences and paragraphs from this book because there's such depth available. The particulars of these characters are quite foreign to me (1950s, Germany, etc.), yet there is an intense familiarity in some of their emotions and struggles.
Something about Hegi's writing style--her word choice, the way she constructs a sentence, her disjointed but compelling character development--just pulls me in and mesmerizes me. I don't read much fiction and I'm quite particular when I do, yet I find myself rereading certain sentences and paragraphs from this book because there's such depth available. The particulars of these characters are quite foreign to me (1950s, Germany, etc.), yet there is an intense familiarity in some of their emotions and struggles.
tcarp's review
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Rape, and Sexual assault
bookworms_closet's review
4.0
What a wonderful book! This is my second book by Hegi and I was again overwhelmed by her beautiful writing. I just know that I have to read everything she's ever written.
This one offered tiny glimpses of the people in the protagonist's (a small girl) life - both people close to her and people in her village she only knows by name and rumour.
There's isn't much of a plot - except that you can sense the protagonist's development throughout - and usually I don't like this kind of storytelling as I always need a plot. But not in this one. Hegi's writing made all the stories interesting and touching. There was a chapter for each character/story and I felt that each could have been a wonderful novel on its own.
This one offered tiny glimpses of the people in the protagonist's (a small girl) life - both people close to her and people in her village she only knows by name and rumour.
There's isn't much of a plot - except that you can sense the protagonist's development throughout - and usually I don't like this kind of storytelling as I always need a plot. But not in this one. Hegi's writing made all the stories interesting and touching. There was a chapter for each character/story and I felt that each could have been a wonderful novel on its own.
grandlarsony's review
4.0
3.75 stars
I didn't love the format, but Hegi's writing is so beautiful that I can't give it less than 4 stars.
I didn't love the format, but Hegi's writing is so beautiful that I can't give it less than 4 stars.
lcsmcat's review
3.0
Featuring the same characters as Stones From the River, this one didn't hold together as well, in my opinion. But it's interesting to have further information on them.
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