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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hattie was hard to like, but easy to identify with. The readers were OK but didn't keep me entirely engaged with the story, despite the dramatic story.
This is a sad and painful tale of a family with southern roots living in the north. Unfortunately, we only visit with most of the characters (except Hattie) for one chapter, leaving us bereft over and over again.
Loved the stories, only way to improve would have been to focus on fewer characters and develop them more fully.
emotional
This was good, but depressing. The writing was lovely, and the style was creative. The story is told through pieces of 12 people's lives, but still forms a coherent and captivating story. The only problem is most of the 12 people, and Hattie and her husband (who aren't among the 12) are broken, living what seem to be very unhappy and unfulfilled lives. Some seem to be moving toward happiness but no one in the book ever really gets it. I get that it isn't supposed to be a happily ever after fairy tale, but I refuse to believe all these kids are doomed to happiness because their mother was unhappy. Like I said, depressing.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Horribly sad. No plot. I really need to stop reading Oprah recommendations.
This is the story of Hattie Shepherd as revealed through the lives of her children. Almost a novel in short stories, the connecting thread is family. Hattie is part of the migration fleeing the South in the 1920s for better opportunities and a better life in the North. After becoming a mother at seventeen and losing her firstborn twins to pneumonia, Hattie's outlook shifts and her attitude is reflected in her parenting. As the troubles and challenges Hattie and her children face are told, her strength and desire for more for the next generation is revealed.
This book was okay. It had some good writing and a few interesting parts. But its disjointed format leaves much to be desired. I did like the very end, though. I’m curious to find out what this author has written since this book was released. Writing is difficult and debut novels tend to be the worst one, IMO.