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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
After a bit of a slow start, I ended up loving this book. It is sad but I found myself liking and admiring the main character, Christina. It is thoughtfully written. And I like how it jumps forward and backward in time as it tells the story of Christina’s life. Her brother, Al, is particularly endearing. His devotion to his sister is touching. My favorite quote from the book: “The older I get, the more I believe that the greatest kindness is acceptance”.
“What she wants most - what she truly yearns for - is what any of us want: to be seen.”
A Piece of the World is an historical fiction novel written by Christina Baker Kline. It is the beautiful, but sad, story of Christina Olson. You may not recognize her name, but I believe you would recognize the painting of her. It is one of the best-known American paintings of the middle 20th century by Andrew Wyeth. It features Christina on her side in a field in front of her house.
Christina’s house had no indoor water or plumbing and no electricity. Her parents were not supportive of her. She cooked for them, washed their clothes with a wringer and hung them to dry, cleaned their home, and much more. Christina did all of these chores even though she suffered from a painful genetic disease. A disease that caused her legs to be twisted and made it difficult to walk. Eventually Christina used her elbows to crawl and drag her legs under her to move from one place to another.
Christina fell in love with Walton, but sadly their relationship was not able to fully develop. I felt so bad for Christina, I wish she’d had someone to care for her. She developed a tough and sometimes stubborn exterior, I think as a protective shield. Because of her anomaly, people ignored her, that is, everyone except Andrew Wyeth. He saw and loved what no one else did, a woman who just wanted to be seen, to be loved, to be accepted.
After finishing the book, I wished I’d studied the painting. It’s included in the back. Now I think Kline had a reason for placing it at the end. The reader needs to follow Christina through the late 1930’s - late 1940’s in order to have a full appreciation of Wyeth’s painting. I read the book and discussed with my IRL bookclub. It’s a beautiful book for encouraging a reflective discussion.
Question: How can I live more intensely after reading the book Christina’s world?
Answer: Carey, be grateful for your health, supportive family and friends, and a comfortable home. Be more like Andrew Wyeth; he never judged Christina.
I hope to one day visit the Olson House in Cushing, Maine as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York where the painting is on permanent display.
A Piece of the World is an historical fiction novel written by Christina Baker Kline. It is the beautiful, but sad, story of Christina Olson. You may not recognize her name, but I believe you would recognize the painting of her. It is one of the best-known American paintings of the middle 20th century by Andrew Wyeth. It features Christina on her side in a field in front of her house.
Christina’s house had no indoor water or plumbing and no electricity. Her parents were not supportive of her. She cooked for them, washed their clothes with a wringer and hung them to dry, cleaned their home, and much more. Christina did all of these chores even though she suffered from a painful genetic disease. A disease that caused her legs to be twisted and made it difficult to walk. Eventually Christina used her elbows to crawl and drag her legs under her to move from one place to another.
Christina fell in love with Walton, but sadly their relationship was not able to fully develop. I felt so bad for Christina, I wish she’d had someone to care for her. She developed a tough and sometimes stubborn exterior, I think as a protective shield. Because of her anomaly, people ignored her, that is, everyone except Andrew Wyeth. He saw and loved what no one else did, a woman who just wanted to be seen, to be loved, to be accepted.
After finishing the book, I wished I’d studied the painting. It’s included in the back. Now I think Kline had a reason for placing it at the end. The reader needs to follow Christina through the late 1930’s - late 1940’s in order to have a full appreciation of Wyeth’s painting. I read the book and discussed with my IRL bookclub. It’s a beautiful book for encouraging a reflective discussion.
Question: How can I live more intensely after reading the book Christina’s world?
Answer: Carey, be grateful for your health, supportive family and friends, and a comfortable home. Be more like Andrew Wyeth; he never judged Christina.
I hope to one day visit the Olson House in Cushing, Maine as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York where the painting is on permanent display.
Book group book and also the "one read, on LF" selection of 2018.
Super loved it. Great book to curl up with. Quick read.
Blah is the first word that comes to mind after finishing this book. It isn't a bad book but nothing that was very special. The book felt like it went nowhere and felt like it was lacking.
Was looking forward to a deep dive into Andrew Wyeth. Despite some very nice descriptions of the Maine landscape and farm life, this book missed the mark and I just never cared enough about the characters and story.
So sad...although I couldn't look away. While some may feel that Christina was an unlikeable character, I felt compassion towards her. And she does have a couple redemptive moment towards the end.
This book was meh for me. Super sad… just kind of depressing. Well written, likable characters, but I just didn’t really like the story. Maybe I just wasn’t in the place for a sad book.