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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I just realized I enjoy "historical fiction". Who knew? I will read more books by this author... got one on hold right now as a matter of fact.
This was haunting. I couldn't put it down and, now that I've finished, I'm sorry I read it so quickly.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is beautifully written. It chronicles a life of seemingly mundane isolation, but is so compelling and vivid. There are many layers of interesting information -- historic rural life (perhaps even more interesting to New Englanders), Christina Olson's own life and medical condition, the changing world around her, the give and take of a family, the sacrifices made, the world of art & an artist. It is a portrayal of a life that, depending on the way you look at it in a given moment, could be considered enormous or inconsequential. The author does a brilliant job of showing us Christina's shortcomings as well, even though the story is told from her perspective. A work of art.
While the book is beautifully written, I cannot say that I loved it. The story was just so depressing. It was an interesting premise, however, and I've always loved the painting that the book is based on.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read the last page, blinked and said, "Wait, what? It's over?!" A quick read that I didn't want to end. Vivid characters and wonderful storytelling, with layers of tragedy, perseverance, heartbreak and beauty.
I loved this imagining of the life of the subject of Andrew Wyeth's famous painting, Christina's World. The author uses historical details about Christina Olson as a thematic underpinning for the novel. Her family's adventuresome seafaring past contrasts with Christina's more circumscribed life. And her ancestors' involvement with persecuting women during the Salem Witch Trials makes the connection to the fates of transgressive women, a connection that is reinforced by Christina's affinity for Emily Dickinson's poetry and a reference to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." But while Christina's life is limited in some respects--by her gender (her father forbids her from continuing her education and becoming a teacher), by her physical disability (getting around is extremely difficult for her), by her class (she can't be a suitable partner for the wealthy, Harvard-educated boy she falls in love with)--the novel also shows us Christina laying claim to her piece of the world. By giving voice to her inner life, the author reveals a woman who is sharp, strong-willed, loyal. She lives a full life that includes friendship, family, grief, love, heartbreak, and ultimately--in the most basic, human sense--recognition. In the first third of the novel, Christina as narrator says, "I read once that the act of observing changes the nature of what is observed," a sentence I highlighted. I think it's both a caution and a gift.
I was not much impressed by Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train which I found opportunistic in its attempt at historical coverage and unrealistic in all of its resolution. I expected that A Piece of the World, based on Andrew Wyeth's painting 'Christina's World', which is an image I came across and struck me as a young child, would at least be entertaining for a summer read. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised! Not only did I find A Piece of the World well crafted in terms of its plot, I thought it was a much more subdued, much more intimate approach at carving out a story. What's more, I found Baker Kline's writing noticeably improved; her descriptions of time and place, which include lovely quotidian details, were quite beautiful and moving. I really enjoyed this novel!