Reviews

Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese

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kayaerie's review against another edition

4.0

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. I absolutely loved how the voice changed so distinctly each chapter, depending on whose POV you were reading. A quick read, but a great one. Wagamese takes a simple premise and engulfs you, leaving you hooked and wanting to learn more about his memorable characters.

lesbrary's review against another edition

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5.0

I've actually been putting off marking this as read, because then I'd feel like I had to review it, at least to say why this was a 5 star read for me, and this is a book that I have no idea how to talk about succinctly. I'm still sitting with it. I think I'll do a video review, because I do have thoughts about it, but they're not well-formed. This is not a before and after story about homeless people winning the lottery (although it is). It's a story about survivance. About reaching out. About circling back. Homegoing. (Funny that I only understood that title after reading this one.) Moving through tragedy. Not getting over it, but through it. And about how we can make connections--rich, prolific connections if we give them a chance. It's about the past becoming unburied, making itself known. What you do when you stop running. This was beautiful, a deep dive into these characters and the family they slowly built together.

daliafarra's review against another edition

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5.0

Masterful storytelling and complex/compelling characters. Great insights into homelessness and mental health issues. Highly recommended.

sandhills_kt's review against another edition

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5.0

"Home is a place of history and love. It is a truth you carry with yourself. It's belonging, regardless. It's the place you never need to qualify or measure up, the place that you never have to fear losing. It's bred into the heart and germinated by sharing, spawned by community."

hannahjs's review

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4.5

Absolutely gut wrenching, but incredibly beautiful. When I first started reading this book I found myself comparing it to Wagamese’s other work and being critical, because the dialogue doesn’t feel as natural in this book as it does in his others, and it also lacked the subtlety that I found in the other novels of his that I’ve read. That being said, Wagemese is such a brilliant storyteller that in spite of these technical shortcomings, the story he tells is deeply compelling and engaging, and I ended up developing such a deep connection to all of his characters. I haven’t felt quite this emotionally invested in a story or attached to a fictional character in a long time, and for that I think this novel is excellent.