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A review by thisnursereads
Absolution by Alice McDermott
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
⭐️3.5
A great change of pace from other books I have read this year which was rather refreshing.
Absolution is the story of ordinary American women and the ways in which they find purpose in themselves, their relationships, and their identity in Saigon, Vietnam during the early Vietnam war period. There is a stillness to this book that builds beautiful depth to the writing and characters. It creates a reflective and quiet novel that allows the reader to make assumptions and form connections about that time in history and how these women were seen rather than the author forcing it down ones throat.
I wish though that while the first book focused on the American wives of military men/engineers, the second half had instead focused on the Vietnamese women and told their story just as beautifully. I suppose that the limited voice of the Vietnamese women in this speaks volumes to the value that the American wives put on them and those of that time period...
A great change of pace from other books I have read this year which was rather refreshing.
Absolution is the story of ordinary American women and the ways in which they find purpose in themselves, their relationships, and their identity in Saigon, Vietnam during the early Vietnam war period. There is a stillness to this book that builds beautiful depth to the writing and characters. It creates a reflective and quiet novel that allows the reader to make assumptions and form connections about that time in history and how these women were seen rather than the author forcing it down ones throat.
I wish though that while the first book focused on the American wives of military men/engineers, the second half had instead focused on the Vietnamese women and told their story just as beautifully. I suppose that the limited voice of the Vietnamese women in this speaks volumes to the value that the American wives put on them and those of that time period...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage