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A review by leemac027
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Normally when a book is written in the first person, you are drawn into the middle of the action - right into the protagonist's perspective. But Charlotte Wood has cleverly constructed this work, so you are an observer.
This style allows a lot of introspection. It is essentially about relationships and many questions are raised. What makes a good life? What is a good person? It highlights decisions we each have to make, good and bad, how you prioritise, how you justify the decisions you make.
It is such a fascinating narrative of a woman who leaves everything to live in an isolated religious community, even though she is an atheist. But this isolation brings up many issues about how she has treated people in the past and how she is treating people now. What do we give up to get the life we believe we want?
I also loved the analogy of the mouse plague - no spoiler here - but to me it symbolised so much.
Highly recommended.
This style allows a lot of introspection. It is essentially about relationships and many questions are raised. What makes a good life? What is a good person? It highlights decisions we each have to make, good and bad, how you prioritise, how you justify the decisions you make.
It is such a fascinating narrative of a woman who leaves everything to live in an isolated religious community, even though she is an atheist. But this isolation brings up many issues about how she has treated people in the past and how she is treating people now. What do we give up to get the life we believe we want?
I also loved the analogy of the mouse plague - no spoiler here - but to me it symbolised so much.
Highly recommended.