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A review by innatejames
San Miguel by T.C. Boyle
4.0
The author of The Road to Wellville and The Women tackles another place and time. Two families living on a remote island off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, at two different points in time weather two World Wars, the Depression, and a whole lotta sheep.
T. C. Boyle has long been a favorite author of mine. The way he weaves a fictional story through the data of his research of actual happenings (in this case, the Waters and the Lesters really did live on San Miguel during these times). Having started a blog about my family history recently, I realized the fiction I'm writing is heavily influenced by his work.
-----------SPOILERS AHOY! AHOY!-------------------
Boyle creates a solid tone and setting in the wind-swept, barren terrain of San Miguel. He also manages to gently insert his theme of environmentalism into the story. The eventual mistreatment of the island leads directly to outcome of the story.
I'm curious to know who Inez Deane is based on, if anyone; and if that part of the story is true. I can see how the combination of an overbearing father and being stranded off the coast of my country with just my family as company could build the drive it takes to be a Hollywood star.
The differences between Marantha and Elise's stories were interesting. Elise having her family across the country and only living on the island for her husband matches more into my preconceptions of women's situations in the 1910s. But Marantha's financial independence and mutual interest in the farm reminded me that women had ways to steer clear of the misogyny of the times.
My criticism of San Miguel is that the two families' stories seemed to have little to compliment each other. Aside from the setting and Jimmie, it seemed the author was telling two completely different stories. I'd have to read it again to find the common threads. I know they are there; Boyle is a highly detailed and crafty writer. I trust in his head there were plot devices that flowed the Waters's experience into the Lesters'. It just wasn't obvious to me on the first reading.
T. C. Boyle has long been a favorite author of mine. The way he weaves a fictional story through the data of his research of actual happenings (in this case, the Waters and the Lesters really did live on San Miguel during these times). Having started a blog about my family history recently, I realized the fiction I'm writing is heavily influenced by his work.
-----------SPOILERS AHOY! AHOY!-------------------
Boyle creates a solid tone and setting in the wind-swept, barren terrain of San Miguel. He also manages to gently insert his theme of environmentalism into the story. The eventual mistreatment of the island leads directly to outcome of the story.
I'm curious to know who Inez Deane is based on, if anyone; and if that part of the story is true. I can see how the combination of an overbearing father and being stranded off the coast of my country with just my family as company could build the drive it takes to be a Hollywood star.
The differences between Marantha and Elise's stories were interesting. Elise having her family across the country and only living on the island for her husband matches more into my preconceptions of women's situations in the 1910s. But Marantha's financial independence and mutual interest in the farm reminded me that women had ways to steer clear of the misogyny of the times.
My criticism of San Miguel is that the two families' stories seemed to have little to compliment each other. Aside from the setting and Jimmie, it seemed the author was telling two completely different stories. I'd have to read it again to find the common threads. I know they are there; Boyle is a highly detailed and crafty writer. I trust in his head there were plot devices that flowed the Waters's experience into the Lesters'. It just wasn't obvious to me on the first reading.