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reytru1065's review against another edition
3.0
This story was all over the place. There were so many themes and emotions portrayed that at times I felt very overwhelmed. I did enjoy the characters!
alongapath's review
4.0
I loved this book. I tried twice before to read it and had given up both times. But this time, I persevered through the first 100 pages and was finally hooked. From then on, I read in every spare minute and pondered the characters when I wasn't reading.
The Piper family is complex and the relationships between characters are an intricate puzzle. There were times when I thought I could predict the outcome or reveal some unstated history, but I was usually wrong.
Ann-Marie MacDonald was able to write in different voices for each of her characters, especially in the diary chapter towards the end.
The Piper family is complex and the relationships between characters are an intricate puzzle. There were times when I thought I could predict the outcome or reveal some unstated history, but I was usually wrong.
Ann-Marie MacDonald was able to write in different voices for each of her characters, especially in the diary chapter towards the end.
underdog30's review against another edition
4.0
Family drama, history, and the ever-present character of the northeastern Canadian land in which the novel is set come together to create an affecting tale of struggle, betrayal, and redemption. Beautifully written.
mollymaloney's review against another edition
This was a captivating story about family, secrets, and hidden things. A portrait of dysfunction with characters who were memorable.
tryst3ditor's review against another edition
4.0
I would have given this book five stars except Ann-Marie MacDonald ruined the ending. She choked and couldn't close the story - it felt a little rushed, too neatly wrapped up. But for a debut book, it's pretty awesome. Here's a summary I lifted off Wikipedia:
At the start of the 20th century, James Piper sets fire to his dead mother’s piano and heads out across Cape Breton Island to find a new place to live, eventually eloping with 13-year-old Materia Mahmoud, the daughter of wealthy, traditional Lebanese parents. The couple gives birth to three daughters, and when James becomes a father he loses interest in his wife, realizing that he married "a child." However, he begins to develop an obsession with his eldest daughter as she grows up, an interest that begins in excessive concern for her well-being and ends up as a sexual obsession. Eventually when a death in the family shatters the world of the Piper sisters, they come to depend on one another for survival. Their development as characters — Kathleen, the promising diva; Mercedes, who struggles to understand her father; Frances, the somewhat mischievous girl; and disabled Lily, the innocent one — forms the heart of the novel as they all bear the burden of their tragically flawed father.
At the start of the 20th century, James Piper sets fire to his dead mother’s piano and heads out across Cape Breton Island to find a new place to live, eventually eloping with 13-year-old Materia Mahmoud, the daughter of wealthy, traditional Lebanese parents. The couple gives birth to three daughters, and when James becomes a father he loses interest in his wife, realizing that he married "a child." However, he begins to develop an obsession with his eldest daughter as she grows up, an interest that begins in excessive concern for her well-being and ends up as a sexual obsession. Eventually when a death in the family shatters the world of the Piper sisters, they come to depend on one another for survival. Their development as characters — Kathleen, the promising diva; Mercedes, who struggles to understand her father; Frances, the somewhat mischievous girl; and disabled Lily, the innocent one — forms the heart of the novel as they all bear the burden of their tragically flawed father.
janinam's review against another edition
5.0
There are so many things to this book that I am not sure even where to begin. It is well written, the symbolism and imagery is strong and I like how religion and superstition go hand-in-hand.
I need to organize my thoughts for the review of the book because there is just so much going on in it and I had sometimes visceral reactions to events. There were times I had to put it down because a scene got intense and I was disturbed by what was happening.
A great read though, all in all. I would not say it's a favorite of mine because it's not that "feel good" kind of book that makes you want to go back to beloved characters again and again. There were gems, but there was also heartache in this book, a lot of it.
I need to organize my thoughts for the review of the book because there is just so much going on in it and I had sometimes visceral reactions to events. There were times I had to put it down because a scene got intense and I was disturbed by what was happening.
A great read though, all in all. I would not say it's a favorite of mine because it's not that "feel good" kind of book that makes you want to go back to beloved characters again and again. There were gems, but there was also heartache in this book, a lot of it.
amyvwilson's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books in the genre I call "dysfunctional family drama." I enjoyed reading it, but it did feel uncomfortably like watching a family air their dysfunction on Dr. Phil.
sgusername39's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was hard to put down! The middle section focusing on Frances was unpleasant, but once the story moved on from there, I could 't stop reading until I was finished. One of first books in a very long time that had a twist that surprised me...I did guess it, but not until 90 pages from the end.
katyakasha's review against another edition
5.0
love it, went to cape breton and just loved it more. one of the best canadian books ever written.