rmtrodglen's review against another edition
4.0
I began reading this without realizing it was effectively a prequel to Clay's Quilt. The realization did not strike me until the very end, since it had been quite a bit since I had read the latter. I can't really figure a proper order to read the two in. Proper, in this instance, meaning not as emotionally crushing as I found the unexpected realization that I had a prequel in my hands.
But, you know, I was emotionally crushed, so... I really liked it.
But, you know, I was emotionally crushed, so... I really liked it.
patches_n_pudding's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ksprokes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
farmlady1's review against another edition
3.0
Silas House writes beautiful stories about Eastern KY. This was one of those.
tschmitty's review against another edition
4.0
Silas House is a gifted storyteller. He is especially talented in writing the female voice. Easter and Anneth were sisters bonded through their love of each other and the land they grew up on. It was a pleasure to read.
mackenziedmh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, War, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Police brutality, Car accident, Cursing, and Rape
karianne791's review against another edition
5.0
I am absolutely enraptured by your writing, Mr. House. Thank you for stirring a dormant love of my homeland within me, and for reminding me how much culture we have in these mountains
I am so lucky I did not pick up Silas House’s works during my travels. I would have been incredibly homesick for my mountain land.
This is the fourth of his books I’ve read (I started with one of his YA novels), and it is my favorite so far. I love authors that beautifully weave together stories from their previous works. Everything in Clays’s Quilt, and A Parchment of Leaves comes together in The Coal Tattoo.
As always, there’s a lovely mix of mountain lifestyle, Appalachian culture, a deep love of the land that is better understood if you’ve read A Parchment of Leaves, and family members that everyone from Appalachia can relate to. But this doesn’t make his works exclusive. The style of writing and relatable themes of love, grief, and family leave room for a wide audience.
I travel a lot these days, but the next time I’m homesick, I’ll be sure to reread one of these works.
I am so lucky I did not pick up Silas House’s works during my travels. I would have been incredibly homesick for my mountain land.
This is the fourth of his books I’ve read (I started with one of his YA novels), and it is my favorite so far. I love authors that beautifully weave together stories from their previous works. Everything in Clays’s Quilt, and A Parchment of Leaves comes together in The Coal Tattoo.
As always, there’s a lovely mix of mountain lifestyle, Appalachian culture, a deep love of the land that is better understood if you’ve read A Parchment of Leaves, and family members that everyone from Appalachia can relate to. But this doesn’t make his works exclusive. The style of writing and relatable themes of love, grief, and family leave room for a wide audience.
I travel a lot these days, but the next time I’m homesick, I’ll be sure to reread one of these works.
suzannemseidel's review against another edition
5.0
Do you ever love a book so much that when it's over you just cry a bit? I do, and I did this morning when I finished The Coal Tattoo. When I look at the individual pieces of the story it looks like something I wouldn't enjoy. The story leaps over periods of time - one scene he is proposing to her, the next scene, it is the day after their wedding. The main characters have really odd (and in my opinion, terrible) names that are never explained - Anneth and Easter. I would really like to know the story behind those names. And there is no real happy ending. One of the sisters ends by making the same mistake for the third time since we've known her. Another ends by settling - one could say, also for the third time.
But despite all of these aspects that would usually leave me glad a book was over, rather than moved to tears, The Coal Tattoos is a beautiful story. I think what makes it so beautiful is that it is beautiful despite all of my hangups. The story is beautiful because it skips and jumps through this family's life, showing us years and years, rather than just a few days, weeks, or months. The story is beautiful because we get to really know Anneth and Easter, know them well, so that we almost foresee Anneth's final mistake and Easter's finally settling.
Even more than all that, the story is beautiful because of what it says about life and all of us. We are all beautiful despite our hangups and imperfections. As Easter says, "A truly good face had to have some imperfections to even it all out." The same is true about stories. And, I believe, about lives.
The Coal Tattoo shows us that life can be beautiful and meaningful and moving despite the sadness that at times consumes us, despite the loss and death and grief we bear, despite the mistakes we make that we can't take back and the mistakes made against us that we have to forgive. Life can be wonderful even if we stay in one place. Life can be great despite the men tearing up the earth and women tearing up each other and themselves, despite war. Life can be full despite the things we wanted that we never get and the people we wanted to be that we never could reach. With all of its imperfections, life can still be beautiful, even magical.
But despite all of these aspects that would usually leave me glad a book was over, rather than moved to tears, The Coal Tattoos is a beautiful story. I think what makes it so beautiful is that it is beautiful despite all of my hangups. The story is beautiful because it skips and jumps through this family's life, showing us years and years, rather than just a few days, weeks, or months. The story is beautiful because we get to really know Anneth and Easter, know them well, so that we almost foresee Anneth's final mistake and Easter's finally settling.
Even more than all that, the story is beautiful because of what it says about life and all of us. We are all beautiful despite our hangups and imperfections. As Easter says, "A truly good face had to have some imperfections to even it all out." The same is true about stories. And, I believe, about lives.
The Coal Tattoo shows us that life can be beautiful and meaningful and moving despite the sadness that at times consumes us, despite the loss and death and grief we bear, despite the mistakes we make that we can't take back and the mistakes made against us that we have to forgive. Life can be wonderful even if we stay in one place. Life can be great despite the men tearing up the earth and women tearing up each other and themselves, despite war. Life can be full despite the things we wanted that we never get and the people we wanted to be that we never could reach. With all of its imperfections, life can still be beautiful, even magical.