jmooremyers's review against another edition
4.0
Each chapter is really a standalone short story. Hanna, an adolescent in post-war Germany, paints her own pictures of intimacy, sadness, and strength. I especially liked the chapter about the son of the soldier.
aprilhinkle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read.
laneamagya's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second novel of Heigi's I've read, and I'm developing a serious writer-crush. This novel and Stones from the River are both set in the same fictional small town in Germany, and both feature some of the same characters. The main character in this book is a girl named Hanna. Trudi Montag, the focus of Stones from the River, figures again in this novel, but simply as the town gossip and a kind of mentor to Hanna.
But, as is generally the case with books I love, it's not the plot that matters here. It's Heigi's use of language and symbol. The title itself and the image it evokes floors me. Swimming is very important this time around, particularly Hanna's swimming outings with her mother. And of course, I'm busily worrying that attempting to explain the importance of swimming and water in this novel will break its spell. Suffice it to say that water has played a huge role in my life, and not always a passive, safe role. I'm sure that's true for many of you. Heigi's depiction of the river, both as a source of solace and pleasure and a danger, rings so very true to me.
But, as is generally the case with books I love, it's not the plot that matters here. It's Heigi's use of language and symbol. The title itself and the image it evokes floors me. Swimming is very important this time around, particularly Hanna's swimming outings with her mother. And of course, I'm busily worrying that attempting to explain the importance of swimming and water in this novel will break its spell. Suffice it to say that water has played a huge role in my life, and not always a passive, safe role. I'm sure that's true for many of you. Heigi's depiction of the river, both as a source of solace and pleasure and a danger, rings so very true to me.
pepper1133's review against another edition
3.0
I am sorry to say that I did not like this as much as I hoped I would. I had read "Stones From the River" a while ago, and I had picked it up again recently to retreads it. I realized that I had never read the prequel, "Floating in My Mother's Palm." This is one of those instances where you can realize that what was just a beginning of an idea in the first one really blossomed into something wonderful and complex in the second book. So, go ahead and skip this one and go right to the more fully-realized book. That's what I'm doing!
cjeanne99's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A series of short stories set in Burgdorf, Germany.
austen_to_zafon's review against another edition
3.0
I read this because I'd loved Stones From the River. Hegi's writing still shines in this book, but I didn't care as much for the vignette form. It does take place in the same town as SFTR and Trudi makes a cameo appearance, but I didn't like her so well in these stories. She's kind of bossy and ill-tempered. Hegi wrote these stories first and I preferred her expanded and more humanized version of Trudi in SFTR.
mmz's review against another edition
4.0
Ursula Hegi takes us back to Burgdorf in the 1950s, a time when WWII is barely spoken of in Germany, although its scars are everywhere. This time we get the stories through the Hanna Malter, born a year after the end of the war, as she struggles to make sense of her town and her place in it. Told as vignettes, rather than as a continuing narrative, Hegi gives her young narrator a keen eye to observe her town and a clear voice to tell us about them.
anniecatherineo's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book very touching. It was full of impactful vignettes about life in Post-War Germany; the stories, however, transcended time and space and made me think of my own childhood. It fed my nostalgia.
lvandyk's review against another edition
5.0
This book is tremendous. I hope to have more to say after I digest it for a while.
infosifter's review against another edition
4.0
This was a reread for me, though I didn't realize it when I started the book. Not much happens on the surface of the story, but it's interesting from a psychological viewpoint. The main character has flashes of uncommon empathy with the people who live in her town. 3.5 stars; I love watching history flow by on the page.