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katyrbw's review against another edition
4.0
this book was painful to read, but in like, a good way ;_; <3
winglady's review against another edition
5.0
Outstanding. The author achieves a remarkable balance of understanding of both liberal/progressive perspectives and conservative/fundamentalist beliefs. The central character, 80-something Ludka, is an absolute gem.
rebdhar's review against another edition
4.0
Dempsey tells a complex tale of prejudice and plots, memories and mistakes. Through her complex and engaging characters, she manages to address both current themes and historical events with their contemporary ramifications. Dempsey reminds us that we can never be complacent about the trampling of rights, though the cost of defending ourselves and others can be high, and we may make mistakes along the way.
jeanniemo1's review against another edition
2.0
A very timely book that deals with heavy subject matter in a ham-handed way. Very readable, but not finely written.
authorkath's review against another edition
4.0
Joan Dempsey has crafted a compelling, well-written debut novel. Although I struggled in the beginning to get the rhythm of the book—probably due to some foreign names and words—once I was on my way, it became a page turner with interesting themes and a strong plot. I found the juxtaposition of the dual plot lines of what happened during those hellish Hitler-reigning years in Poland with the anti-gay sentiments of recent years simply riveting and thought-provoking. What really stood out to me was Dempsey's prose: effortless, smart and fluid. Bravo!
merwin's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s interesting how the author framed institutionalized homophobia to the systematic prejudice of the Holocaust. She does this through the main character, a elderly Holocaust survivor, and her gay grandson, who was fired from being a teacher due to his sexuality. The only issue I had was trying to keep up with all of the characters thrown at you, which I’m not sure is just an element of political dramas like this. Which I don’t read a lot of anyway.
books_under_blankets's review against another edition
5.0
I have been beyond lucky this year to have randomly stumbled on to some truly amazing books, and this is definitely one of them.
I was drawn in by the synopsis, but also slightly nervous to read. I didn’t know which side of the argument Dempsey would take, and didn’t want to be preached to about something I do not believe. However, this was one of the most balanced books I have read. This allowed me to enjoy the book without feeling attacked, while also evaluating my own feelings about “the other side.” It is rare for a book to do this, but was a very powerful reading experience.
There were a lot of characters, but after a few chapters I had no problems keeping them all straight. Each of the main characters gave me a different perspective on the issues, and were realistically complex. It was a good reminder that even the evangelical radio host may think they are doing the right thing, even when I disagree with their actions. While this doesn’t change my opinion about their actions when they harm others as they did in this book, it does help me to see them as less evil and badly intentioned.
I am so glad that this book found me and I can’t wait to read more from Dempsey in the future.
I was drawn in by the synopsis, but also slightly nervous to read. I didn’t know which side of the argument Dempsey would take, and didn’t want to be preached to about something I do not believe. However, this was one of the most balanced books I have read. This allowed me to enjoy the book without feeling attacked, while also evaluating my own feelings about “the other side.” It is rare for a book to do this, but was a very powerful reading experience.
There were a lot of characters, but after a few chapters I had no problems keeping them all straight. Each of the main characters gave me a different perspective on the issues, and were realistically complex. It was a good reminder that even the evangelical radio host may think they are doing the right thing, even when I disagree with their actions. While this doesn’t change my opinion about their actions when they harm others as they did in this book, it does help me to see them as less evil and badly intentioned.
I am so glad that this book found me and I can’t wait to read more from Dempsey in the future.
brianna_kincaid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
deniseadelek's review against another edition
2.0
I really wasn’t fond of this book. The characters seem to be deep and complex, however there’s hardly any development done throughout the story. I felt like there was an entire chapter or book that I missed that would help link things together. This read a little too slowly for me, and I found myself disappointed when this ended with a non-ending.