cheekypearson's review against another edition
3.0
This book, while beautifully written and relevant to our current time and events, just didn't grab me. I had a very hard time adjusting to the characters, who while wholly human, made choices that I couldn't comprehend. Why is it that humans continue to fall in love with an open door, looking around those in front of them for the allure of something new and foreign. A lot of the personal heartbreak in our lives is of our own creation and it's a terribly sad thing.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
What do we owe one another? This question and some of its variations keep coming up in The Houseguest, by Kim Brooks, leaving us to think about altruism, rescues, gratitude, and obligation. Set in Utica, New York, in 1941, two men become involved in the Jewish refugee crisis from different angles. Abe Auer and his family take in a Polish Jewish actress who managed to get to America. Max Hoffman, Abe’s rabbi, starts to work for an organization that is not only trying to help get Jewish refugees out of Europe but also field a Jewish army. Helping others escape genocide might seem like the obvious choice, but things rapidly get complicated...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
eralon's review
4.0
This novel is full of beautiful writing. I'm looking forward to whatever Brooks writes next.
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