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A review by chelsbels
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
3.0
Spoilers
I'm giving it a 3 stars because I didn't like the ending where the father got remarried to his night school teacher, so soon after his first wife's death. Moreover, so soon and when the daughter clearly had problems. It wrapped everything up too fast and too perfect for things to be healed. Not that they are meant to be healed, as symbolised by her hands.
I believe the story was trying to show the process of healing over the end result of being healed. And that's why the marriage seemed to fast. I think courting or her coming over a tad would have been fine but engaged seemed much. I feel they would have been friends longer, companions yes but not lovers.
I also think its stranded that the Doctor wouldn't of visit her after the damage done to her hands and that it would take 6 or 7 months to go to the doctors, with her dad. Why didn't she go alone, she had money, and was strong willed enough. And the solution was simple ointment, people would have known to do that, given that they always worked with open flames and heated tools. What was stopping her?
I also don't like the father only pays attention to her after he gets loving and companionship from the school teacher. It seems he only does it to impress the woman, like doing the dishes. When he won't when his daughter hands were damage, she still did all the cleaning. He doesn't seem to ever have a heart when you look back at the story. He talks badly to his wife when she tries to help, he leaves her when she is dieing and leaves his injured daughter to tend to her mother, uses up all the saved money, ignores his daughter to the point she runs away, does not get her medical care, and only seems to change because he wants the school teacher, most likely for food and sex.
I don't know but the whole book I had the sneaky thought that he places the kerosene by the stove on purpose. Like why would one do that? Fresh start? A life with out his family in such desperate times, to end the life of the women so he didn't have to proved and they no need to suffer, especially with a baby on the way. I think the possibility of this, even if it is unconscious, is shown by the traveling man on the train. Taking food from the girl, leaving his farm, his family, stealing from a child for his own need, and even doubly abandoning his family by leaving possible the only thing he owns beside clothing, the picture of his family. As if nothing matters in the hard time of depression except his well being, not even that of his kin.
I think this book can be read much darker and depressing than some give it credit. Even more so when one considers the formate of how it is written, almost like she is going so fast that the hurt and pain don't have a chance to come through in the poetic style the narrator has chosen.
I'm giving it a 3 stars because I didn't like the ending where the father got remarried to his night school teacher, so soon after his first wife's death. Moreover, so soon and when the daughter clearly had problems. It wrapped everything up too fast and too perfect for things to be healed. Not that they are meant to be healed, as symbolised by her hands.
I believe the story was trying to show the process of healing over the end result of being healed. And that's why the marriage seemed to fast. I think courting or her coming over a tad would have been fine but engaged seemed much. I feel they would have been friends longer, companions yes but not lovers.
I also think its stranded that the Doctor wouldn't of visit her after the damage done to her hands and that it would take 6 or 7 months to go to the doctors, with her dad. Why didn't she go alone, she had money, and was strong willed enough. And the solution was simple ointment, people would have known to do that, given that they always worked with open flames and heated tools. What was stopping her?
I also don't like the father only pays attention to her after he gets loving and companionship from the school teacher. It seems he only does it to impress the woman, like doing the dishes. When he won't when his daughter hands were damage, she still did all the cleaning. He doesn't seem to ever have a heart when you look back at the story. He talks badly to his wife when she tries to help, he leaves her when she is dieing and leaves his injured daughter to tend to her mother, uses up all the saved money, ignores his daughter to the point she runs away, does not get her medical care, and only seems to change because he wants the school teacher, most likely for food and sex.
I don't know but the whole book I had the sneaky thought that he places the kerosene by the stove on purpose. Like why would one do that? Fresh start? A life with out his family in such desperate times, to end the life of the women so he didn't have to proved and they no need to suffer, especially with a baby on the way. I think the possibility of this, even if it is unconscious, is shown by the traveling man on the train. Taking food from the girl, leaving his farm, his family, stealing from a child for his own need, and even doubly abandoning his family by leaving possible the only thing he owns beside clothing, the picture of his family. As if nothing matters in the hard time of depression except his well being, not even that of his kin.
I think this book can be read much darker and depressing than some give it credit. Even more so when one considers the formate of how it is written, almost like she is going so fast that the hurt and pain don't have a chance to come through in the poetic style the narrator has chosen.