A review by gettinglostinagoodbook
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
3.0
3 1/2 stars
Kate and Mary have been brought up by a very strict religious family, and struggle to live the way they want to in a world filled with rules. rules that make it difficult for these girls to fit in, or to follow their dreams.
Mary, a gifted painter, has lost the light in her painting since her mother was in a car accident and ended up in a persistant vegetative state. Kate's dream of going to Stanford goes against her father's ideals, as he feels she should not be ambitious nor leave her family. Both girls must struggle with the difficulty of caring for their mother while giving up their own personal dreams.
Suddenly their father dies of a heart attack, and they are left to fend for themselves. Their resources are very limited, and they still have their mother to look after.
Stork addresses many significant issues - family relationships, sudden death, assisted suicide, cancer, financial hardship, and growing up. While they are all addresses, none of them are explored with too much depth. There is perhaps too many issues to cover. The characters are well-developed, but their responses and outcomes to their situations are not explored completely. Perhaps Stork should have reduced the number of issues, and explored the chosen ones at greater length.
Having said that however, I found the story very enjoyable and would look for other books by Stork.
Kate and Mary have been brought up by a very strict religious family, and struggle to live the way they want to in a world filled with rules. rules that make it difficult for these girls to fit in, or to follow their dreams.
Mary, a gifted painter, has lost the light in her painting since her mother was in a car accident and ended up in a persistant vegetative state. Kate's dream of going to Stanford goes against her father's ideals, as he feels she should not be ambitious nor leave her family. Both girls must struggle with the difficulty of caring for their mother while giving up their own personal dreams.
Suddenly their father dies of a heart attack, and they are left to fend for themselves. Their resources are very limited, and they still have their mother to look after.
Stork addresses many significant issues - family relationships, sudden death, assisted suicide, cancer, financial hardship, and growing up. While they are all addresses, none of them are explored with too much depth. There is perhaps too many issues to cover. The characters are well-developed, but their responses and outcomes to their situations are not explored completely. Perhaps Stork should have reduced the number of issues, and explored the chosen ones at greater length.
Having said that however, I found the story very enjoyable and would look for other books by Stork.