A review by msvenner
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

4.0

This is a beautiful book. On language alone, I would give it five stars. As a narrative, I would only give it three. The book is intentionally fragmented, as Jakob himself is fragmented from horrific experiences during the war. He is haunted by those he has lost and must learn to be the survivor. Jakob's story, while sometimes confusing and scattered would stand alone but the addition of a second narrator, with much the same voice and inflection as the first, dilutes the novel. I spent much of my time wondering if this second narrator is somehow connected to Jakob's lost family. Given the outstanding reviews, I wanted more story to hold this together.