Helpful Score: 3
3.0 out of 5 stars - Lives of quiet desperation...
I wanted to like this novel much more than I actually did. When I closed the book after reading the last chapter (which, in my opinion, was the best in the entire saga, actually), I was left with vague feelings of disquiet. As Blake states when his brother Ryan wonders how the "old-timers" felt about their lives: "They didn't think in terms of happy."
This novel was a series of disjointed vignettes spanning 1973-2003, told in alternating points of view, that give us a snapshot into both the banal and the significant moments in the lives of the large extended Nordic, Lutheran, Erikson family who were born and raised in the rural Midwestern small town of Grenada, Iowa. Each child tries to "leave" in his or her own way, and the picture that emerges as each person tells their story is one of hopeful alienation and the pain of self discovery. It was all somewhat depressing. The tales related in each section reflect the events going on in each of the main characters' lives -- Anita, Ryan, Blake, Torrie -- but also involve their cousins, parents and other relatives and how they all are a part of a family that was "built to last" despite all the trials and tribulations. There are some unfinished stories that left me with questions about what happened "after" or how things ended up the way they did, but though the author sometimes picks up that story line again in a later chapter, some were left dangling. The brothers and sisters seemed to limp painfully toward adulthood, but there are a few triumphs amidst their struggles. The last paragraph -- as one of the children sums up his analysis of his ancestral past and his hope for the future -- is absolutely one of the best parts of this book and one I will remember for a very long time. Any curious reader will simply have to get the book and read it.
Goodreads first read - ARC format
I wanted to like this novel much more than I actually did. When I closed the book after reading the last chapter (which, in my opinion, was the best in the entire saga, actually), I was left with vague feelings of disquiet. As Blake states when his brother Ryan wonders how the "old-timers" felt about their lives: "They didn't think in terms of happy."
This novel was a series of disjointed vignettes spanning 1973-2003, told in alternating points of view, that give us a snapshot into both the banal and the significant moments in the lives of the large extended Nordic, Lutheran, Erikson family who were born and raised in the rural Midwestern small town of Grenada, Iowa. Each child tries to "leave" in his or her own way, and the picture that emerges as each person tells their story is one of hopeful alienation and the pain of self discovery. It was all somewhat depressing. The tales related in each section reflect the events going on in each of the main characters' lives -- Anita, Ryan, Blake, Torrie -- but also involve their cousins, parents and other relatives and how they all are a part of a family that was "built to last" despite all the trials and tribulations. There are some unfinished stories that left me with questions about what happened "after" or how things ended up the way they did, but though the author sometimes picks up that story line again in a later chapter, some were left dangling. The brothers and sisters seemed to limp painfully toward adulthood, but there are a few triumphs amidst their struggles. The last paragraph -- as one of the children sums up his analysis of his ancestral past and his hope for the future -- is absolutely one of the best parts of this book and one I will remember for a very long time. Any curious reader will simply have to get the book and read it.
Goodreads first read - ARC format
Helpful Score: 2
This is a complex story, spanning thirty years in the life of a Midwestern family. We are taken through events in their lives collectively and individually, yet each is personal.
Events open with the Vietnam War in progress, and span through the War in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan). This has effects on the characters throughout the book.
There are many events that we can all relate to, from graduations, weddings, economic struggles, the trials of youth and independence, age and resignation. There are triumphs and tragedies, decisions and consequences. Each event impacts each character in seen and unseen ways.
The characters are very honest in their roles. They are true to themselves and their interactions are sincere. This epic family portrait can take its rightful place next to the other classics of this genre.
Events open with the Vietnam War in progress, and span through the War in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan). This has effects on the characters throughout the book.
There are many events that we can all relate to, from graduations, weddings, economic struggles, the trials of youth and independence, age and resignation. There are triumphs and tragedies, decisions and consequences. Each event impacts each character in seen and unseen ways.
The characters are very honest in their roles. They are true to themselves and their interactions are sincere. This epic family portrait can take its rightful place next to the other classics of this genre.
