Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!, October 8, 2009
This review is from: Guernica: A Novel (Paperback)
Guernica is a riveting story that details the lives of the Ansotegui and Navarro families before, during, and after the bombing by the German Luftwaffe. After the death of his mother, Justo Ansotegui's father recedes with grief and eventually disappears leaving his eldest son in charge. He takes on the responsibility of care for his two younger brothers along with the family property Erottabari with no one to guide him. The brothers are creative in their management of the farm using games and pranks to make the most mundane chores fun. This is the setting in which the story begins, in the heart of the Pays Basque region of Spain.
I really loved following Justo's story and found myself in tears a couple of times. I knew next to nothing of the Basque people and their traditions prior to reading this, let alone the climate of the country surrounding the bombing. I found myself looking online for more details about events and will probably look for more books in the future about the Basque people. I received this book through the LTER program and loved every bit of it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Guernica: A Novel, November 19, 2009
This review is from: Guernica: A Novel (Paperback)
Warning: I loved this book
It might have been clever or catchy to sub title the novel Guernica: A Love Story but that's what it is to me. While familiar with Picasso's painting (which I was blessed to see a number of years ago), I knew very little of Basque history. Boling takes a family of brothers and follows it through the devastation of war. The book will make you feel happy and sad. It draws out laughter as well as tears. A great holiday gift that is unique enough to inform even the most discerning reader.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Boling makes learning history less boring in "Guenica", October 12, 2009
This review is from: Guernica: A Novel (Paperback)
Hiking in the Basque country is one of the hiking vacations that I want to do, so I was eager to read this book. However, it took me awhile to get into it, but I couldn't put it down when Boling started telling the devastating German bombing of Guernica, the heart of Basque country, on the eve of World War II.
In "Guernica", Boling skillfully weaves the histories of Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the creation of a mural Guernica by Picasso with the lives of fictitious characters from two families, the Ansotegui and the Navarro. He makes learning history less boring, at least for me.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|