Customer Reviews

The Handless Maiden

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently finished reading "The Handless Maiden"; recently as in last night. I don't think a book has ever made me weep before. From the first few pages I was pinned in my place until the racking emotion of the story finally relented. I suppose, in all honesty, it has yet to do so. Never before has a story touched me so deeply, grabbing my heart and twisting it in this mix of pain and pleasure, joys and sorrows. I was weeping for poor young Mariah and hating her grandfather with a fierceness that was almost foreign to me. I fell in love with Sully and ached when he left; despised Doug and then forgave him. The characters were real to me, the pain of the moment real, just as real as Mariah's always short-lived happiness. In short, "The Handless Maiden" touched me profoundly. I can say without reservation that it was one of the best novels I have ever read, and certainly the most emotional. I await more publications with great anticipation and excitement.

Well, I paced the floor of my local Chapters bookstore for almost an hour and a half in search of the perfect book before locating the Handless Maiden. My grand search truly paid off because the book was absolutely amazing. Mariah is an emotionally vibrant main character who shares with the reader the story of her life. The characters appear so real that by the end of the novel you feel as though you've experienced their lives through their own eyes, thoughts, hearts, and, yes, souls. Its a deep, dark, and overall enlightening novel that moved me beyond words. Brown is a talented new novelist and I look forward to her future works (and future fame). Not only did I find the "perfect book" that day but also the "perfect storyteller". I congratulate Loranne Brown on an exquisite novel...a rare gem.

Yes, a great read. As I told someone, it was an excruciatingly emotional book. Mariah experiences depths of life...and then she uses her music in wondrous ways. Also, Ms Brown has a remarkable talent for writing the healing of music. The theme of "opportunity from accident" is real as we find when we reflect on life's challenges. As I came to the climax I thought, "Oh yes".

I am a dedicated fan of Canadian novelists.

Why read? To escape, to go somewhere you've not been before, physically or perhaps mentally? Is this why you read? If so, I encourage you to go on a journey with Mariah. Through the prolific words of Loranne Brown, Mariah takes us through a personal journey of abuse, love, sex, music, motherhood, death and healing. And she does so in a way that you'll never forget.

I especially recommend those of you in book clubs consider Loranne Brown's debut novel as a book you'll all read in the next few months. I have the good fortune to live down the "highway" from Ms. Brown so we were able to invite her to our club meeting last week. After discussing the novel over dinner, Ms. Brown joined us to answer some of the questions left after we "had it all figured out."

She is a gracious, dedicated writer with a great sense of humour. Not always is the humour evident in her novel, but the dedication certainly is. It is also evident that she's done her research and that she's a superb story teller.

I also recommend you try to read Grimms fairytale of the same name. It may help interpret the book in a different way.

On behalf of my club, Lileth's Library, thank you Loranne Brown for a good read and a delightful discussion!

I really loved this book - I stayed up late for about 5 nights in a row to read read read! I enjoyed the relationships, as complex as they were, held by Mariah and her family, friends, and lovers. The story was original and kept my attention. I highly recommend, and have already loaned by book out with high accalades!

Loranne Brown has blazed onto the Candian literary scene with an emotional saga that triumphs. Honest, blunt, sometimes stark, sometimes soft as silk, this book will be hard to put down once you start. The author quickly draws the reader into the life and tale of Mariah Standhoffer. The book is an expose of the inner world of a young girl as she comes-of-age and moves beyond the foundation of abuse and disappointment. Compelling, intriguing, and at times disturbing, its an excellent foray in the psyche of the wounded heart. The main character is flawed, real, intelligent, and ultimately peaceable with herself. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Can't recommend this one highly enough. Way to go, Loranne!

A bizarre plot that's rather poorly-written, but somehow I couldn't put it down.

This was the most depressing book I have ever read! Through the entire book I kept wondering what Mariah did in a past life to deserve such awful karma! I also found her "pathological introspection" incredibly annoying.