Customer Reviews

How the Blessed Live

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

 

 

A captivating journey of human spirit. Poetic, haunting and uplifting, this book takes the reader into the emotions of each character, into the heart of family full of secrets and dreams.
A magical read that is hard to put down. I can't wait for the author's next book.

The author's lyrical, fluid writing style captivated me and drew me into this story of love and loss. It touches on the universal search for meaning when dealing with the aftermath of the tragic sundering of a relationship--something we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. I found I could identify with aspects of all three central characters in their explorations of self through their relationships.

This is a beautifully written novel. Ms. Smith is a writer to watch for--her best is yet to come.

I read Susannah M. Smith's novel over two nights and I had a difficult time putting it down. I have such a huge stack of books that I need to read, I won't finish a book if I don't think it's worth my time. This one, I couldn't stop. It doesn't read like a first novel (and if you're a real reader, you know what I mean when I say that).

I know it's helpful to compare a novel to other published works but I'm not sure what to compare this one to-- in parts, it's almost poetry. The chapters are short, sad, and sweet, and the story is universal (simple and familiar, but intertwined with elements of history and myth so that it feels...new). This book is unlike anything I've read recently.

The characters are well-conceived and the plot is beautiful but tragic. If you love literature and poetic writing, you'll enjoy this novel. And you'll want to buy it for your friends and family. But first, buy it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. :)

I read this book under recommendation of one of my favorite authors Francesca Lia Block. Similar to her writing style I found the book full of wonderful images and poetic language. The sequence of events made me empathize greatly with the characters, although I found the external plot to be somewhat predictable. The book's symbols and underlying themes are ultimately what made it the most interesting and had me thinking once, I completed the book.

a stunningly beautiful first novel, it will haunt you long after you've read the last words.

An interesting book in that it starts very grounded and then takes little swerves into surreal fairy tale like fantasy and then gets grounded again. I liked the good character development, and interesting descriptions and ideas. My only complaint is that the plot tends to get muted. I really like the story telling style of using two points and time (past vs. present) set against two points in geography (east vs. west) to described the characters lives and relationships. It was a good way of breaking up long chapters into smaller more manageable parts and creating a sense of tension as these two dimensions run together at the end.

The images from this book have stayed with me long after I finished reading. Turns of phrase like "She opened the window to let in the dark" gave me chills. The writing is haunting and compelling, creating a world that is easily pictured in the mind's eye. At first blush the events in the novel seem far-fetched, but the characters are so very human that their tragedies and loves become something terribly believable. I very much look forward to the author's next book.

A poetic novel filled with quiet, soft secrets. Dark and Sensual with entirely captivating characters. If you like Leonard Cohen, Anne-Marie Macdonald or Yann Martel you will surely enjoy this new Canadian author's writing.