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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
thoroughly engrossing,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Map of the World (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)
I was hesitant to pick this book after reading some reader reviews describing it as boring, too wordy, and turned off by the death of a child.On the contrary, I found it very rich, textural, and complex in a very human way. I was never bored and whipped through this in less than a week. I found it fascinating. I loved the way Alice narrated it at first, then Howard, than back to Alice again. People are very fallible, complex characters and this book finds the perfect pitch to tell that story. It is about surviving trageday, and ultimately, forgiveness. While this is not a "happy" read, I was not depressed by it either. I get so tired of people complaining about subject matter being depressing and therefore, throwaway. It is through pain we often find joy. For me, a good book, or movie is something that grips me and holds my attention, whether it be happy or sad or both. This is one of the better books I have read in a long time. I will read more by Jane Hamilton.
93 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written but ultimately too sad,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Map of the World (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)
I read this book a few years ago shortly after it was released in paperback. Jane Hamilton is a beautiful, insightful writer with a keen ability to paint realistic characters experiencing very believable emotions. Although I appreciate her immense talent, this book left me feeling empty and sad, rather than enraged, embolded or inspired, as she may have intended. This is a well-written book that deserves all its praise, but reading an emotionally draining book, with little levity to break up the mood, is simply not how I like to spend a rainy afternoon.
77 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Map of the World: Desperate Struggles,
By Sarah (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Map of the World (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)
Alice Goodwin is a troubled woman living on a dairy farm in Prairie Center, Wisconsin. The mother of two girls, Emma (6) and Claire (3), she is struggling to get her life together. When her husband Howard decided to pursue his dream of being a dairy farmer, she went along with him, but they have been trying to make ends meet. Alice is the school nurse at the local elementary school, and after the terrible drowning of the two-year old neighbor who was in Alice's care, she is suddenly faced with sexual harassment charges from one of the students at the school. While she is in jail Howard desperately tries to keep the family from falling apart, which proves very difficult, and everyone's breath is held leading up to and during the trial. I liked this book, because of the strong emotions and sub-plots. The reader really feels as if he/she is experiencing the unfolding of the carefully planned plot, riding along with the family as they dodge all of the ruts in the road of life. It is amazing to read the story through the eyes of both Alice and Howard. I would recommend this book for most people ages 13 and older.
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