Customer Reviews

One Foot Wrong

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One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna is one of the strangest books I have ever read. As in...I don't think I have ever read a book quite like the way this one is written.

It is written speaking in the words and thoughts of Hester, who at the beginning of the book, we are introduced to as a young child. As we travel through Hester's life we see things from her point of view and gather, from the disjointed language, word and imagery of Hester, that she is kept inside the house, forbidden to go outside. In fact, mostly she is kept in the one room as a young child. As she gets older she is given chores to do, and we learn that her parents are eccentric Christians. She refers to her parents as Sack and Boot, and this is the way she talks about other people and items around her. For example she doesn't refer to a door handle as 'the door handle' she refers to it as 'handle' as though you would say someone's name. She is mentally, sexually and psychologically abused through her life, and slowly but surely Hester rebels. She is not allowed in school, and is forced to stay at home. As she gets older, and rebels more, her parents commit her to a mental institution where more unspeakable acts occur and Hester makes a friend who becomes an integral part of the story.

Sometimes I wonder, if Hester had been given a normal childhood, would she be normal? Or still mentally disturbed? Also, I half don't doubt that her parents (especially the mother) were mentally disturbed in some way either. Especially since the mother would take her to the basement downstairs and hoist Hester up like Jesus on the cross as punishment. But I won't give too much more away than that. One Foot Wrong is an extremely interesting read, not only for the content, but for the way it is written.

This would make an excellent read for a book club.

This was a dark and strange book. In the midst of the horror of Hester's life, her narration was at times oddly, incongruously, beautiful. The limitations of the narrator left some rather important gaps in the story, but in the end, there was surprisingly satisfying closure. It was certainly a unique book and one that almost begs for discussion.

I'm not going to get into the plot of this book, because that's easy to find, but I just wanted to share my opinion that this book is simply amazing.

It will truly stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

I read the entire book in one night, and I wished I could have had more. The main character, Hester, is absolutely lovable and unique.

5 stars for sure!

First, I want to offer a quote from the novel: "I took the orange piece from Mary's hand. I put it in my mouth and waited for the end of freedom. Orange water jumped through the air as I chewed....The bell rang and we walked back into the schoolroom swallowing orange." The style throughout this compelling novel is like that--lyrical, confounding, at times disturbing, but always consistent. I haven't read anything better than this--the first novel from Australian writer Laguna--in years. I hope more is coming from this wonderful writer.