Customer Reviews

Place

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An extraordinary experience becomes plausible in the hands of a good story-teller. Both the physical and metaphysical descriptions show a depth of observation of places and relationships. This is the sort of book that draws you into a different world and you are reluctant to leave. With the twists and turns, I can see this as a very entertaining film.

What makes a work of fiction literary is its focus on style, psychological depth, and character (per Wikipedia). PLACE is among the most intelligent, satisfying, beautiful writing I have encountered - care-full, yet without being showy or self-conscious.

To discuss any details of the story beyond the summary provided would risk plot spoilers. To human existence in the macro world, White successfully applies the laws of probability and quantum phenomena poorly understood in physics, and through this takes us on an exploration of grief, loss, joy, love and our responsibilities to others. The story focuses on the individual parts, interactions and experiences of a family, against the subtle, incipient effects of a national trauma.

The story is unique and compelling, an emotional and intellectual ride that draws the reader's empathy and fully engages the reader's thought and imagination. It is one of those rare books that left me feeling changed.

Wow! I could not have expected to be awed by a book as much I was by "Place".
Sometimes there are books that just plod along at a nice pace. With "Place" I was whisked into a world that had me wondering what could be or what really was. I have since suggested this book to many of my friends, hoping that they will get as much enjoyment from it as I have. I gave my copy to one of my dearest friends and given a copy as a gift to another very close friend.
I have felt that I have disappeared as well, going back to a place or a time in my past.
It could be science fiction, or maybe it could be that we all disappear at times.
A definite read.

Place is a very satisfying read -- beautifully written and carefully crafted, a great modern story. This timely work's plot and emotion spring from recent historical events. Today's computer bot "society" provides a perfect parallel to human life and our evolution as beings of energy - and gravity - both literal and symbolic. Ned White has done a remarkable job creating a true work of art woven together with depth, clarity, intricacy, and just the right amount of enigma. An intelligent book - a must read.

Abigail Sipes is a highly sought after, independent corporate consultant. Hugh Ogden is a brilliant computer software engineer who is eager to sell his cutting edge company, which harnesses distributed intelligence, before the tech bubble bursts. When their paths cross during acquisition talks, the attraction is immediate and intense.

Divorced for the past six years with a daughter in college on the East coast, Hugh's marriage was failed from the start and he longs for a sense of place, a connection to planet Earth, a life free from the ordinary and expected.

Abby, at thirty-six, has been a widow for four years although she willingly admits that she "didn't like him much." An unspeakable, life altering event from her past has damaged her own sense of place and is preventing her - literally - from moving forward with her life.

Together, Hugh and Abby seek to build a new family and repair that damage in an effort to become whole.

PLACE, set in a post 9/11 America, is a thoughtful exploration of family connections both in the here and now, as well as across the veil of time and space. Very well written with a unique, matter-of-fact prose, this intriguing story may leave the reader rethinking their understanding of what can and cannot possibly happen. The back cover blurb...A wounded life in a fractured land, she keeps disappearing... does not begin to touch on the depth and complexity of this story. Definitely worth the read, I look forward to reviewing Ned White's earlier work, CALLING OUT YOUR NAME.