Customer Reviews

Precious: A Novel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When Natalia Kisch does the unthinkable, leaving husband and two daughters behind to run off with her boss to Italy, she sets off a chain of events that unleashes the fury of the fates. Left behind in their small 1970s Pennsylvania town are husband, Frank, and two daughters, Sissy, nine, and Eve, seventeen. Consumed by their own pain and confusion, each member of the family retreats inward, Frank to his rage, Eve to a consuming, anger-fueled rebellion and Sissy retreating to world of fantasy. Soon after, when ten-year-old Vicki disappears from a local playground, the town is stunned by a sudden violence they have never experienced, thought meant for other people, other towns. Charging their children to stay away from the park where Vicki went missing, the neighbors withdraw, watchful, as winter yields to summer. Through the long months since Natalia carried her suitcase out the door, from a joyless Christmas to the heat-drenched days of July and August, the family drifts into a weary routine, Eva resenting the need to care for Sissy, Frank unable to reach his oldest daughter.

Novack travels this shattered landscape with a sensitivity to things lost and found, the fragile wings of childhood trampled by one woman's fateful decision in a moment when her life seems unbearable. The lesson is painful: There are consequences for our actions. Of Romany descent, Natalia has always fed Sissy's insatiable curiosity with stories, tales that haunt the child during her mother's absence. Eve, on the cusp of adulthood, has nearly left behind the cares of youth; now she is confused, unsure, her provocative, blooming beauty a temptation to a man who should know better. And the silent Frank, unable to cope either before or after his wife leaves, retreats to his classic Chevy, spending endless hours avoiding the realities of his life. With a critical part of the family missing, there is no safe harbor, no rest, not even for Natalia, who realizes the enormity of her mistake, worrying if there will still be a place for her in a home where the rooms are crowded with anger.

Once begun, the story accelerates with the ferocity of a runaway train, unstoppable, each character tenderly brought to a precipice, their fears, needs and hopes in suspension, unable to mend what has been broken. This subtle indictment of self-absorbed parents is written in prose that is at times stunning, others weighted with raw emotion as Natalia's children struggle to define their changed world. As the neighbors gossip about the grieving woman whose child has disappeared and who drinks to excess, the air in the Kisch's house trembles with crisis, rage and unpredictability. Even Natalia's return cannot save her family, caught in a roiling emotional conflict with no focus, each character desperate to survive a wash of feelings grown out of control. In the end, the world will have its way, Novack's powerful, stinging novel a reminder of the frailty of all we take for granted and the terrible price of lies and betrayal, forgiveness just out of reach. Luan Gaines/2009.

I love good metaphors, and here were so many. I don't read often enough, but this book took me 2 days to finish. I had to know what happened. And the characters were so honest, that at the end, I had the overwhelming desire to search for them on Facebook to see what they were doing now and to see if they were ok.

The depth of Ms. Novack's soul and heart must be so large as to be immeasurable because surely one cannot write a story like this one with anything less. This novel had me sobbing not just at the end, but also in the middle at the most unexpected times. Novack is a writer who understands the power of connecting emotionally to her reader.

"Precious" is the story of what happens to a family when a little girl goes missing in their small town. But while the disappearance hangs heavy in the periphery, a storm is raging within the Kisch family. And journeying through that storm, one learns just how vulnerable a child's (and teen's) limited understanding of the adult world makes her. The aftermath leaves no one untouched, including this reader.

I was impressed with Novack's technical ability: lovely, exciting, elegant sentences that weave the tale, seemingly effortless, from start to finish; masterful handling of the omniscient pov; and brilliantly carved characters.

Reading this book was a rewarding and gut-wrenching Experience. I cannot wait to read another by this extremely talented author.

I am a horrible reader. I will start reading 5 books before one will sit well enough for me to finish. Right from the start, I noticed the writing. Sandra Novack is a beautiful writer. And yet that's not all this book is. I feel the highlight of the book are her characters and the investment you gladly make in each of them. Real people who are living with enormous struggle and challenges. I read with my heart beating wondering what on earth these people could say to one another and hoping that the author wouldn't cop out with a "he nods and leaves." She stunned me by writing actual dialogue between them. Believable, honest dialogue that led you to the next sequence of events. This book truly is for anyone who has a family or someone they have loved.

I found this to be rich with layers and exquisite details. It was so moving, so thoroughly engaging that I feel as though these characters are a part of me now. I felt haunted by the ending; the sadness and the loss, the potential never realized: these have stayed with me.

The prose is superbly crafted: fresh, charming, inspired, honest. It was a wonderful read.

As a reader, I read Precious straight through in 24 hours (one does have to eat, sleep and work). As a writer, however, The skill of this debut novel was very impressive. Novack drew the reader in with intricate characters, complex situations, lyrical phrasing, and an ending that was real rather than a fairy tale...very highly recommended

PRECIOUS

Set in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, this book revolves around several story lines, all combining together to make for a great reading experience.

The main characters are the Kisch family -- Frank, Natalia, and daughters Eva and Sissy. Frank is the only person alive who knows Natalia's dark and horrible past. Natalia is of Hungarian descent and ends up in America, meeting Frank and marrying him. Frank and Natalia attempt to carve out a life in Pennsylvania.

However, all is not well in the Kisch household. Natalia takes up with her employer; she leaves her family and goes with her lover to Italy. Frank tries in vain to take care of his two daughters. Eva, a moody and rebellious teenager, and Sissy, a sweet and silly little girl.

Frank, Eva, and Sissy are all miserable and in pain dealing with the departure of Natalia and the book elaborates on how each of them try to deal with this, Frank is so angry that he barely realizes what is going on in the lives of his daughters.

Add to this mess the fact that one of Sissy's good friends, Vicki, has gone missing. The entire neighborhood is in total shock, nervous, uptight, afraid, and also trying to help Vicki's mom, Ginny, come to terms with the fact that her little girl is missing.

This book is the first for Sandra Novack. She writes very well, the reader can feel the tension in every character, Frank's feeling of resentment at this wife for leaving, Natalia's desperation for what she thinks will be a better life and then her anguish for leaving her family. We also can feel how much Eva simply hates her mom for taking off and her involement with her high school teacher. Sissy, still very young, is mixed-up, confused, and scared. Sissy doesn't understand all of what is happening in her life and starts to mix reality with her little fantasy world. All of these characters play off of each other and make for great reading.

What happens to this family? Is Vicki ever found? Does Natalia return to her family, praying for their forgiveness? Can Frank be a better father to his two hurting daughters? Can Eva get her wild streak out of her system? Does Sissy go missing too? Read the book and find out! You will be glad that you did. Enjoy!!

Thanks!

Pam

I've been thinking about Precious ever since I finished it late last month; Sandra Novack's lyrical prose had a profound impact on me.

Set in rural Pennsylvania in the late 1970s, Precious tells the story of a family falling apart from the inside out. Unable to find balance in her roles as mother, wife, and woman, Natalia Kisch is tired of feeling overwhelmed and runs off to Italy with a lover. Shockwaves from Natalia's decision ripple through her family, neighborhood, and community, fundamentally and irreparably damaging her children and spouse.

Eldest daughter Eva's anger is tinged with fear and humiliation and sets her on a self-destructive path of promiscuity. She is powerless and can't control anything except her own actions, which ultimately lead her to a heartrending decision.

9-year-old Sissy exists in a hazy world, hovering between fantasy and reality. She harbors guilt over her mother's abandonment and over the disappearance of a former friend and neighborhood girl. Avoidance is the only way she can cope. At several points during the book I feared for her safety because she was so lost in her private, dreamy world.

Frank, father of the girls and Natalia's husband, withdraws from his children, unable and unwilling to navigate the rocky waters of his emotions. He's ill-equipped to handle the anger, embarrassment, and pain that comes with his wife's betrayal and abandonment.

Novack's use of figurative language and characterization actually gave me pause at several points during the novel. The simplicity and beauty of her diction helped to make this book one of the best novels I've read in the last ten months. Themes of abandonment and loss resonate on each page. Imagery is vivid- especially in the following passage--making Sissy's terror palpable:

"After Eva leaves, the day grows as long as a shadow. By four the house will begin to feel ominous. In the kitchen, the basement door will become a gateway to a place filled with cobwebby terror, unspeakable dread. In the living room, Sissy will be certain someone lurks just outside the window: a mystery man, a murderer. Upstairs, the shuttered closet in Sissy's room will suddenly hold too many secrets; each slat will cause her to worry." (Novack, 22.)

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. You won't be disappointed!

It seems like lately I've been starting a lot of books with preconceived notions about what they were going to be like. You'd think by now that I wouldn't do that since I've been proven wrong so many times in the past few weeks; but once again, I had definite ideas about the novel PRECIOUS by Sandra Novack. While the storyline wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I quickly forgot my assumptions and became caught up in this family's story. PRECIOUS is just a beautifully written novel with very honest characters.

For some reason, I thought this book was going to be about the disappearance of a young girl. I basically processed the first few lines of the book's description without really absorbing the rest. And while the disappearance of the neighbor girl was a secondary storyline in this novel, the real essence of this novel was about The Kisch family. When Natalia the mother picks up and leaves suddenly one day, the father and remaining two daughters' lives are turned upside-down. The depth of their pain from the loss of Natalia is so intense that the reader can actually feel it. I enjoyed how the author showed how each person attempts to cope with the loss (hint: it's not always "healthy") and how each one is damaged as a result of their actions.

While I did like the storyline, I also thought the author did a great job of setting the tone of this novel. The story takes place in a small Pennsylvania town in the 1970s, and I think she captured the look and feel perfectly. I loved how she described the neighborhood the Kisch's lived in as well as their nosy neighbors. I could definitely picture their surroundings, and I think her descriptions of a small town and its inhabitants helped to enhance the story.

To me, this book is about loss on so many levels. The most obvious indications of this theme are the disappearance of the little neighbor girl and Natalia's abandonment of her family; however, I think the theme of loss goes much deeper than just the physical. The author does a terrific job of showing the devastating effects of these losses on their loved ones, but she also shows other things that were "lost" as a result. For example, there are losses of an intact family, respect, security, a child's innocence, and the trust between parent/child and husband/wife to name a few.

However, this book isn't only about loss -- it's also about forgiveness and redemption. When Natalia realizes the error of her ways and returns home to her family, she is faced (rightly so) with their anger and bitterness. Everyone in the family is forced to examine their actions and decide what's ultimately best for them. As a reader, I had a feeling that all of the family's pain and anguish would come to the surface, and I was very anxious to see how (or if) their issues would be resolved. I admit that I was surprised by a few of the outcomes; however, I liked that the ending wasn't tied up neatly with a bow on top. This book was far too good for that!

PRECIOUS is Ms. Novack's first novel, and I think it's a wonderful beginning! As I mentioned earlier, her prose is just beautiful; however, I was equally impressed (if not more so) with her development of the characters. The members of the Kisch family were just incredibly real to me, and I felt as if I really understood their thoughts and actions (even if I didn't always agree with them.) The way Ms. Novack made the reader feel their pain is just amazing, and I can promise that these characters (flaws and all) will remain in your thoughts after finishing this novel. I am pretty sure that Ms. Novack is making a name for herself with PRECIOUS, and I am very anxious to read more of her work. If you want to learn more about Ms. Novack, there is a very interesting interview with the author and you can also visit her blog.

I think PRECIOUS would make an excellent book club book. After I finished this book, I definitely wanted to discuss it with a friend. I think it would be fascinating to "analyze" these characters and their actions, but I also think the themes in this novel are worth a further look. Some examples of discussion topics are: marriage, parent/child relationships, trust, loss, and redemption.

Precious is a portrait of a family, a family going through one of the toughest years of their existence. When the mother Natalia leaves her husband and daughters behind for something new, something with a new man they are left to pick up the pieces of their broken family. When summer arrives the girls are left home to fend for themselves and the older sister Eva takes off most days leaving Sissy to do anything she wants anywhere. Not the best idea when recently another neighborhood girl has gone missing.

I found Precious to be very haunting and heavy. While I did expect that I had hoped for it to let up at least a few more points than it did. I would have liked just a bit of humor or lightness somewhere just to lighten the mood if only slightly. There was one lighter passage that comes to mind though that I really liked, when Natalia and her husband Frank are going for a ride in his car. She remembers back to when they first met and started dating. I really found that passage very sweet. I also really liked some of the imagery described when the circus comes to town. I felt like I was there!

For me it was much easier to identify with the children, Eva and Sissy. I liked reading about Eva and how she was dealing with her broken family. It was interesting to see why she was in the relationship with her teacher and why he was in it with her. I liked that this book was told from the different characters perspectives. Seeing the different sides to the stories. Like others have said, a lot of times I felt worried for Sissy. Left to take care of herself for the better part of a day, who knows what could happen to her. Her imagination was so real to her I felt like it could have been the end of her a few times.

All in all an interesting look at a broken family trying to pick up the pieces that I know will appeal to a lot of readers out there.