Customer Reviews

Wisdom

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

 

 

At first glance Heather Neff's "Wisdom" may look like another one of those "journey to find my roots" lightweight novels. It is in fact a novel that reads so beautifully it is almost like a long poem. Maia is from Michigan and visits St. Croix for a 3-week vacation. Stories have been passed down in her family about their Crucian roots and Maia wants to see the island. She meets Severin (nicknamed "Seven" because he is the 7th son) who is the sole male survivor of the Wisdom estate. While there Maia discovers her own ties to the Wisdom estate and Seven. The author "Heather Neff" was inspired to write this novel after living on the island of St. Croix for two years and painting a picture of a slave sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Ms. Neff is very respectful about the island, and the natives and touches on the anti-American sentiment that is under the surface when Americans visit these islands and treat them as their own private playgrounds. There are underlying themes of love, loneliness, and illness. Ms Neff is able to carry all of these subplots off while keeping the story interesting. I recommend novel to anyone that enjoys reading about travel, family histories, or simple love stories.

Reviewed by
Sandra Pettiford

It took me just a few pages to dive into this unusually intelligent book, filled with suspense!

The novel is very refreshing, full of unexpected twists and turns. It's a stunning blend of history and fiction, emotions and realism. The visual quality reminded me of "Blackgammon", Heather Neff's first and also outstanding novel!

While "Blackgammon" made me wander the streets of Europe, "Wisdom" made me want to wake up in the Caribbean again, even if it meant to face the mixed past of this region. It makes you long for that quiet corner, where you can tune out everything around you and step into another world.

I can't wait for the next book by Heather Neff!

Dr. Heather Neff's second novel, "Wisdom", is an intriguing journey into race relations set in the Caribbean island St. Croix. Neff's characters are a treat, at once elegant and real, created with depth and feeling. Neff explores love, humanity, and truth in her smart and poignant novel. Maia is a strong female character and leads the reader through a period of growth that involves her gay friend Damien, her lover Noah, and her slave ancestor's owners, the Johanssens. It is a rich novel filled with vivid descriptions, moving dialogue, and a touch of mystery. The book is easy to read despite its hard-hitting issues of racism. Definitly a book I recommend, not only to read, but to re-read.

Wisdom by Heather Neff is a rich and colorful story about a woman in search of
her past. In Wisdom, we meet Maia Ransom, a visitor to the island of St. Croix
who has adapted to the Crucian lifestyle like a native. Maia is drawn to the
island after years of hearing about the estate Wisdom. Wisdom is the place
where her ancestors served as slaves and it harbors many secrets about Maia's
family and the Johanssens, the landowners of the estate.

Heather Neff tells a vibrant story of a woman trying to find her destiny
through her family's history. Maia is a strong and mysterious character who
will capture readers from the first page. Neff makes readers care about her
and she lays the ground work for the readers to develop a beautiful
relationship with Maia through writing that is often lyrical and poetic. The
island of St. Croix is described in such magnificent detail that is sure to
motivate a trip or two among readers. The supporting characters are also
colorful, full of life, and memorable.

Wisdom is a poignant read told by a master storyteller. Heather Neff is an
extremely talented writer with a flare for description and building compelling
characters. Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD).

Save your money. This book is a predictable simpering pile of freshly laid, egg and sausage induced, dogpoo. I gave the book one star because I couldn't see how to give it no stars and still leave a review.

Wisdom might not be predictable if you haven't quite yet reached the fourth grade, however, ten year olds ought not to be reading the .... that neff fills page after page with. None of the characters seem real despite ms neff's tiresome adjective abuse. She routinely pulls solutions out of nowhere with less finesse than one might see in any given episode of the beverly hillbillies. The ending is a three ring circus of contrived danger and antics leading to the stories anticlimactic and juvenile conclusion.

In short, the man gets the girl, the girl gets the land, and whitey gets what's coming to him.

<sigh>

Dr. Heather Neff's WISDOM paints a pretty picture of Paradise and weaves a tale intertwined in mystique, Caribbean folklore, imagery and illumination. Maia Ransom, a Michigan nurse, travels to St. Croix to await her eventual death, and to learn more about her grandfather's people. When she arrives she finds her grandfather's estate, Wisdom, in shambles and occupied by Severin "Seven" Johanssen, the ill and alcoholic son of the last owner. Instead of taking care of herself, however, she becomes Seven's nursemaid despite the fact that he resents her presence on the island. But Seven isn't the only one out to sabotage Maia--most of the town wants her kind off their island. Yet, she unexpectedly falls for Attorney Noah Langston, who gives her reason to continue her soul's journey.

I wanted to give Neff a higher rating for this book, because she creates this wonderful dreamy atmosphere that is conveyed through the entire novel. It's beyond romantic. It's captivating. The way she personifies St. Croix's landscape and Wisdom draws her readers not only into the plot of the story, but into the undertones, metaphors, and themes that rides under the surface of the novel. She whispers her message of self-discovery and self worth in every scene, then brings it to the forefront in the novels last lines. The book reminds me of EVE'S BAYOU and THE SCARLETT LETTER because of its delicate poetic prose.

However, she falls short of making WISDOM the classic that it aspires to be. There are too many characters, which makes it hard to fully develop. I can't understand why Maia so easily accepts her diagnosis when she is a nurse in the first place. At the climax of the novel, the slow pace keeps the story from rising to its highest peak. Moreover, the violent scene between Noah, Severin, Juan, Carlos and Noah's near the conclusion of the novel is unclear and hard to visualize.

I recommend this book to anyone who love far away places, is interested in Caribbean culture and has a poetic vibe. WISDOM is a fascinating read.

Dee Stewart

R.E.A.L. Reviewers

"Wisdom" takes its place among the top ten books that I have read this year. It amazes me that this book has gone virtually undiscovered and unpraised by the literary arena while other less skillfully written, shallow books receive high praise simply because the authors name is one that is "recognized"???

"Wisdom" is a beautiful story about the determination of a woman who, in what she believes are her last days, sets out to discover who she really is and who her ancesters were -- to reclaim her family. The book is set in St. Croix and Ms. Neff gives the reader a front row view of the beauty and mystery of the island and its history and culture as the story of Wisdom unfolds. From start to finish this is a story that holds your attention and draws on your emotions. I can easily envision this story as a movie that would receive rave reviews.

I applaud Ms. Neff and thank her for the time devoted to writing a literary treasure! I look forward to her next. . .

Wisdom is a must read!

If you are reading just one book this summer then let it be WISDOM!! I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have a very demanding schedule, and at the end of each day I allowed "Wisdom" to be my spiritual dessert. My literary vacation. I savored every morsel and chapter of this book. It was truly EXCELLENT!

It takes place in St. Croix, U.S.V.I., and describes the journey of one woman on a quest to unearth her lost cultural identity. Heather Neff transports the reader through vibrant, descriptive language to the Caribbean. But her story is one that transcends the tiny island that Wisdom is set on, and instead becomes a backdrop for an intricate discussion on the universal longing for identity, finding one's place in the world, and communal connectdeness. The thing I love about all of Neff's works (I read Blackgammon also. EXCELLENT!), is the way she is able to place the reader into the text. She draws you into the story, and you find yourself rooting for some characters, or hating others. Or in Severin's case, Loving and Hating him all at the same time! :)

As a native of St. Croix, I find her descriptions are true characterizations of even the smallest details of island life, (the foods, the scents, the language, the diversity of its people) and with painstaking details she constructs a tale well worth the telling and the reading! :) An exciting story! For which I simply say YOU M-U-S-T DEFINITELY CHECK IT OUT!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!

Signed,
A Crucian in Baltimore