babs
Didn't have time to read before due back at library. It's the kind of book I want to own and dip in and out as needed, rather than read straight through.
I was really looking forward to reading this from the blurb I'd read, and I enjoyed the concept of the book. I liked not knowing everything about the society of Cahoka and learning about all the different characters. However, I really really hated the ending of it. Joe was so happy and then he dies? Okay, he dies a hero saving the woman he loves and can't have and also the city, but still.... The book did start out rather slow for me, but the last third of it was action packed. I will say that one should read the acknowledgments of the author at the end of the book. It explains how/where the alternate history starts and the very last paragraph of his acknowlegements does give a little insight into something that happens in the book.
Wow. Just wow. I loved this book despite my not thinking I would. I became so caught up in the lives of the humans and the nature around them. The last 2 chapters blew me away with the beauty of the writing (although the whole book is beautifully written--I just happened to love those chapters the best). The last line is perfection.
I love historical fiction that sends me off to find more books (non-fiction) to read about events or the real people in the novel. I've been on a hunt to find even more to read about the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune. I especially enjoyed seeing their friendship through all its ups and downs.
I didn't know it was possible to cry from beginning to end while reading a book but this book succeeded in that task. Still, even with the crying, it's a beautiful, heart-felt book and there are moments in the book the chapter where Satoru and Nana take their trip to Sapporo together and travel slowly through Hokkaido is so beautiful that I felt as though as I waws there that show such beauty that I felt was there. I recommend reading this with a cat (or even a dog) curled up on your lap to help you get through it.
One of my goals for 2024 is to read books I wouldn't usually read and challenge myself. This book certainly fit that goal. I can't say I enjoyed reading this book because that would make it sound as if it was fun for me to read. That being said, I'm very glad I read it. I had an inkling as to what was happening to the main character by Chapter 4 and by Chapter 5, I was certain I knew. But...even though I knew, I didn't know exactly how things had happened. The last page and a half of this novel made me literally gasp out loud. The climax of the novel hits you in the gut. Even though it was difficult to read, and at parts, I thought I was stupid for not exactly understanding, by the end, everything made sense. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.
What a wonderful story this was! Edith's story was so beautifully written–especially the imagery of being in the salt marshes. I loved seeing the growth of Clare also. Even with the twists and turns this book took, it is the kind of book I wouldn't mind reading again.