Tag Archives: Family Dynamics

Anna’s Book by Barbara Vine

British Literature April 1, 2007 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: After the death of the tortured aunt who edited her grandmother’s best-selling diaries, a second-generation Danish-British woman seeks to find out the truth of her aunt’s parentage, which may be linked to an infamous murder case. Review: The complexity of Anna’s Book (originally published as Asta’s Book) is reminiscent of A Dark-Adapted Eye, and both books are now tied as my favorite of the books crime novelist Ruth Rendell has written as Barbara Vine. Both books deal with a tangled family history as revealed…

The Wife (Kristin Lavransdatter II) by Sigrid Undset

Norwegian Literature March 23, 2007 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Now married to her beloved Erlend Niklausson, Kristin takes up her new life as the mistress of Husaby, fearful that the child that grows inside her will expose her secret shame and cause her father to reject her. Review: I didn’t think it was going to be possible for Undset to outdo her achievement The Wreath, book I of her Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy set in Norway in the 14th century. I feared that marriage wouldn’t suit Kristin, that her vitality and inner fire would…

Cousins by Rona Jaffe

American Literature February 26, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Restlessness in her current relationship leads a NYC woman to wonder if her family’s legacy has doomed her to unhappiness.

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

British Literature February 14, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Roberta and her brother and sister have to leave London for the countryside when their father is mysteriously sent away, but they discover a world of delight thanks to the nearby railroad.

Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

Australian Literature January 11, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: The 2nd in Marillier’s Sevenwaters trilogy, Son of the Shadows picks up with Liadan, daughter to Sorcha from book 1, kidnapped by a band of ruthless mercenaries, where she learns that she stands outside of the Old Ones’ pattern–and thus might have the power to change destiny. Review: I enjoyed Son of the Shadows much more than Daughter of the Forest. The writing was richer, the characters more interesting, and the story denser. The story is set in medieval Ireland at the time of…

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

British Literature December 3, 2006 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

White Teeth: A Novel by Zadie Smith Synopsis: 3 families–one Bengal, one white English/Jamaican, and the third white English–twist and turn throughout one another’s lives over the decades in and around a multicultural neighborhood in London. Review: Smith has a stellar knack for portraiture, with all of her characters being wholly unique, and capturing subtle aspects of character psychology in novel ways. My favorite has to be the long-suffering Alsana, mother to two twins as different as night and day. After her much-older husband Samad…

A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine

British Literature October 29, 2006 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: When a true-crime writer comes to Faith Severn asking for corroboration of the details he’s unearthed about her murderess aunt, Faith’s reminiscences build a very different portrait of the family that has been both dear and alien to her over the years, casting new light on very old secrets. Review: I have read several books by Barbara Vine and her alter ego Ruth Rendell, and this is by far my favorite. She excels at characterization; none of her creations can be neatly encapsulated by…

reading is my superpower

i read all the books