This mesmerizing coming-of-age novel, with its sheen of near-magical realism, is a moving tale of family and the power of stories.
After their mother's probable suicide, sisters Olivia and Jazz take steps to move on with their lives. Jazz, logical and forward-thinking, decides to get a new job, but spirited, strong-willed Olivia--who can see sounds, taste words, and smell sights--is determined to travel to the remote setting of their mother's unfinished novel to lay her spirit properly to rest.
Already resentful of Olivia's foolish quest and her family's insistence upon her involvement, Jazz is further aggravated when they run into trouble along the way and Olivia latches to a worldly train-hopper who warns he shouldn't be trusted. As they near their destination, the tension builds between the two sisters, each hiding something from the other, until they are finally forced to face everything between them and decide what is really important.
My review:
This book was a bit difficult for me to read. It was not because it was not easy to read, no, in fact because it hit so close to home. I felt like the author had plucked my life and put it into a book.
I simply substituted the Mother in the book for my Dad. Although he did not commit suicide, he did manage to pass away when nobody but myself was with him. It was and is a still painful experience to this day. He left so many unanswered questions, memories, and I cannot help to believe but maybe false hope or even hope to some.
So, the book...well, it pretty much runs the gamet of what I just spoke about. The three people left in the wake of it all had to do some soul searching and memory searching to come to terms with it all.
Through some letters that were left by the Mom the girls put together the hopes and then dashed dreams of being with her own Dad again.
The book runs all the stages of grief with many tears to be shed throughout and peace to be found within.
Ironically for me, I read the last chapters of this book on my Dad's birthday which was September 21st. There was a "letter" addressed to the Mom character's Dad on Sept. 21. 2011. That would have been 3 months after my Dad passed away and as I said, ironically, the first page I read.
As I began this review, I said the book was difficult for me to read, which indeed it was but it also was healing in a strange sort of way which in many ways, it was meant to be. Thanks you for that.
The book is certainly of merit and gets four stars.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book as a gift. The view expressed here are 100% my own and may be different from yours.~Naila Moon
Where to find the author:
Amazon
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