This book has a lot to offer, it is a war story, a coming of age triumph, a serious look at the Siege of Leningrad with lots of humor and best of all, historically accurate. I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it wholly.
Even though I liked this book, and it is a well written novel, the message the author tries attempts to send (personal forgiveness and redemption) seems a bit heavy handed at times and the ending, which to me was mostly predictable. The author handles multiple timelines well and even though the chapters not only jump from time, but also to a different place and characters it all seems to fit and not disjointed at all.
There are many well described aspects which surround the story: familial roles, household chores division, raising children, religion and more. The author tries to accentuate the harshness that some women have in their life and that no matter what they’ll do, they’ll never get ahead because of how they grew up and /or who they were born to.
Ms. Crawford wrote an amusing book, easy to read, quick, intelligent and often funny. The author even made me like some of the most spoiled kids the protagonist was engaged with, as well as a few pointers on writing essays (and if you follow my blog you know that there is certainly a lot left to be desired).
The story takes place over a course of about 12 hours, but much of the story is told in flashbacks and memories which are triggered by external events which the protagonist, a flier named Leslie Mason, experiences. Mason is experiencing a profound sense of loss almost every waking moment due to his luck of having survived many missions, but loosing many friends who did not have such good fortune. In his depressed state, Mason is concerned only with the present and survival, not concerned about past or future.
I did not read this book in English, which gave me a different perspective on the Harry Hole novels. For example, the name itself in English is Harry Hole, but translated in another language with different emphasis and sounds it is more like Hari Hølā (Hoo-laa), a little point which I really enjoyed. Of course, the Norwegian names were difficult to pronounce, but that is part of the charm of translated novels.
I did enjoy the premise of the story, which seemed to be edited heavily to the point where character development took a second seat to length. A quick, quirky read with a noir feel about a feisty lady and a soldier, both trying to make a difference out of place.
Bernie Karp, a 15 year old couch potato, son to a successful businessman in Memphis, TN accidentally stumbles upon a froze rabbi in the basement’s freezer. When asked, Bernie’s father explains that: “. “Some people got taxidermied pets in the attic, we got a frozen rabbi in the basement. It’s a family tradition.”
I found the author’s explanation of how technology developed to make the buildings stronger, very interesting. The historical fiction aspect was also engaging
My boy loved the book and listened intently to the trials and tribulations of Little Willey, the protagonist. He had an easy time following the narrative and found the story gripping.