Advantages Gripping, Informative, Easy To Read
Disadvantages Slow To Start
For those of you who read my last Torey Hayden review "Overheard in a Dream - Torey Hayden," you will know I am a huge fan, so huge infact that I have every single one of her books and am in the shop as soon as the new one is released. So after reading Overheard in a Dream and loving it I decided I would definitely buy her second novel "The Sunflower Forest."
I had high expectations as I always do with Hayden's work, however after reading the first 3 chapters of this novel I was disappointed that it wasn't matching up to its predecessor and thus I wasn't really feeling very involved in the book. By that I mean I couldn't really picture the places being described and I couldn't really indulge in the scenarios being portrayed. This worried me and I feared I wouldn't get into the book enough to enjoy the content.
Once in Kansas, and settled mama had "spells" these "spells" are cleverly written by Hayden who is describing mama's deteriorating state of mental health. Each "spell" described a situation where mama because depressed or acted strangely in the presence of the children. During her "spells" the girls knew to stay well away until she returned to her normal self.
Mama, called Mara, as I said is a Hungarian national, who lived through world war two in Germany. She was fluent in Hungarian and German; spoke English but regularly spoke all three languages in one conversation, mostly falling into German or Hungarian if she couldn't be bothered to concentrate on getting the English equivalent correct. Mara was subjected to horrific attacks it Germany as a young women, raped for her blonde hair and blue eyes and kept in what could be called a baby production place otherwise known as the hostel. The story develops to concentrate on Mara's previous children, those she had prior to Lesley and Megan, those she had amid torture and abuse from the Nazis. Those who were removed from her care so she could breed again. They were called Klaus and Jozsef, Klaus who was taken away from her when she pretended she could no longer produce breast milk to prevent the embarrassment of leaks, and Jozsef who she smothered to prevent him being removed from her care.Whilst the novel focuses on Lesley the young women in her late teens growing up and learning about life, the underlying family issues all stem from Mara and her state of mental health.
Attention, this is the first review from this author
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TheHairyGodmother 01/07/2011 12:30
wildtinsey 26/01/2011 22:09
flyingllamas 12/07/2009 19:33
heisei 03/07/2009 18:39
Soho_Black 24/05/2009 18:05
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The Sunflower Forest - Torey Hayden Bestselling author Torey Hayden's new novel poignantly tells of a daughter's attempt to grow up in the shadow of her mother's haunted past. Warm... |
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The Sunflower Forest - Torey Hayden Bestselling author Torey Hayden's new novel poignantly tells of a daughter's attempt to grow up in the shadow of her mother's haunted past. Warm... |
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The Sunflower Forest - Torey Hayden Bestselling author Torey Hayden's new novel poignantly tells of a daughter's attempt to grow up in the shadow of her mother's haunted past. Warm... |
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