The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received notification of this remarkable book through a group of archeologists specializing in Scandinavian history, specifically Viking. Their praise of Neil Price’s work did not disappoint. My interest in this history pertains to a current novel in progress of my own, and certainly I’ve come away with a head bursting with all the latest…
The Green Road by Anne Enright My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Green Road, by Anne Enright, is an introspective, remarkable, often poignant story about the four siblings of the Madigan family, and their mercurial, often tempestuous, aging mother, Rosaleen. Set primarily in Enright’s native country of Ireland, the narratives of the four children sometimes wander from that green island to America and Mali, carrying with them the subterranean influences of their mother’s influence….
A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay My rating: 3 of 5 stars It would be a stretch of the truth to say Guy Gavriel Kay is anything but an accomplished story-teller. He crafts his work with elegance, passion, and detail. You would think with that praise I would rate his work higher than I do, for certainly there is much here to engage the reader. However, having read almost all of Kay’s canon…
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje My rating: 3 of 5 stars There is no disputing the literary skill of Michael Ondaatje. His works have been captivating readers for decades. However, it would be unreasonable for anyone to expect every work any artist creates to be extraordinary. And such is the case, in my opinion, with In the Skin of a Lion. It is an ambitious novel which encompasses the lives of…
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good My rating: 3 of 5 stars It is important to begin this review with the fact I’m Caucasian, first generation Italian, third generation Irish, born in Canada, live a life which many would call privileged, but would do so without understanding of family background, struggle, trauma. I do understand being a victim. But I do not have an understanding of residential school trauma. Having said all that, I do…