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Reviews by Jane B. (Chicago, IL)

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A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
A simple well-told story of a simple life (12/12/2016)
This is a simple straightforward story about a determined woman with a degenerative disease that lived with her younger brother on the family farm in Maine. When she was in her 40's the woman, Christina Olsen was visited by,a friend, Betsy James and her soon to be husband, artist, Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth became a frequent visitor to the farm and Christina, her brother, their house and the farm itself became Wyeth's subjects. The famous painting Christina's World was one result of Wyeth's fascination with the Olsens. But this book is not about Wyeth,rather it is about Christina, her life's struggles and gains. It reminded me of the books in the school library about famous people. This book would possibly appeal to young adult readers who might have found the painting of Christina's World interesting. The author tells Christina's story "blending fiction and non fiction, filling in the details, illuminating stories that have been unnoticed or obscured" and gives us the story of the simple life of Christina Olsen.
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