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Sharon R. (Deerfield, IL)
The Many Faces of Grief
A beautifully crafted story of profound grief, love, infidelity and cemeteries in the late 1800s in San Francisco. The novel is called "historical fiction" but it could happen to anyone at any time. The four main characters, three adults and one child, share their innermost thoughts through alternating chapters. You will want them to come to peace with their grief and circumstances. Some succeed, while others do not and will leave you thinking long after you finish the book.
This book is not for everyone. Anyone who has lost a child might have trouble with certain aspects of the narrative. The first two chapters
…more were very depressing and I wasn't sure I could finish the book, however the writing is captivating and haunting, so I kept reading, wanting to know how it resolved, and finished it in one day. Book Clubs will have plenty to discuss. (less)This is a poignant, sometimes heartbreaking story which shows how loss and grief can create a rippling effect of destruction in the lives of those left behind.
The pervasive theme here is death in many forms--death of a child, a marriage, a long-term affair and of hopes and dreams. The backdrop for the story is a cemetery in San Francisco. It's a heavy theme but much of the writing is absolutely beautiful. The author shows us that grief can sometimes keep us stuck in the past--unable to move forward or even function effectively in the present.
My only criticisms are with some uneven pacing in relating the story
…more and not enough character development with Henry and Lucy. I found Lucy, in particular, to be an enigma.
Those criticisms aside, I really enjoyed this book. It is heavy on sorrow but, for the most part, effective in execution of a very interesting story. (less)The only other times I've encountered the second person is in the heartbreaking short story collection "The Music of Your Life" by John Rowell (the title story contained it) and "Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line" by Michael Gibney, who sought to immerse readers in the intense working life of a sous chef in the kitchen of a mid-sized restaurant. Both were successful in their aims, but it's a delicate balancing act. With second person, the author believes that the only way you can truly feel the story is by becoming that person, not just walking alongside them as we do in third-person narratives.
In "The Half Wives,"
…more you are Henry Plageman, a former Lutheran minister, on a day in 1897, the anniversary of the birth of the son you lost. You also have two wives, and you're in San Francisco, where the city cemetery eventually awaits.
It all works, and just like the San Francisco that author Staclia Pelletier brings to vivid life, obviously living it so largely in what must have been copious research, Henry and these fascinating women are equally worth your time. (less)Stacia Pelletier does a skillful writing job in taking three obscure events which occurred in San Francisco and weaving them into one story. She stages the lives of her pathetic but well drawn characters around cemetery visits to one particular grave site. At times, I was tempted to abandon the book as I found it plodding reading; however, I wanted to know how the author resolved the characters' eventual meeting and so I did finish the book. Fine writing triumphs over a depressing story.
Suzi S. (Crestview, FL)
I wanted to love it
I especially enjoy historical fiction, so I was all set to love this book. For me there was just not enough detail about life in San Francisco during the era to create that sense of traveling in time that I so enjoy. Part of my issue may have been the multiple narrative voices. I just had a hard time with the use of present tense and with the narrator addressing the reader as "you," with the identity of the "you" constantly shifting. The story was compelling and well-crafted, but I just didn't feel that I had a stake in the outcome.
Jackie W. (Bellevue, WA)
The Half Wives
I started reading this book with great excitement, interested to see how the author would fully render a tale of a minister with both a wife, and a lover. Unfortunately, every chapter written in Marilyn's "voice" was a dirge ... caustic, angry and bitter. Can people truly not find resolution, and move on? I enjoyed the character of Blue, and her growth through this novel. She, however, is the only one who grows and matures. More heartening are some of the author's spot-on musings, such as "You generally triumph in your head more than you do in real life," and "Widow and widower refer to people who have lost
…more their spouses. Orphans are children who have lost their parents. What's the word for parents who have lost their children? There isn't one." This novel, which covers only one day, is too long and convoluted, and very broken up in its formatting. Reading it, for me, was an unsatisfying experience due to its lack of hope. (less)Although I loved the premise of this novel as well as the San Francisco setting, I found it to be laborious reading overall. The narrative of the entire book occurred in one single day, and the action was far from compelling. I found the characters to be dull and predictable. Also, I personally did not like the style of writing which does not make use of any quotation marks in the dialogue.
Joanne V. (Towanda, PA)
The Half-Wives, a very interesting title, but....
I did not like this book, mostly because I didn't care about the characters. The writing was OK and the history surrounding burials in San Francisco interesting. The ending was predictable and trite. I did finish it, but wouldn't recommend it to a book group, even though I think it would make for a good discussion - it isn't worth the effort.
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