The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages
Jun. 8th, 2007 05:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lady_schrapnellBook number one of the challenge, and I needed to take a few minutes to write something about it before moving onto the next.
My Lord.
Will that do as a review?
Everyone's heard the buzz about this one, right? Well, my added buzzing may not make much difference, but if anyone remains to be swayed, and my bit might help...
Tiny bit about the book, just in case it's needed: story of an 11-year-old girl who goes to Los Alamos in 1943 to live with her father, a scientist working on the Manhattan Project. That much I'd heard, but I didn't realise that the story isn't entirely Dewey's (and wait till you hear what Dewey is a nickname for! brilliant), but also belongs to Suze Gordon, whose parents are both working on the project as well. Both are great characters, and I loved the way Dewey hadn't fit in anywhere before coming to Los Alamos and Suze doesn't fit in at all there. And it's beautifully written - spare and simple, so when it became tragic (which I hadn't expected), a tiny part of my mind wasn't crying, but wondering how Klages could have written so much pain with such - I don't know - restrained language? I'd say it blew me away, but that is an unfortunate choice of words.
I have no idea how much of that part of World War II history kids are getting in school, and how much younger ones will pick up of the enormous, devastating questioning going on: portrayed from children's perspective - heard through walls at night, heard before they're told to run away... Just as it would have been, for many of those families. And I loved the feel of New Mexico, which was beautifully done. And was thrilled to see Richard Feynman make a cameo - love him.
What a start... (Oh, and fantastic cover too!)
My Lord.
Will that do as a review?
Everyone's heard the buzz about this one, right? Well, my added buzzing may not make much difference, but if anyone remains to be swayed, and my bit might help...
Tiny bit about the book, just in case it's needed: story of an 11-year-old girl who goes to Los Alamos in 1943 to live with her father, a scientist working on the Manhattan Project. That much I'd heard, but I didn't realise that the story isn't entirely Dewey's (and wait till you hear what Dewey is a nickname for! brilliant), but also belongs to Suze Gordon, whose parents are both working on the project as well. Both are great characters, and I loved the way Dewey hadn't fit in anywhere before coming to Los Alamos and Suze doesn't fit in at all there. And it's beautifully written - spare and simple, so when it became tragic (which I hadn't expected), a tiny part of my mind wasn't crying, but wondering how Klages could have written so much pain with such - I don't know - restrained language? I'd say it blew me away, but that is an unfortunate choice of words.I have no idea how much of that part of World War II history kids are getting in school, and how much younger ones will pick up of the enormous, devastating questioning going on: portrayed from children's perspective - heard through walls at night, heard before they're told to run away... Just as it would have been, for many of those families. And I loved the feel of New Mexico, which was beautifully done. And was thrilled to see Richard Feynman make a cameo - love him.
What a start... (Oh, and fantastic cover too!)
