The
disappearance/leaving of a husband was the ultimate betrayal and
shame at this time in history. Watching your husband turn around as he always did and walk
away from you and expecting him to return at the end of the day but not returning is what the "wife" has to endure in SEVEN LOCKS.
SEVEN LOCKS is a heart wrenching story of a wife and her two children trying to survive the hardships of living on a farm in the Catskill Mountains in the 1700's with the Revolutionary War on the horizon and with no help and no support of the townspeople. The townspeople wanted nothing to do with the wife, whom I never heard a name mentioned, because they believe she killed her husband. Having no name is in itself a sad story.
The descriptions are detailed and intriguing...you will feel the terror and the pain of the characters and the emotional struggle of the children and their mother. You will be able to see through the author's vivid descriptions their mud-drenched yard, their mud-drenched clothes, their crowded barn with animals in it, the fields and valleys, and the frightened, lost children as they live out their meager days and years.
The characters are very well developed along with the story. You will hate some of the characters, be curious about them, and wonder about their lives and motives. You will mostly feel their despair in their difficult lives but the willingness to move on.
The book shares the amazing courage of a woman left to do her work as well as a man's work. It sends a message about struggle and survival at the basest level and a struggle fought alone. It isn't a light book, but your interest will not wane because of the subject matter and because of the author's storytelling skills and elegant, effective prose.
You will want to find the mystery of the title of the book and interpret a sentence from page 60: "But the future is a book with seven locks."
SEVEN LOCKS is a book you will have to dissect and read slowly because it will make you ponder. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher with no compensation in exchange for an honest review.
SEVEN LOCKS is a heart wrenching story of a wife and her two children trying to survive the hardships of living on a farm in the Catskill Mountains in the 1700's with the Revolutionary War on the horizon and with no help and no support of the townspeople. The townspeople wanted nothing to do with the wife, whom I never heard a name mentioned, because they believe she killed her husband. Having no name is in itself a sad story.
The descriptions are detailed and intriguing...you will feel the terror and the pain of the characters and the emotional struggle of the children and their mother. You will be able to see through the author's vivid descriptions their mud-drenched yard, their mud-drenched clothes, their crowded barn with animals in it, the fields and valleys, and the frightened, lost children as they live out their meager days and years.
The characters are very well developed along with the story. You will hate some of the characters, be curious about them, and wonder about their lives and motives. You will mostly feel their despair in their difficult lives but the willingness to move on.
The book shares the amazing courage of a woman left to do her work as well as a man's work. It sends a message about struggle and survival at the basest level and a struggle fought alone. It isn't a light book, but your interest will not wane because of the subject matter and because of the author's storytelling skills and elegant, effective prose.
You will want to find the mystery of the title of the book and interpret a sentence from page 60: "But the future is a book with seven locks."
SEVEN LOCKS is a book you will have to dissect and read slowly because it will make you ponder. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher with no compensation in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting read. Let me know what you think if you read it.
ReplyDeleteWow. This one sounds terrific and heart-breaking at the same time.
ReplyDelete2 Kids and Tired Books
Terrific review! I hadn't heard of this book, but I'm adding it to my list.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beth. What a great compliment coming from an author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping, Holly.
I don't believe I've seen this one around before, but it definitely sounds like the type I'd enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWow, this book sounds heartbreaking and intriguing as to what happens to the woman. You've got me all curious now!
ReplyDeleteThis does sound interesting. I have no clue about the mystery of the title.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Kathy, and commenting about the title.
ReplyDeletePerhaps someone that has read the book can shed some light on the title.
I've read the book and it's fantastic! Definitely add it to your reading lists for 2013.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
A disappearing husband remains the ultimate betrayal.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks for asking about the title !!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are right in that the meaning of the proverb "The future is a book with seven locks." is not patently obvious. I take it to have a meaning such as "Que sera, sera" or "What ever will be will be, the future is not ours to see."
Personally, I think the beauty of a proverb is that some you get right away, like "Speak of the devil, and you trip on his tail" not because its meaning is so literal and obvious, but because you have heard them so many times repeated in context that you just get what they mean. Unfamiliar ones from other cultures are more mysterious and ambiguous. You know people have said them for ages, so they kinda roll around in your brain but you are not quite sure what they mean.
So "the future is a book with seven locks" has an authentic old world ring that evokes the forward march of time by referencing the future. Time, anxiety about time passing, lost time, and memory are all themes of the book that are developed (but not explained) by this proverb.
So glad you enjoyed Seven Locks and glad you found that it has secrets. I wanted to write a book with some cards up its sleeves that an attentive reader could ponder after they put the book down.. The beginning epigraph and the last sentence challenge the reader to unravel the secrets of the book.
www.christinewadebooks.com
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DeleteElizabeth, thanks for linking this in to Books You Loved. I really appreciate your continued support and the way you take time to interact with other linkers. Cheers
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it so much. Always nice when a book resonates. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I love the name Silver but it's also part of my maiden name. :)
What a great review. This sounds like a heart wrenching and very well developed story. This is now on my to read list for sure. By the way, I love the photo on your home page - beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the picture and thanks for your interest in reading Seven Locks. The Hudson River Valley is spectacular. See more pictures of the river at http://www.facebook.com/ChristineWadebooks
ReplyDeletewww.christinewadebooks.com
How intriguing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read even if it does sound rather sad too. We both read a book set in the 1700s!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this book before but it sounds really interesting. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy a book that makes me ponder its story! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this book before. But it sounds fantastic. Love that Christine commented and the post you did. Thanks for stopping by. I will have to add this to my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteKatie ~ Turner’s Antics
Hi thank you for stopping by my blog. This sounds like an intriguing book not one I would usually go for but like the sound of it :-) xXx
ReplyDeleteYou've made me really curious about this book. It sounds so sad.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really interesting. I've never read anything set in America during that era. I'll keep an eye out for it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog.