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Sunday, April 25, 2010

3 book reviews

My post went to publish when I accidentally pressed a wrong button so please excuse me!

I am doing three mini reviews here on books recently read

Presumed Innocent - Scott Turow

I have seen many giveaways of this book but this book I picked up at a second hand
bookshop here. The story is fascinating and the end is the punch line. A person accused of murder - all evidence whether contrived or genuine points to the accused but then the charges seem to fall apart due to various reasons. Till the very end
the reader seems to waiver as to who is the actual murderer - the accused or is it a
random sex killing. One is never sure till the very end and the end is surprising. A good read for those who like this genre of law/murder/intrigue and crime.



Digging to America - Anne Tyler

I loved this book. I have close ties with several families abroad who have adopted Sri Lankan children so this story became something that I could relate to. It deals with two babies adopted by two American families from Korea and the lives of how two absolutely different families evolve, seem similar and very different at the same time, just from the random fact that the two babies came on the same flight from Korea and that the two families accidentally met at the airport purely by chance and felt an instant rapport that there was something common in their lives. One family is totally "white" American and the other is an immigrant Iranian second generation American family. It was a very interesting read as it also dealt with not just American families adopting Korean babies, but how an immigrant family deals with prejudices and differing points of view on the subject of adoption from their own families who were not as broadminded/non judgemental as the other families. I really liked this book.


The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards.

The book was beautifully written, an unusual, different story but always with a tinge of sadness not far behind. Even in good times I felt the sadness overwhelming me but this did not detract from the story. A normal story of a woman giving birth, husband is an orthopaedic surgeon, she gives birth to twins. The little baby girl is born with obvious symptoms of Down Syndrome and the husband knowing the trauma ahead for the couple takes a decision unilaterally of getting rid of the baby girl. The story evolves from there and this one decision taken on the spur of the moment at the actual birth and how it affects husband and wife for the rest of their lives, and how the eventual reappearance of Phoebe after a very long time shakes up the worlds of so many people was a very different story to read. I enjoyed it but as I said before there was a tone of sadness throughout.

6 comments:

  1. Glad to see you liked both Digging to America and The Memory Keeper's Daughter, as they're both on my shelf!

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  2. I've read all three of those books and enjoyed them all. When Presumed Innocent came out it was unique - it might not feel that way now.

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  3. I liked Digging to America and The Memory Keeper's Daughter as well. I haven't read the Turow though as it's not my usual sort of book.

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  4. I read "Presumed Innocent" ages ago ... and it was good!!! I don't think he ever wrote one as good as that one.

    And I'm a big Anne Tyler fan but I haven't read that one.

    The Memory Keeper's Daughter was very melancholy ... even during the "good" parts.

    Great mini reviews.

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  5. I loved Digging to America and Memory Keeper's Daughter as well. I'll be sure to post a review for Rooftops of Tehran when I get a chance to read it. Thanks for visiting today

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  6. I loved the movie Presumed Innocent. You should see it.
    I have both of the others in my TBR stacks. I'm looking forward to Digging to America the most.

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