Thursday, September 4, 2014

Far Away, I Land

Many stories (mostly generational) breath life into this fictional journey, the premise being that everything comes full circle. Confusing at times, but by the halfway point in the book it is clear how the generations will grow up and eventually meet. The childhood of several children is followed, focusing particularly on the offspring from Hungary and Ceylon. Their journeys take them through London, Ottawa, New York, Sri Lanka, but we all know the phrase, there is no place like home! If this is starting to sound a little muddled, then I'm not alone. This story is told through many different perspectives, and can at time be overwhelming. It can switch years, people, and tenses, all in one chapter. After a while though your brain begins to adapt and you can see a pattern. A child grows up in hard, unbelievable conditions, through the merits of their character they succeed in life and, behold, find a marry a person who has gone through a similar experience (and whom you've been reading about). Their marriage may be troubled (this is a very common thread, marriage does not work so well in this story) but their children will grow up AND... story repeats itself. Overall, good concept, great storybuilding, but I thought the story was very sporadic. It would speed up through a few generations, then slow down for one. It could get quite maddening.

For fans of historical fiction.

I received this book for free from Inkwater Press in return for my honest, unbiased review.

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