Helen Frost's The Braid takes the reader on a simple family journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the strange land of Canada's Cape Breton in the Mid-1800s, while at the same time allowing us to follow the delicate yarn that stretches across the sea back to Scotland and Mingulay where the rest of the family remains. This book served three purposes for me: first, my Word Nerd partner, Jaimi, was inspired by this book to start her own writing; second, it fulfills the Irresistible Review challenge because I saw the book on two separate blogging sites ages ago---Here and Here; thirdly, it was very entertaining.
It was such an easy read, it only took me two short 15-minute Metro rides. I also didn't even notice the intricacy of the book, its narrative poems, and its praise poems. Frost's explanation of how the poems are interwoven together surprised me, perhaps because I was not looking for it or because it was so well done that I was not jarred out of the narrative by its style.
***Spoiler Alert***
Jeannie and Sarah are close sisters, who are separated by the Atlantic Ocean when Sarah makes a rash decision to hide away while the rest of the family boards a boat for Canada. Sarah stays behind in Scotland with her grandmother, while Jeannie boards the boat with her other sisters, brother, and parents.
Jeannie must step up to the plate in the New World and help provide for her family by begging strangers for food and shelter. She finds strength within herself. Sarah meanwhile succumbs to her emotional weakness, but turns out to be a positive for her. Jeannie, on the other hand, then transitions from an "adult" back to her childlike self.
***End Spoiler Alert***
This is another Young Adult novel that I would never have read without the advice of some great book bloggers and my Word Nerd partner. Helen Frost is a very creative author and this book is a simple story told in a unique way. I would love to recommend this to anyone who likes Young Adult novels and to those who just want a breath of fresh air.
Anyone else who has reviewed this or other books I have reviewed in the past couple months, please feel free to drop me your link. I will add it to my posts.
4 comments:
Congratulations on finishing the challenge! I've enjoyed all your reviews. And by the way, you have won the books you asked for on my book giveaway!
Darla:
Great thanks for the contest books. I'm excited.
I've finished the challenge already? Is that possible? LOL I have so many other books from people's blogs. I think I may link them anyway.
Sounds like an interesting book. I could never keep up with all the challenges.
This is the only challenge I am currently doing....I think it is all I can handle at the moment.
This one has been easy since I get a lot of books from blogs I read.
The only other thing I have done is Weekly Geeks, but that has only been twice...not a big time commitment.
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