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Book ReviewsA Parchment of Leaves (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series) |
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Book: A Parchment of Leaves (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series)
Written by: Silas House |
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5
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I read it on a "dare"
Rating:
5 / 5
And I hope to have more of those "dares" soon!
When I finish a book, I usually ask myself one question: "why do I feel so unsatisfied?" It seems, regardless of the wonder of the story, I usually come away with a feeling that I've been cheated of something magical, something that is supposed to confirm writing as an art.
I've FINALLY found satisfaction!
House's *Parchment of Leaves* is a story of the power of love that is as old as the hills where he sets his tales, but the language, the poetic prose he uses, makes his story more than a run-of-the-mill romance. This novel has meat. It is about life. The people are real; their circumstances are tragically so. He doesn't cheat. There are no cliches, nor are there cheap thrills for shock value's sake. The story moves via the art of language and characterization alone.
Exquisitely written.
I read it on a "dare"
Rating:
5 / 5
And I hope to have more of those "dares" soon!
When I finish a book, I usually ask myself one question: "why do I feel so unsatisfied?" It seems, regardless of the wonder of the story, I usually come away with a feeling that I've been cheated of something magical, something that is supposed to confirm writing as an art.
I've FINALLY found satisfaction!
House's *Parchment of Leaves* is a story of the power of love that is as old as the hills where he sets his tales, but the language, the poetic prose he uses, makes his story more than a run-of-the-mill romance. This novel has meat. It is about life. The people are real; their circumstances are tragically so. He doesn't cheat. There are no cliches, nor are there cheap thrills for shock value's sake. The story moves via the art of language and characterization alone.
Exquisitely written.
A beautiful book
Rating:
5 / 5
A beautifully written book by the author of CLAY'S QUILT, A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES takes us back to the early 1900's and the mountains of Appalachia. Vine, a young Cherokee girl, is rumored to have sent men to their graves by casting spells on them, for she is reputed to have special magical powers. The white men of the area fear her, especially as they pass her home on the way up the mountains to work on the construction of a mansion being built for a rich man named Tate Masters.
One day, Saul Sullivan and his brother Aaron are on their way up the mountain to help with the construction, and they pass Vine's house. Saul sees Vine for the first time and is instantly smitten, but she ignores him. A while later, she hears screams and finds that Aaron has been bitten by a poisonous snake. With her knowledge of Indian medicine, she saves his life.
Vine's life is changed forever. No longer does she live within the confines of the Cherokee community. The snakebite that nearly kills Aaron paves the way for Saul and Vine's courtship and soon they are married. She moves away from Redbud Camp and the Cherokee people, and moves in with her new husband and mother-in-law Esme, who live in a place called God's Creek.
Although Vine and Saul love each other, she misses her family terribly. However, her mother-in-law is very supportive of them, despite the rumors that have spread about Vine and her evil spells and the fact that she is a Cherokee. The two women become close, which helps to ease Vine's homesickness. She befriends the local midwife, Serena, who Saul mentions, is "crackerjack", but Vine ignores the comment and soon the two women are the closest of friends.
The people at God's Creek also accept Vine as part of their community. She learns their ways, sings their songs, dances their Irish jigs, and eats their food. She creates a loving home for her husband and new baby. But she is not completely happy. She finds that Saul is not as talkative as she would have liked, and is upset that he keeps things to himself, failing to open himself up to her.
At the same time, Aaron develops an obsession for Vine, which begins to scare her. She tries to ignore what is happening, and one day she finds that he is following her, hiding behind trees as he spies on her. She keeps this from Saul, knowing that he will never believe her and will always come to the defense of his family.
With Saul by her side, Vine feels protected, but one day he tells her that he has decided to temporarily move to a neighboring county to help with the war effort. It'll help bring in more money and give them the type of life they can only dream of. As soon as Saul leaves God's Creek, Aaron approaches Vine and professes his love for her, coming on so strong that she screams at him to leave. He disappears, leaving Esme and Vine to fend for themselves, only to return months later with a new wife, Aidia, who happens to physically resemble Vine.
With Aaron back in their lives with a new wife, Vine at first thinks that everything is going to be all right. But as Aidia begins to confide in Vine, she finds out that Aaron's return to God's Creek spells trouble. What later happens between Vine and Aaron is so horrible that no one learns the truth except Vine's closest friend Serena. With this weighing heavy on her mind, Vine finds life intolerable and dreads the day of Saul's return, knowing that she can never keep this secret from him.
Like a series of musical notes, Silas House creates in A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES a lyrical work of art as he tells the story of Vine and her life away from her Cherokee roots. The beauty of the story is found not only in the story itself, but also in the way that House lays down his words on paper and paints the world of early 20th century Appalachia. Although several important themes run through the story, I feel the most important component of this book is how House chose to tell his story, with a lot of imagery and descriptive passages that helped take me back to the home of his ancestors.
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