Jane McLoughlin

(02 April 2013)

I’ve obviously skipped ahead in the TBR shown above, picking out the Viragoes and related volumes for this All Virago / All August month. This was one that I bought from Any Amount of Books on our Easter trip to London this year.

It’s a survey of high-flying executive women and women business owners that was published in 1992 and based on research done in the few years previously, which looks at sexism, pay, family, etc. It actually makes rather depressing reading, because the author is so excited about the advances that women have already made and the positive prospects that lie ahead of them – well, of course, not much has really changed, with gender pay gaps still there, women pushed into part-time work, great swathes of professions where women are the workers and men the managers, issues around job security and families, the double shift of work and childcare, etc., etc. It does remind us that we have come a certain way, but were the achievements of these women stalled and have things really improved in the 20 years since the book was published? I’d love to read an update of the author’s opinions and research on the subject. Actually, she seems to have written a book about women and politics in 2009 which does accept that a lot of these gains have stalled – interesting!

Deaccessioning via Virago Group. They didn't want it - registering on BookCrossing.… (mere)

At Yellow Lake is the story of three troubled teens whose diverse stories merge together as they inadvertently become involved in a serious crime. Etta is escaping from the clutches of her mother’s latest shifty boyfriend. Peter is dealing with his own mother’s untimely death from cancer. Jonah is searching for cultural identity as a half Native American.

The events that take place at a run-down cabin on Yellow Lake in Northern Wisconsin will forever change these three young people and force them to find courage they never knew they had. This is a story of how tragedy can bind people together forever, even though those people are so different from each other. It is also a testament to the fact that adversity brings out a person’s true nature. It also spoke to me that while a parent’s intentions may be good, their actions can really miss the mark.… (mere)

Three troubled teens are drawn to Yellow Lake - Peter is still grieving after the death of his mother and wishes to fulfill a last request; Jonah is seeking a connection with his roots; and Etta is escaping a violent situation with her mother's boyfriend Kyle - this is the blurb information that sets the scene and it certainly piqued my interest! Although this is advertised as a children's book it doesn't shy away from some difficult areas so I would certainly feel that it should be targeted at the older YA market and it has much to offer older readers who enjoy the YA genre.
All 3 main characters have intriguing and credible stories that draw the readers into the tale and when their stories converge at the chalet by the lake the tension starts to mount. It is Etta who is at the centre of the book and it is her story that is told in the first person whereas Peter and Jonah's tales are told in third person which makes an intriguing stylistic contrast.
This is an excellent debut novel with incredibly beautiful descriptive writing inspiring some very powerful images - the wild woods around the lake; the drug-induced visions; and the destruction wreaked by Kyle and his cohorts - that all spring off the page. I was very engaged with this tale and would even welcome the chance to see what the future might hold for any that survive ... trying not to give anything away!… (mere)