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Indlæser... Cottonwood Saintsaf Gene Guerin
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Hæderspriser
Spanning the twentieth century, Cottonwood Saints chronicles the lives of a New Mexico woman and her son, Michael. Margarita Juana Galvan was born in a lumber camp in 1913 and is brought up like a little princess in her grandparents' hacienda. In contrast, Margarita's adult life is spent in depression-ridden Las Vegas, New Mexico. Told through Michael, Margarita's story embodies the challenges faced by an intelligent, independent-minded girl maturing in a man's world. Margarita and her family's lives intersect with the prominent events of the century: the influenza pandemic of 1918, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the Great Depression, and World War II. Based on the life of Guerin's mother, Cottonwood Saints connects the lives of the poorest citizens of New Mexico to the local power structure. The story ends after Michael, who became a priest, must leave his order in disgrace, and with the burial of Margarita in 1991. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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The book follows the life of Margarita Juana as she makes her way through life, longing for promises and a life out of her reach. She describes herself once as Margarita No Cuenta (No Account) telilng us that she must "enjoy small triumphs across a desert of insignificance' because that is her place in life. But, she often falls into the traps of her families past, giving up when she should break out. She and all who she calls her own seem to follow this same pattern, blaming their race, their economic state, or the state of New Mexico itself.
Finally, her son, the voice of the book, makes a small break with the families past and follows his own path in some small way.
The author, a debut novelist, is a documentarian and is quite adept at chronicling this family. Though, he often tries to hit you over the head with some metaphors (like his description of Las Vegas , NM, as a painted lady who is eventually debauched) his writing shows real promise. The opening and closing paragraphs are among the best I;ve read lately. Another problem owing to the writer's newness is his attempts to 'thesaurisize'. I found him using the word sanguineous instead of bloody, the word fete instead of party, and twice the word collation instead of snack or light meal. While these were adequate words, they didn't fit the sentence or the voice of the character who was speaking. Less Roget and more writing from the heart.
I still recommend this book highly even for its small faults. ( )