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Indlæser... KooKooLand (2015)af Gloria Norris
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Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. KooKooLand was a harrowing, poignant book about growing up poor in Manchester, NH in a family where words were weapons and fists were used to demand absolute obedience. This book is about being terrorized by a racist, small-minded father who drinks, lies, steals and bullies his way through life right up until his death. It is about being unprotected by a beaten-down mother and it is about the captivating spell he cast on his youngest daughter who became tough and compliant to earn her father's favor and stay safe. And yes, to be loved by him as much as he was capable. There are many memoirs about alcoholism, poverty and violence but what is unique about this memoir is Gloria's voice which is childlike, brave, terrified and completely present. She brings you right in to what it is like to be THAT child, with THAT father and I read straight through the night with my heart hanging outside my body yearning and hoping for this little girl. Interwoven, and really the dead center of Gloria's story, is her crush on an older girl who seems to be making it. Studious, church-going, kind with her eye on her future, Susan also lives with a violent father. Susan encourages Gloria, lets her know that she can escape her past and urges her to do well in school and move forward. Gloria hangs on to her words, uses her as a model of how her future might be different from her mothers and even tries to believe in God for her. We watch Susan graduate and then go to medical school when tragedy happens. Without giving away too much detail, it is suffice to say Gloria learns that all is not what it seems and the the truth is that it is so hard to move past a violent childhood, sometimes impossible to do so. But for Gloria, after coming to a reckoning about who Susan really is and still with deep love and respect for her, keeps dreaming. What I love about this book is that the ending is completely satisfying. It does not give false hope or give short shrift to the damage and the waste and losses experienced by Gloria and her mother but it does allow us to see that even with that there can be some contentment and possibility of creating a life filled with decency, connection and love. Thank you to Netgalley and Regent Arts for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.
As in a tyranny, in an abusive family you either find small ways to dissent, or you rebel and perish, or you decide to survive at all costs. It's the calculus of abuse: What it would cost you to disagree out loud?
Gloria Norris's KooKooLand is a memoir written on the edge of a knife blade. Chilling, intensely moving, and darkly funny, it cuts to the heart and soul of a troubled American family, and announces the arrival of a startlingly original voice. Gloria Norris grew up in the projects of Manchester, New Hampshire with her parents, her sister, Virginia, and her cat, Sylvester. A snapshot might show a happy, young family, but only a dummkopf would buy that. Nine-year-old Gloria is gutsy and wisecracking. Her father, Jimmy, all dazzle and danger, is often on the far side of the law and makes his own rules--which everyone else better follow. Gloria's mom, Shirley, tries not to rock the boat, Virginia unwisely defies Jimmy, and Gloria fashions herself into his sidekick--the son he never had. Jimmy takes Gloria everywhere. Hunting, to the racetrack, to slasher movies, and to his parents' dingy bar--a hole in the wall with pickled eggs and pickled alkies. But it is at Hank Piasecny's gun shop that Gloria meets the person who will change her life. While Hank and Jimmy trade good-humored insults, Gloria comes under the spell of Hank's college-age daughter, Susan. Brilliant, pretty, kind, and ambitious, Susan is everything Gloria longs to be--and can be, provided she dreams big and aces third grade like Susan tells her to. But, one night, a brutal act changes the course of all their lives. The story that unfolds is a profound portrait of how violence echoes through a family, and through a community. From the tragedy, Gloria finds a way to carve out a future on her own terms and ends up just where she wants to be. Gripping and unforgettable, KooKooLand is a triumph. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)974.2History and Geography North America Northeastern U.S. New HampshireLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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Why read it? It captures white working class New England in all its racism, frustration, and never-achieved glory, opening the door for D. Trump and for "Manchester-By-The-Sea". Gloria is a fine mimic and comic writer, and her ultimate success is gratifying to the reader. ( )