Journal Entry 1 by krin511 from Olney, Maryland USA on Friday, October 24, 2008

Description:

"In the winter of 1836 the Belle of Wilmington is wrecked off Wherrytown. The Captain and his American sailors flirt, drink, brawl, repair the damage to their ship. . .and inflict fresh damage on the town. Another visitor marooned far from home is Aymer Smith, a man brimming with good intentions both for the Belle's black slave cook Otto and for himself, a virgin and a blunderer in search of a wife.

Amid the haunting, monumental landscape and a wealth of characters that rival Dickens's most enduring creations, the hopes and hazards of the Old World are pitched -- unforgettably -- against the New." -- from the back cover 

Journal Entry 2 by krin511 from Olney, Maryland USA on Friday, October 24, 2008

This was a poignant and thoughtful book. Aymer Smith reminded me a little of Eugene Henderson in Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King. Both characters try so hard to do the right thing, and often their efforts make things worse. I liked the interactions between Aymer Smith and the townspeople of Wherrytown and the American sailors.
 

Journal Entry 3 by geishabird from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Friday, November 07, 2008

Thanks very much! This looks like a very good read. 

Journal Entry 4 by geishabird from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Sunday, April 05, 2009

I enjoyed this very much. Wonderful characters and like you, krin, I enjoyed watching the way they interacted, and the way their various worlds did or didn't manage to come together. Aymer Smith is a particulary interesting creation; he's like a car accident - you can't look away. He's pathetic to the point of maddening, but one feels sorry for him - he doesn't seem to have the moral strength to be the kind of person he wants to be, or thinks he does. Simply and cleanly written; this is the second of Crace's books I've read, but it won't be the last; he's an interesting writer. Thanks very much for sharing this. 

Journal Entry 5 by geishabird at Queen St. East in the Beaches in Toronto, Ontario Canada on Monday, December 28, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (12/28/2009 UTC) at Queen St. East in the Beaches in Toronto, Ontario Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 6 by KarenGold from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Monday, December 28, 2009

Found this book on the ledge outside the Gull & Firkin Pub on Queen Street East in Toronto. I plan to read it within the next few months. 

Journal Entry 7 by KarenGold at Toronto, Ontario Canada on Sunday, January 23, 2011

This was a wonderful read. The main character was so well-drawn. All of the characters were interesting and multi-dimensional. The story was quite compelling. I'm grateful to have found it and highly recommend it. 

Journal Entry 8 by KarenGold at London , Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, January 23, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (1/14/2011 UTC) at London , Greater London United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Given to visiting neighbour, Mr. Robinson, who took it home to London, England.