The Mermaid Chair
by Sue Monk Kidd | Literature & Fiction | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 0755330943 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 0755330943 Global Overview for this book
2 journalers for this copy...
"Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid Chair is the soulful tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desires take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother, Nelle. Like Kidd's stunning debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, her highly anticipated follow up evokes the same magical sense of whimsy and poignancy.
While Kidd places an obvious importance on the role of mysticism and legend in this tale, including the mysterious mermaid's chair at the center of the island's history, the relationships between characters is what gives this novel its true weight. Once she returns to her childhood home, Jessie is forced to confront not only her relationship with her estranged mother, but her other emotional ties as well. After decades of marriage to Hugh, her practical yet conventional husband, Jessie starts to question whether she is craving an independence she never had the chance to experience. After she meets Brother Thomas, a handsome monk who has yet to take his final vows, Jessie is forced to decide whether passion can coexist with comfort, or if the two are mutually exclusive. As her soul begins to reawaken, Jessie must also confront the circumstances of her father's death, a tragedy that continues to haunt Jessie and Nelle over thirty years later.
By boldly tackling such major themes as love, betrayal, grief, and forgiveness, The Mermaid Chair forces readers to question whether moral issues can always be interpreted in black or white. It is this ability to so gracefully present multiple sides of a story that reinforces Kidd's reputation as a well-respected modern literary voice." (amazon)
ETA: Had three copies of this book, registered two and kept one... finally got around to read it, but I gave up soon... not my kind of book... too much religion, faith, guilt, midlife-crisis.
While Kidd places an obvious importance on the role of mysticism and legend in this tale, including the mysterious mermaid's chair at the center of the island's history, the relationships between characters is what gives this novel its true weight. Once she returns to her childhood home, Jessie is forced to confront not only her relationship with her estranged mother, but her other emotional ties as well. After decades of marriage to Hugh, her practical yet conventional husband, Jessie starts to question whether she is craving an independence she never had the chance to experience. After she meets Brother Thomas, a handsome monk who has yet to take his final vows, Jessie is forced to decide whether passion can coexist with comfort, or if the two are mutually exclusive. As her soul begins to reawaken, Jessie must also confront the circumstances of her father's death, a tragedy that continues to haunt Jessie and Nelle over thirty years later.
By boldly tackling such major themes as love, betrayal, grief, and forgiveness, The Mermaid Chair forces readers to question whether moral issues can always be interpreted in black or white. It is this ability to so gracefully present multiple sides of a story that reinforces Kidd's reputation as a well-respected modern literary voice." (amazon)
ETA: Had three copies of this book, registered two and kept one... finally got around to read it, but I gave up soon... not my kind of book... too much religion, faith, guilt, midlife-crisis.
Journal Entry 2 by 
ApoloniaX
at Summer Gift, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, July 4, 2009
ApoloniaX at Summer Gift, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, July 4, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (7/4/2009 UTC) at Summer Gift, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES: A book to shorten somebody's wishlist!!!
Enjoy!
Sorry it took me so long to journal, but thank you so much for the surprises, ApoloniaX!
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, because I enjoyed Sue Monk Kid's The Secret Life of Bees, so thank you so much for fulfilling this wish from my wishlist. =)
Thank you also for the recipes, the postcard and the bookmark! I've been busy the last couple of weeks, but I hope that I'll get some time soon to try out the recipes!
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, because I enjoyed Sue Monk Kid's The Secret Life of Bees, so thank you so much for fulfilling this wish from my wishlist. =)
Thank you also for the recipes, the postcard and the bookmark! I've been busy the last couple of weeks, but I hope that I'll get some time soon to try out the recipes!
