The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards
2 of 5 stars
Many of the stories in this collection are fantastic. Kim Edwards is definitely a very talented writer. My favorite story was "Thirst" about a woman of the sea (a mermaid, I hope)? I enjoyed her other work The Memory Keeper's Daughter very much.
But I finished this collection feeling...attacked. She is obviously very disillusioned with religion, particularly Christianity, and she used this collection of stories to vent her hatred. As a Christian, I know that the path of Christianity is far from perfect and has hurt many people over the years, as has every other religion. Jesus was perfect and we that follow Him definitely are not; but this was just a beat down for no apparent reason. When I started reading this book I felt that I had a kindred spirit because we have similar writing styles, but now I just feel alienated.
There is a difference between challenging people to think about things and just insulting them. She did the latter. I usually deal with people's criticism of Christianity in writing pretty well, but there was no criticism or correction. She used irrational "Christian" characters, with whom no Christian would identify to justify her agenda. She may think of Christianity as a religion she wants no part in, but she just spread a lot of hate, something she claims to stand against. She has freedom of speech and I respect that, but I won't be reading any of her future writing. She lost me as a formerly devoted reader.
Showing posts with label Kim Edwards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kim Edwards. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Book Review: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is one of the most extraordinary works of fiction I have read in a long time. This book is a beautiful exploration of depression, sadness, hiding, and decisions through a heartrending tale. This story had a special place in my heart because my husband's uncle had Down Syndrome and they were given a similar prognosis when he was born. He unfortunately did have a heart condition, so he died just before I met my husband, but the love that the entire family had for him is the glue that bonds them together. The struggles that his family endured to give Johnny opportunities were very similar to those of Caroline in the story. This is a real story, even if it is fiction.
The voice and language of this book is phenomenal. This book is the epitome of enjoyable descriptive writing. The fluidity of this book entices you to continue reading. Each person in the book makes questionable and often obviously wrong decisions, and she uses the freedom of this story line to explore the effects of those decisions on the family unit and all the characters, individually. It is a story of secrets and how damaging they can be for a family, especially secrets of this magnitude. I would describe Kim Edwards as one of the best authors of our time. I can't wait to read her other book and anything she will publish in the future.
If you have a heart for people with special needs, you should read this book. If you don't, you should read this book and let your heart grow inside of you. This book would be great for book clubs or people dealing with depression. I don't want to ruin this book at all so I will leave my review brief. It is great. Everyone should read it. This is worth your time.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is one of the most extraordinary works of fiction I have read in a long time. This book is a beautiful exploration of depression, sadness, hiding, and decisions through a heartrending tale. This story had a special place in my heart because my husband's uncle had Down Syndrome and they were given a similar prognosis when he was born. He unfortunately did have a heart condition, so he died just before I met my husband, but the love that the entire family had for him is the glue that bonds them together. The struggles that his family endured to give Johnny opportunities were very similar to those of Caroline in the story. This is a real story, even if it is fiction.
The voice and language of this book is phenomenal. This book is the epitome of enjoyable descriptive writing. The fluidity of this book entices you to continue reading. Each person in the book makes questionable and often obviously wrong decisions, and she uses the freedom of this story line to explore the effects of those decisions on the family unit and all the characters, individually. It is a story of secrets and how damaging they can be for a family, especially secrets of this magnitude. I would describe Kim Edwards as one of the best authors of our time. I can't wait to read her other book and anything she will publish in the future.
If you have a heart for people with special needs, you should read this book. If you don't, you should read this book and let your heart grow inside of you. This book would be great for book clubs or people dealing with depression. I don't want to ruin this book at all so I will leave my review brief. It is great. Everyone should read it. This is worth your time.
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