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Ghost Country
Ghost Country
Author: Sara Paretsky
They came from different worlds and met in a time of crisis for each of them: Luisa, a former diva brought low by alcohol and delusion, Mara, a furious nineteen-year-old searching for her mother and her truths. Madeleine, a homeless woman who sees the blood of the Virgin Mary seeping through concrete under a luxury Chicago hotel. Hector, an idea...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780385333368
ISBN-10: 0385333366
Publication Date: 5/11/1999
Pages: 400
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 19

3.3 stars, based on 19 ratings
Publisher: Delta Book
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Ghost Country on + 58 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
An unusual and moving story. Mara is searching for love and acceptance that she can't find at home so she turns to the street. This book gives a different perspective of the homeless and shows us that each person has their own story. A really good and different read, especially if you're tired of the same old stories.
drgldy76 avatar reviewed Ghost Country on + 125 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was something totally different from V.I. Warshawski, but it was still a good story. About three women who ultimate see they need a major change-up. There also seems to be otherworldly event taking place as well.
pbbook13 avatar reviewed Ghost Country on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Well written. Interesing story.
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reviewed Ghost Country on + 44 more book reviews
I'm a fan of the V.I. Warshawsky detective novels, and looked forward to this book as it has received some very good reviews. I was a bit disappointed. Too much going on: Sort of quasi religious mysteriosity in one silent and possibly psychotic character who was otherwise not really fleshed out, who was able to in essence raise another one from the dead, seemingly, and change the lives of others simply by touching them, etc. Another character sees the Virgin Mary (also mixed up with the silent charater) in a crack in a building exuding rusty water....and an uncaring grandfather who has somehow alienated all the women in his life except for a strange housekeeper. All in all I found this book distasteful and sophomoric.
jamiG avatar reviewed Ghost Country on + 37 more book reviews
Interesting book which is very different from previous works I've read from Sara Paretsky. Nothing like the VI Warshawski novels. While still based in Chicago, this story tells of a family's struggle with teenage angst and identity issues that come with the transition to adulthood. Intermingled are the father's own identity struggles. With twists and turns, you follow the journey of these women's path to enlightenment.
reviewed Ghost Country on + 2 more book reviews
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I started it, only knowing that it wasn't a V.I. story. I was doubtful at first but as I read on I became more and more enchanted. It is not a plumbing of the psychological depths of various realistic characters, but clearly it was not meant to be. Instead it is a kind of morality play for our time, done so skillfully that the story grips the reader and won't let go. Some of the characters are almost caricatures, rather like people in a very old allegory, and the story itself is full of wonderful allusions and layers of meaning--for example, the doctor's name, and that of the catalyst character, Starr. In the end I went away feeling very satisfied and somehow like I had added another layer to my own character. It's like reading a combination of the ancient "Descent of Inanna" and a modern thriller.

This is a very well-written urban fantasy. (It's not remotely horror, by the way).

It's not a mystery. It's about a Goddess returning into urban American life, and the chaos that ensues.

As a reader familiar with Paretsky, I found this story original, well-written, well-characterized and engaging. It draws the reader in and offers both intellectual and emotional interest.

Paretsky fans who are able to step beyond the familiar mystery milieu, and who aren't afraid of a little sensuality, have a treat to read here--and I don't hesitate to recommend the book to anyone!


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