Loretta (LaCygne) reviewed on 1/2/2010 + 14 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

A common complaint for this book seems to be that not much happens in it. And, while to a certain extent this is true--this certainly isn't an edge of your seat thriller--it is also true that this is a tale in which everything happens.

What you'll find in the pages of this book is the tale of one little girl turning into a woman, and one small, mystical town turning into a city.

This is the story of Francie Nolan, and of her extended family, as they live in poverty at the beginning of the 20th century in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It is both a character study and a study of a Brooklyn that no longer exists. It is a story of life--children are born, people die, marriages begin and end. Thrillingly good things happen, and horrifyingly bad things happen. And through it all, the author's voice is filled with humor and awe at the beauty the world holds.

So yes, "not much happens," but I found the tale gripping and had a lot of difficulty putting it down. I made it through the near-500 pages in about 6 days. I highly recommend.

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