Life in a Box (Book) - 8/27/2018 8:52:06 AM
Admittedly, I had a hard time finding interest to continue reading after several pages, but I was determined to finish this book; and am I glad I read to the last word. Because there are several stories happening at once, readers are required to put their thinking caps on.
Eventually I realized the writing is superb and the author's love of the characters shines through. This incredible book has many stories intertwined to make the whole remarkable read.
If a person has read the back cover, you know you are reading a mystery but the writing lends more toward a memoir or biography. Some of the characters you fall in love with while others you love to hate.
The twists and turns of this story grasp the reader's attention and expectation for the mystery to be revealed, which it is in a masterful way. With the revealing of a decades old secret being the focal point of this publication with several subtexts makes for a ride well worth the time.
The storytelling is of a caliber I have not encountered often and hope to see more publications by this author in the future. A reader comes away knowing the author has painstakingly compiled this publication with a vision of confounding the reader at every turn.
A publication worthy of accolades.
Life in a Box (Book) - 9/24/2017 10:43:36 AM
In Life in a Box, a novel by JoDee Neathery, readers meet two families, the Smiths and the Browns. Their names might be common, but their stories are anything but. Both families gave birth to twins born on the same day. Whether by coincidence, fate or circumstances, the families became inextricably linked to each other. After a tragedy, a daughter was requested to write a novel about her family. She received a box filled with family documents and eventually a shocking secret was uncovered. Where will it lead?
This book is a literary masterpiece. There is a large group of precisely crafted and fascinating characters, some weak, some mean, some strong and some vulnerable. They are all memorable and certainly not stereotypical. The novel is infused with lush descriptions of food, place and feelings. This is an intensely vibrant and multilayered story. Slowly we are shown what a baffled daughter discovers from her research and that is the power of this beautifully written story. I was totally engrossed in this story to the very end. Life in a Box is a must read. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
