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| Plot Summary of These Granite Islands |
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"
Little, Brown; Jan 2001, 24.95, 310 pp.
ISBN: 0316815837
Not quite a century old, Isobel Howard lies dying in a hospital room. Unable to mentally remain or perhaps refusing to stay in the present, Isobel reflects back to the pivotal point in her life, the summer of '36. She relates the drama of that year to her only surviving son who patiently awaits his mother's death.
That summer in Cypress, Minnesota, with her two sons away with their father on his island folly, Isobel and her daughter meets Chicago heiress Cathryn Malley. Cathryn's husband is also away on engineering business. On the bright side, Cathryn provides meaning and identity to Isobel's life beyond that of mother and wife by introducing her to the fine arts. On the other hand, Cathryn begins an affair with Jack Reese in which Isobel plays a reluctant, guilt-ridden middleman. Isobel hides what she knows from Cathryn's spouse who suspects his wife is cheating. Then one day, the lovers vanish as Jack's cabin burns to the ground haunting Isobel till her dying day.
THE GRANITE ISLANDS is a fabulous romantic relationship drama that seems like a well-written throw back to a time when romanticism meant something different. The story line starts a bit choppy, but once the flashbacks to 1936 get into gear, the plot is smooth sailing and worth the time. Fans of powerful emotional women's mainstream fiction with a historical bent will fully enjoy a strong character-based romantic tale that will make debut author Sarah Stonich a household name rather quickly.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of These Granite Islands |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- playing footsy while inconveniently married
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Woman's story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- long lived adults
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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