The waiting is over. I finally finished #4 for 2007. I expected to have more books read by now, but life and work and stuff have slowed me down considerably. I'll find something at school next week that I can read quickly for #5. I'm anxious for more dialog about the books I'm reading.
For this one, I'm glad I read it. Portrait in Sepia is one of those books I'm glad I finshed. Granted, the motivation came from TLA since they chose it as the "One Conference, One Book" selelction. I probably wouldn't have heard about it if it hadn't been chosen by TLA. Nevertheless, I'm really glad I read it. This book is rich in imagery and emotion. The story of Aurora de Valle's life is told from before her conception (beginning in 1862) through her mother's tragic death at her birth to her marriage into a "good" family in Chile and the love that she finally found around the turn of the century. The story is told amid the backdrop of the political turmoil of both San Francisco's Chinatown and of the civil war in Chile in the late 1800's. It's a portrait of characters - Aurora's grandparents (both maternal and paternal), her legal father and her biological father, her husband's family, and her extended families. It's more than historical fiction; it's literature that is set in a historical context. I won't soon forget these characters.
I'm anxious for TLA and the opportunity to meet the author and discuss the book with her and other librarians in the state who have read it. If any of you are reading this blog, let me know what you thought about it. See you in San Antonio next month!!
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Denise,
I enjoyed the last One Book, One Conference selection: "The Time-Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, so I was anxious to find out what the new title was going to be. When "Portrait in Sepia" was announced, I went straight to the public library to check out a copy. It was so huge, I knew I would never have time to read it page-by-page (this is my busiest time of year), but then I saw where they had an audiobook version also available. I figured with my 15-minute commute each morning and afternoon, it wouldn't take too long to finish if I listened to it in my truck. I was a bit hesitant to get it at first, because it looked like such a "woman's" book. Not the chick-lit kind, but the feminist empowerment manifesto type. However, I had read lots of great reviews for Isabelle Allende's work and thought I'd give her a try. To paraphrase the saying, I shouldn't have judged a book by its cover. I soon found myself caught up in the strange family life of Paulina, Aurora and the others. I guess the one thing I got from the story is that dysfunctional families are nothing new. They have been around since Adam & Eve, and whether you let circumstances bring you down or lift you above the problems is up to you. The main characters may be strong women forced by society to keep to their place, but the theme of overcoming life's obstacles is a universal one. Now, that being said, I don't know if I will attend the "reading group" session for it at TLA if they have one. I was the ONLY male in attendance at the last one, and I felt completely out of place. I am anxious to hear what Ms. Allende has to say, though, and I look forward to her presentation.
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