READ THIS: ROOM by Emma Donoghue
In all of our book reviews, we'd say this is one of the most original books we've ever encountered. Sometimes we find a great story, but it is not written well. Other times we find a mediocre story written at a high level. Here, we found one sad story written at a level of authenticity that is unsurpassed in emotion, conviction and description. Peachy usually likes happier books than this, but one of our distinguished panelists recommended this, and we think you will be enraptured.
Our panelist says:
The buzz about Emma Donoghue's Room is everywhere. As a mother of two, I had purposely avoided Room's display table at the local bookstore. Any heart-breaking tale, involving children, makes me seethe, and I still have not been able to read an article or watch an interview about Jaycee Dugard.
So, when this book arrived, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for a gut-wrenching experience. I was wrong. Room, while highly emotional and tough to swallow, is also a glorious victory chant, detailing and celebrating the powerful force of nature that is a mother's love.
Narrated by five-year-old Jack, Room is set in a tiny square cell which is Jack's entire world. Held captive for the past seven years by her abductor, "Old Nick," Jack's mother transforms this small room into a magical world for Jack, raising him with an incredible amount genuine love and attention and protecting him from a terrible truth...the world is larger than this room. From creating a toy snake out of left-over egg shells to holding daily makeshift PE classes to keep them both fit, Jack's mother does everything she can to rear a strong and healthy little boy. The depth of love between these two is fierce and palpable, making their ultimate plan of escape, while quite harrowing, utterly believable.
An emotionally tough read, Room is well-worth the investment. It will take your heart but will return it to you in the end, softer, stronger, and forever changed.
***
ROOM, by Emma Donoghue (Little, Brown and Company; September 13, 2010), is a riveting story narrated in the wondrous voice of a five-year-old boy named Jack. Donoghue, a critically acclaimed novelist (Slammerkin; Life Mask), delivers one of her most powerful works to date in a story about love, parenthood, and the meaning of freedom.
To Jack, Room is his entire world. It’s where he was born, where he plays with his makeshift toys, and where he stands under the skylight playing the screaming game with Ma. At night, Ma puts Jack safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it’s the prison where she’s been held captive for seven years, ever since she was kidnapped at age nineteen while walking across her student campus. Through determination and ingenuity and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a “normal” life for Jack. He does his daily chores, has his bath time, and plays games. He’s witty, clever, and has a keen sense of humor. He loves to read books with Ma, watch Dora the Explorer on TV, and ask questions. But as Jack’s curiosity builds, so does Ma’s desperation— and she knows Room cannot contain either much longer.
Sold in over twenty countries, long-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize, and already a bestseller in the UK, ROOM is capturing the attention of readers worldwide. A page-turner in every sense of the word, ROOM is an unforgettable story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances. Even more so, it is an affecting story about a mother and child and, together, their power to create a world for themselves beyond any four walls. Sure to be one of the most buzzed-about novels this fall, ROOM is indeed that story that will stay with you, days later.
ROOM, by Emma Donoghue
Little, Brown and Company
September 13, 2010 |$24.99| 304 pages| 978-0-316-09833-5
