Sweeping Up Glass
This is a powerful story of a woman caught between history and her own difficult family relationships. Olivia Harker Cross is raised on a mountain in Kentucky, an existence that challenges her resourcefulness. A bittersweet first love, coupled with the dysfunction of her mentally ill mother, her estranged daughter and the grandson she cherishes pulls her in many directions. Underlying her life are the mysterious dealings of her father and a group of local men whose racism is brought to light in a startling revelation. A meaningful and explosive story that holds the reader's interest to the last page.
Rated of 5
by Angela S. (Howell, MI)
Outstanding!
I loved this book from beginning to end. The writing is smooth, the characters gritty and real and the embedded secrets are deep. When I started this book I was hooked, but I did not expect the last 100 pages to be so full of twists and turns and so action packed! Towards the end I was reading so quickly I had to force myself to slow down and absorb it all. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story and who cheers for the underdogs.
Rated of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)
Complex characters, compelling story
This compelling book is full of complex characters whose lives all touch and dramatically change one another as the story unfolds. Although a little slow to get started, the development of the characters require this leisurely pace and add to the drama of the story. Full of interlocking themes of love for humans, animals, and the land, and hate in all its guises and complexities, it offers a very multi-faceted look at the human condition, its challenges and joys, and the ultimate battle between good and evil. While the themes aren't new, the story is compelling, surprising, and enjoyable.
Rated of 5
by Patricia S. (Yankton, SD)
Haunting and compelling
Starting literally with breaking glass, Carolyn Wall, continues the metaphor throughout her haunting and compelling novel, Sweeping up Glass. Olivia Cross is figuratively sweeping up the glass of her confusing past and struggling present as the novel builds to a shattering climax. This story of tragedies, many types of love, and final triumph is one of the best I have read in a long time. Haunted by the wolves' howl, I was sorry to see it end, and I intend to recommend it for my book club after it comes out in August.
Rated of 5
by Erica L. (Plaistow, New Hampshire)
Extraordinary Debut
Carolyn Wall does a fabulous job with her debut novel, Sweeping Up Glass. I could not put this book down and couldn't wait to get out of work to read more. The characters were so clearly described that I wish we could have learned some of their stories as well. This book could have been far longer because there are so many side stories that remain a mystery. Carolyn could write an entire new novel from Ida's prospective, there are so many questions to answer about her past. It would be a great book for book groups because there are so many different angles and points of view to discuss.
Rated of 5
by Sharon W. (Two Rivers, WI)
Sweeping Up Glass
When I first started reading the book, I wasn't sure that I would like it. After I got into it a little more, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like I was living there with them. Everyone involved had a very hard life. It almost read like a memoir instead of a novel. It was a hard book to put down, once I really got involved in it.
Rated of 5
by Ken Favell (Mukwonago, Wisconsin)
Sweeping Up Glass is a winner!
Christine Wall's Sweeping Up Glass has to be one of the finest novels that I've read this year. This is a story filled with heart, most of it generated by its wonderful narrator Olivia Harker Cross, an honest hard-working Kentuckian. Olivia's grit and determination reminded me of another Kentuckian Gertie Nevells, Harriette Arnow's main character in The Dollmaker.
From its opening pages I knew that Sweeping Up Glass was going to be a special story. The reader finds Olivia distraught at the heartless killings of wolves on her land. The carcasses are left with one ear cut off. Olivia's determination to find the guilty party amidst the continuing sacrifices she makes for her family set up what is to follow.
I think the novel's most memorable relationship is the one between Olivia and her young grandson Will'm. She's raised Will'm like a son ever since her daughter abandoned him for better things in Hollywood. Olivia's love for Will'm knows no bounds. Thanks to Olivia's vigilance we see him growing into a kind, sensitive, compassionate young man.
Sweeping Up Glass is an absorbing story of grief, hardship. love and hate with characters that ring out with the resonance of truth. I loved it! A perfect selection for reading groups.
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Its board approved the...
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of 5
by Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
