What do readers think of Red Rover by Deirdre McNamer? Write your own review.

I've never read anything by the author before, but that is about to change! This a book about life,about brothers, about families and war, and about the changes life has in store, and the events that lead to these mysteries. The author certainly knows Montana,by the description of life in and around the state you will to. To me more than anything this is a book about the wonders of the English language. There are passages that I had to highlight so I could come back to them. Sheer pleasure of the written word! Read the book and enjoy!

After reading the summary of the book, I was very intrigued by the subject matter. However, I found many thoughts or past actions by the characters to be unanswered and was left frustrated overall. Many issues were brought up but never explained or explored. Also, each chapter jumped to different characters, places and times, so it was initially a bit difficult to keep track of the story line.

The author of Red Rover describes a minor character as having "the ability to see swiftly what a complicated situation might contain at its core. What its real nature might be." Deirdre McNamer could as well be describing her own ability to portray her characters in tight but powerful prose. Though mostly a character-driven plot, you'll come away from Red Rover with strong impressions of different places (Montana, Saipan, Argentina), different times (1927 to the present), and an appreciation for how the minor events of life expand to produce profound effects.

Red Rover doesn't grab you by the throat, it takes you slowly by the hand and leads you into a world of wonder, despair, and redemption. The story of three lives intertwining from the early 20th century to the recent past is layered in ways, that keeps you guessing up until the end. I would recommend this to all readers for its quiet elegance.

This is a very good book, full of quirky characters and descriptions that make you feel you are there. Each chapter makes you want to continue with the next one to get further information on a plotline, except the next chapter is about a different character or in a different time period. Like a jigsaw puzzle, all the pieces fit together nicely at the end.