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LJ Reviews 2014 October #2
In this latest work from Chute (The Beans of Egypt, Maine), newspaper reporter Ivy Morelli investigates the Home Place Settlement in Maine, a collective that exists outside the social and economic norms of modern America under the charismatic but troubled leadership of Gordon St. Onge. What Ivy finds is more nuanced and complex than the tempting soundbites of "cult" or "militia"; despite some unsavory aspects of Settlement life, it's hard to argue that St. Onge and his followers don't have a point about the destructive nature of much of the media and the detrimental effects on ordinary citizens of corporate and political corruption. Unfortunately, the sympathetic story Ivy relates is the first in a chain of events that threatens to break down the settlement way of life. This big, sprawling, messy, tour de force employs multiple narrators (including space aliens) and metafictional techniques. Though she does evolve, Ivy's character is so annoying and shallow that it's something of a relief when she takes a backseat in the last half of the novel and other characters emerge. VERDICT At turns funny, moving, and disturbing, this book will challenge readers to check their assumptions about how people choose to live in today's society.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis
It's the summer of 1999 at the school on Heart's Content Road, and there are rumors of rampant violence, weapons hoarding, and child abuse. It's the perfect story for budding journalist Ivy Morelli. Her plan is to meet Gordon St. Onge, the mysterious leader of the school, who is also known as "the prophet." Once Ivy immerses herself in the story, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Gordon, who is also a magnet for Brianna, a young and gifted girl. As both women settle into communal life, the publication of Ivy's article sends shock waves throughout the settlement and into the community at large. Chute returns once again to her beloved school in this second in a projected series of five novels. As in The School on Heart's Content Road (2008), the story is told from multiple points of view. Although lengthy, Chute's latest is a complex, multilayered story worth digging into, which explores, among other things, poverty, democracy in America, and the role of community in helping those living on the fringe of society take even the tiniest steps forward. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
It's the summer of 1999 at the school on Heart's Content Road, and there are rumors of rampant violence, weapons hoarding, and child abuse. It's the perfect story for budding journalist Ivy Morelli. Her plan is to meet Gordon St. Onge, the mysterious leader of the school, who is also known as "the prophet." Once Ivy immerses herself in the story, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Gordon, who is also a magnet for Brianna, a young and gifted girl. As both women settle into communal life, the publication of Ivy's article sends shock waves throughout the settlement and into the community at large. Chute returns once again to her beloved school in this second in a projected series of five novels. As in The School on Heart's Content Road (2008), the story is told from multiple points of view. Although lengthy, Chute's latest is a complex, multilayered story worth digging into, which explores, among other things, poverty, democracy in America, and the role of community in helping those living on the fringe of society take even the tiniest steps forward. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
In this latest work from Chute (The Beans of Egypt, Maine), newspaper reporter Ivy Morelli investigates the Home Place Settlement in Maine, a collective that exists outside the social and economic norms of modern America under the charismatic but troubled leadership of Gordon St. Onge. What Ivy finds is more nuanced and complex than the tempting soundbites of "cult" or "militia"; despite some unsavory aspects of Settlement life, it's hard to argue that St. Onge and his followers don't have a point about the destructive nature of much of the media and the detrimental effects on ordinary citizens of corporate and political corruption. Unfortunately, the sympathetic story Ivy relates is the first in a chain of events that threatens to break down the settlement way of life. This big, sprawling, messy, tour de force employs multiple narrators (including space aliens) and metafictional techniques. Though she does evolve, Ivy's character is so annoying and shallow that it's something of a relief when she takes a backseat in the last half of the novel and other characters emerge. VERDICT At turns funny, moving, and disturbing, this book will challenge readers to check their assumptions about how people choose to live in today's society.รข€"Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis
[Page 78]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals
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