Bloodroot
by Amy Greene
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Book Reviews of Bloodroot
Book Review: Southern Joy, Sorrow and Magic
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Having grown up in the rural South and in a family where the old wives tales and magic remedies were not only believed but revered, I always gravitate to stories like Bloodroot. A bit nostalgic I guess. Sometimes the language and stories don't feel authentic. But reading Bloodroot is like sitting down to supper with my grannies, aunts and uncles and hearing all the old stories again. The language is spot on. The story is so true to things that have actually occurred in my family's history or someone they've known well that it was hard to read at times. I will agree with some other reviewers that it starts out a bit slow but the pace picks up pretty quickly about 1/4 of the way into the book. It is heart wrenching in so many ways. One other reviewer said it had every bad thing from every country song included in the plot. Well, where do you think those country songs came from to begin with? People like the characters in Bloodroot either wrote or inspired many of those songs.
I think Amy Greene has a written a winner with Bloodroot. If you've enjoyed books like Between, Georgia, Bee Season, or Velva Jean Learns to Drive, I think you'll agree with me.
Book Review: Engrossing Plot
Summary: 5 Stars
In her debut novel set in East Tennessee Greene tells the story of an isolated mountain family who through many generations have gifts of healing, seeing into people's hearts, soothing animals. At the center of the story is Myra, her grandmother and Myra's boy and girl twins. After Myra's grandfather dies she and her grandmother live on their mountain through their own wits and hard work and help from a few neighbors.
Then Myra falls almost fatally in love with Johnny and he with her but their love is like something from a Greek tragedy. You just know it's not going to turn out well though Myra's survival streak re-emerges when she realizes she's pregnant. She screws up enough courage to get away from her physically and mentally abusive husband and slink back home to Grandma. Time plays an odd role in this book. It's hard to keep track of what century you're in because the events and living conditions don't jibe with modern existence. There isn't any central heating, phones and TV's are rare.
Central plot elements are isolation, the dark and light sides of loving, blood ties, and tradition. What happens feels pre-ordained. The beauty and wildness of mountain living are reflected in the engrossing plot, in fact the plot and it's pace are the best part of `Bloodroot'.
Book Review: Mountain Magic Realism
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
An enchanting yet dark tale, Amy Greene's "Bloodroot" endeavors to tell the story of one family line across multiple generations struggling through abject poverty, familial / spousal abuse, magical incantations, and a host of other Southern Gothic conceits.
From a storytelling perspective, Greene's prose is spare throughout the book and even haunting in places, perfectly evoking the Tennessee Smoky Mountain setting while fleshing out the characters backstories through differing points of view. The narrative jumps across generations while not employing a standard time frame thru-line. To be frank, at times I felt as if I was watching an episode of "Lost" as the author flips ahead and back throughout the characters lives which I felt was a somewhat cheap storytelling device taking into account the relatively simple tale being told here.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to lovers of dreamy fiction who enjoy reading stories that speak to lost loves, family dysfunction, and crazy mountain witch madness.
Book Review: Fall under the spell of Myra Odom
Summary: 5 Stars
This unique story centers on Myra Odom, from the perspectives of those around her in all stages of her life. After the death of parents who hadn't intended to have her in the first place, Myra goes to live with her grandmother up on Bloodroot, a wild piece of nature where she runs free in the woods with two neighborhood boys. Later she gets married, and becomes pregnant after her marriage begins to sour. Her children will grow up primarily in foster care, trying desperately to escape the slightly mad taint that haunts their family. Throughout, a family history is pieced together, and certain events begin to make more sense. It is not until the end that we see things through the eyes of Myra herself, and finally begin to understand some of her motivations and secret dreams.
//Bloodroot// is a fantastic piece of fiction. Every character is believable, and the descriptions of Bloodroot Mountain are so beautifully wild as to almost make one homesick. The story is intriguing, full of longing and loathing, patience and fervency, love accepted and unrequited. Amy Greene has offered an amazing debut novel, a darkly whimsical tale that whispers of reality.
Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Book Review: Wonderful story...
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This book is a rare combination of beauty and brutality. The beauty is in the writing. So much of BLOODROOT is wonderful description. The mountains in particular are so amazingly defined I felt I had lived there all my life. The brutality is in the hardships each character endures, and yet still they find a way to carry on. Some of the story is difficult to read and yet, I couldn't bring myself to put the book down. I found the book that gripping.
Then there are the characters. Each one was real to me. I really felt like I knew these people. My favorite character was Granny. She is someone I'll remember for a long time.
There is a lot of darkness and sadness in the story, but I didn't find is "sad." While it's not a light-hearted story by any means, Author Amy Greene has been able to create a moving, at times even uplifting story. I was strangely satisfied at the end. One of the best books I've read in a long time.