Four Spirits

Rating:
Summary: "Birmingham will never be the same?"
Review: Set in Birmingham, Alabama during the early 1960's FOUR SPIRITS is an engrossing novel of how the Civil Rights movement not only affected individuals residing in the city but also the city itself. Birmingham was one of the hotbeds of demonstrations, bombings, and protests during this era, and the lives of those living within the city were greatly affected. This novel focuses on individuals who are deeply affected by the events occurring around them. Written from the perspective of a variety of characters, this novel provides the reader with a multitude of glimpses of the violence embedded in their daily activities. Each character is brought to life, and the story is three-dimensional and highly textured. Embedded in the plot are notorious incidents (i.e., the death of the four young girls in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church) and grand figures (i.e., Martin Luther King, Jr.) but the novel remains authentic and real. FOUR SPIRITS is a well-written account of recent American history, and is worthy of all the praise it has received thus far. In spite of the cliché, this novel was certainly difficult to put down and I finished it in record time. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Second Novel
Review: The writing is equally beautiful to Ahab's Wife, but the story seems to be begging for a plot triangle. It's hard to understand why Naslund would have let this be published in such raw form. Characters make brief appearances and then disappear for pages. Chapters read almost like separate vingettes. Makes me wonder if publishers were pushing Naslud to meet a printing date: It is so peculiarly inferior to her other story, and odd when, clearly, her writing standards are so very, very high.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Second Novel
Review: The writing is equally beautiful to Ahab's Wife, but the story seems to be begging for a plot triangle. It's hard to understand why Naslund would have let this be published in such raw form. Characters make brief appearances and then disappear for pages. Chapters read almost like separate vingettes. Makes me wonder if publishers were pushing Naslud to meet a printing date: It is so peculiarly inferior to her other story, and odd when, clearly, her writing standards are so very, very high.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome! Thought proking and entertaining.
Review: This was an outstanding novel! Unfortunately, it is an accurate representation of the civil rights in Birmingham at that time. Birmingham had a dismal record of police brutality and indifference, far worse than most the south. Ms. Naslund does a fine job of balancing the story of a tragic time without the simplicity of finger pointing. I know other southerners who rejected this book as more violent that the times truly were. None of them were from Birmingham in the 60's.