Come and Go, Molly Snow: A Novel

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Summary: One of the rare stories that stays with you...
Review: Come & Go is a marvelous novel of superb writing that captures the rhythms of the music and the world in which it is played with great capability. The characters are endearing and imaginable, and despite the tragedy that stands at the center of the story, the novel never loses the beautiful tone that draws the reader into the characters' lives. While the heroine's final situation and her relationships are completely appropriate, Taylor-Hall's choice of how to arrive there may not have been so wise, as it delves completely into a magical world, leaving behind the realism that makes the rest of the novel so credible. Also, the symbolism of Ruth as the woman who journeys to the Promised Land seems somewhat unresolved. Otherwise, this novel is a wonderful work by a promising author.

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Summary: Bluegrass music and the loss of a child
Review: Come and Go, Molly Snow, by Mary Ann Taylor-Hall, is a novel about bluegrass music, the loss of a child, and the question of whether the "circle will be unbroken, by and by, [is there] a better home awaiting, in the sky, Lord, in the sky?" Carrie is a gifted bluegrass fiddler and single mother. She has everything going for her, fiddle player in an outstanding band, Hawktown Road with the handsome Cap, when she daydreams for a moment and her five-year-old daughter, Molly, rides her tricycle into traffic and is killed. As Carrie reminisces: "The woman stood at the clothesline, dreaming, as the child wheeled her trike into the street. Nothing will change that." While a sad subject, this book is far from maudlin; Taylor-Hall fills both the characters and the music they love with light and life. Much of the book is Carrie's coming to peace with herself, that bad things happen, and that her daughter's tragic death is not her fault. She also must come to grips with the question posed by the old-timey song of whether, with Molly and with her, the circle will be unbroken. Carrie is a strong and sympathetic character, and the choices and actions she takes to regain measure in her own life are truly gratifying.

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Summary: A hypnotic journey into the core of life's melodies.
Review: Mary Ann Taylor-Hall lives down the road from my aunt's farm in Kentucky. I have never met her, but I feel like I know her already. This novel, her first, is one of the best works of literature that I have ever read. Ever since I received my first copy of the book, one autographed to my grandmother, I have never let it slip out of my mind.

The reader cannot help but journey into the very core of Carrie. When she holds her fiddle, it is as if the wooden masterpiece is also extending from your hands. The drones omitted from the pages go directly to the reader's ears, never ceasing to convey the sorrow and utter hopelessness that she feels.

This book is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who has a heart beating inside of their chest. You will read it and beg for more -- at least I did.

Rating:
Summary: One of the rare stories that stays with you...
Review: My women's book group read this over year ago, this story about a woman very unlike any of us, and yet we still refer to it in many discussions. Why? Because Carrie is, after all, very much like us in her motherhood and in her loss that most of us can only talk about if we preface it with "God forbid it should happen to any of us". The absolute sincerity of both her passions and her numbness are irresistible and her ultimate incremental steps toward recovery feel like a triumph for the reader as well.

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Summary: I'm enchanted by the poetry of her words and music passion
Review: This book is so hypnotic that, for the first time in my life, I missed my subway stop on my way home while reading it!

I would love to know what part of this book is true, if any. She writes it so realistically that it reads like a heart-breaking autobiography.

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Summary: Appointment in Verona
Review: This murder mystery is all about one man who was on a cruise and this lady Mrs. Caswell (the main character) was there when he died. This leads to different parts of the world where many things have been happening, and they weren't too good. This killer is a very strange person who kills people. Why would he kill people anyway especially a strange unknown man? Mrs. Caswell is trying to put all the pieces together, you know, try to figure out who killed these people, because this man/lady has killed more than one person! Who done it? If you read this book than you might enjoy the thrilling suspicious thrill ride of horror! Maybe you will like it. So try this book!