Burning Marguerite

Rating:
Summary: I adored this!
Review: Already a master of the short story, Elizabeth Inness-Brown now proves herself to be an exceptional novelist as well. BURNING MARGUERITE is one of those rare books that lives beyond its pages.

The novel begins simply: James finds his elderly "guardian" Marguerite dead in the morning snow. What follows, however, is anything but simple: we learn of the complex relationship between James Jack and his Tante Marguerite, of Marguerite's unconventional and tragic past, of what the future might hold for James. Every detail is related with vibrancy and relevance so the reader is constantly engaged in this touching novel of love and death. The world created here is as full and as real as one can find in 250 pages.

Inness-Brown has an astounding talent for narrative and language. She has a deceptively direct style; the words are ordinary but the images and emotions they convey are extraordinary. Her characters are so expertly drawn that they have a depth and humanity that few novelists achieve, let alone in their debuts.

I highly recommend this book. Although readers of literary fiction will be naturally drawn to this novel, readers of more commercial works should also find much to delight them. This accessible tale has a universality that should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Rating:
Summary: BORING! 50 pages was all I could stand.
Review: Sorry, folks, I guess I'm just a weirdo. I simply don't have the patience for authors who feel compelled to describe, in minute detail, every snowflake on every leaf of every branch of every tree... or every spoonful of sugar that a character puts into every cup of coffee. How about a little PLOT, Ms. Inness-Brown??? I forced myself to read 50 pages of this, because it was recommended highly by a dear friend, but decided life is just too short to keep on slogging, when there are so many other things to read.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Burning, Brilliant
Review: This well-crafted story is the best book I've read so far this year. I savored each chapter-stretching out its 234 lyrical pages over many days. It cannot be called a "fast read." A gifted writer, Elizabeth Inness-Brown fills her paragraphs with stunning and flavorful detail as she tells the story of Marguerite, "Tante," and her adopted son, James Jack and their life on a remote, frozen island. It is both heartbreaking and liberating, and I highly recommend this book.

From the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing