Rating: 
Summary: GREAT WRITING FROM MANY ANGLES, ON MANY LEVELS...
Review: This novel is a pretty amazing creation - Elizabeth Graver has created a story and characters here that are at once compelling and, although set firmly in the mid-19th century, have a lot of valuable insight for us in the present. I picked up this book after being impressed by her newer novel, THE HONEY THIEF - and I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more than that wonderful novel.The central character here, the narrator, Aimée Slater, is, I think, the key to the book's depth. Born in the first half of the 19th century, she is both a product of and a reaction to the age. Her parents are good, if simple people - she and her family live on a farm in New Hampshire. She has siblings - the closest to her in age being her sister Harriet and her brother Jeremiah. All of the other children seem not merely to accept, but to seek the niches awaiting them in society and family - Aimée is headstrong and independent, always questioning the 'why' of things. This trait exasperates her parents - and sets the course for her life at an early age. Straining to break the stifling bonds of her household - but still holding a deep love for her parents in her heart - Aimée embarks from the rural area where her family lives to Lowell, Massachusetts, to work in one of the textile factories that have sprung up there. She does this against the wishes of her parents - especially her mother - but they give in to her when they realize that their hope of convincing her to do otherwise is nil. In the city, she encounters a world she has never seen before - and at fifteen years old, she is scarcely emotionally equipped to cope with it, despite what she may think. Like many other young girls away from home for the first time, in a time when sexuality and eroticism were repressed to the point of complete non-discussion, she is left by her first love affair pregnant and alone. Her mother makes no secret about being completely shamed by Aimée's situation - but at the same time, she finds a wealthy family who agrees to adopt the babies when they are born, who will support Aimée monetarily during her pregnancy. After the birth of her twins, even though she has agreed to the adoption, she is devastated by their departure - it is a sadness that, along with other events she has experienced, that will color her life. One of the most moving passages in the novel, for me, was the depiction of an incident of a suppressed memory from Aimée's childhood being triggered by a scent. When she was a girl, one Christmas, her father produced a piece of chocolate candy - a rarity - without telling her that she was meant to share it with her sister. So taken was she by the taste and scent of the treat that she popped it whole into her mouth. Her father reacted angrily - another rarity - and forced her to spit out the candy, slapping her and calling her 'a selfish girl'. Unused to such treatment from him, the young girl was traumatized by this - only as an adult, when offered a piece of chocolate, did the scent cause this memory to resurface. Another incident that casts a lasting shadow over her life - and that of her brother Jeremiah - is an instance of brother-sister 'touching' that occurred in the upper loft of the barn. As depicted in the story, I believe that it was more a result of a combination of natural curiosity, combined with the emotional repression and ignorance of the times, incestuous perhaps in one sense, but not an out-and-out case of abuse. I say this because it didn't involve any sort of attempt by either participant to exert control over the other - both children were left very uncomfortable by it, and it never happened again. Nonetheless, it changed their relationship forever, and it created a darkness that hovered over Aimée long past her childhood. The sense of reality with which the author illuminates both of these incidents is incredible, and done with great insight and sensitivity. Any time events such as this are depicted in literature - or in film or on stage - in a sensitive and intelligent manner is an important step forward in society's understanding of them, and as such is extremely valuable. The progress of Aimée's life - her emotional healing and growth - is told beautifully and realistically, without dripping sentimentality. She manages not only to heal her own emotional wounds, but also to reach out and touch the lives of those around her as well - and that touch is a blessing, coming from such a source. The story is a moving and compelling one - and it is one from which the reader can come away feeling his/her knowledge augmented in relation to this process. It is different, of course, for everyone who passes through it - but this story, of one woman's determination, pain, healing and courage, is an inspiring one, as well as being an 'old fashioned' good read. I came away from this book uplifted and moved, and very impressed with Ms. Graver's writing abilities. Her sensitivity to her characters, combined with her apparent exhaustive research into the era, make this quite an accomplishment.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable, somewhat contrived.
Review: Unfortunately, not recommended. Occasional wonderfully descriptive writing is marred by a contrived and predictable plot, bringing down the quality of the book as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: A book of page turning poetry, I couldn't put it downT
Review: Unravelling is a masterful novel where Graver effortlessly combines gorgeous language with riveting plot. I was mesmerized the whole way through; you will be too. A must read!
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