Thursday, January 22, 2009

Feather Man

Cover Image: Feather Man

I started this last night, with every intention of reading it the whole way through. I have actually been looking forward to getting to it and thought that I could skim over the sexual abuse scene. I won't. I didn't make any new year's resolutions, but I have decided that I just can't handle certain things, child sexual abuse is the biggest one for me. I just can't read about it. I think it is because I now have children and it just is wrong for me to seed fear in my life.

I will say that this book is really well written, really so well written that I so longed to just be able to skim the abuse, but I can't it is too much for me. I would love to send this book on to someone who would read and review it. As I feel that it does serve a purpose, and a good purpose. I do want a review though, so if you are going to just put this on your shelf, please don't contact me about it. I got this from LiteraryVenturesFund and really do believe in what they are doing and want to have this book reviewed somewhere.

If you are interested in my proposal, comment below and I will select one of you to send this book to. I will not do a random selection on this drawing, I will choose one of you to do it.


Edited to include some book information (thanks ramya!!)

Book Description (from Literary Ventures Fund):

Set in Brisbane, Australia, during the stultifying 1950s, and moving to the grubby London of the 1970s, Feather Man is about Sooky, who, ignored by her parents, is encouraged to make herself scarce and visit Lionel, the farmer next door—there, an incident will take place that will impact the rest of her life.

Against the backdrop of rural Australia and the London art world, McMaster meticulously paints the landscapes of Sooky's internal and external worlds through a narrator that brings to mind Scout of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Following Sooky from her neglected childhood to womanhood and her entry into the art world, the book combines comedy with emotional intensity. When Sooky's attraction to Redmond leads her to London, her past follows her into the future in a deadly confrontation.

Awards:
  • A Pick of the week at Boston.com (The Boston Globe)
  • A September Indie Next List pick from the American Booksellers Association
  • Winner, the Barbara Jefferis Literary Award
  • Winner, University of Technology, Sydney, Glenda Adams Award for New Writing
  • Short-listed for the Australian Literary Society's Gold Medal Award



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

bethany, could you please post more details about the book..at least the synopsis on the back or something. I would love to take it off your hands if i like what the book is about..

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

ramya- yes, silly me. thanks!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you weren't able to get through it. A favorite author of mine, Glen Duncan, wrote a book about child abuse and it was really tough to get through it. (The book in question is Death of An Ordinary Man)

I can't imagine how he felt researching that and getting into the minds of the parents in the story.

It sounds like a well written book and the LVF has a great, respectable mission.

Lori L said...

I really enjoy reading your blog and have given you a Lemonade Award.

Anonymous said...

The cover does not suggest what is there in the book. I know what you mean by not being able to read about child abuse.

I have read a couple of books, 'A child called it' which is about a physical abuse to a child. It was really sad and I wonder how his own mother could do it to him. Just thinking about it gives me creeps.
The second one was 'Abondoned'. I picked this up from a bookstore and it has explicit details about sexual abuse in it. Al though I had read about it before, this one really had too much detail. For the first time I really understood what it must be like.

Unknown said...

I know exactly what you mean. Ever since I became a mother I have found it very hard to read things about children suffering. Even the news makes me cry sometimes.

I don't want to read the book, for the very reasons you mention, but I hope you find a good home for it.

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

Anyone? Make sure you say that you are interested if you are :) I can't tell from most of the comments if you all are interested or are sharing about your experiences.

If any of you that have already commented are interested in reviewing it make sure you let me know. If not I will just keep waiting.

thanks soooooo much people.

Anonymous said...

I am with you on the sexual abuse thing. I couldn't read The Lovely Bones - though I've always wanted to - because of the violence...
Just one of my "things."

claire said...

I was thinking if I'll be up for this, but apparently not. I think I would feel the same as you. I hope you find a reviewer soon.. :)

Gwendolyn B. said...

Bethany: I would be willing to read and review this book. I could send the review to you to post on your blog, or post it on mine (which is under construction at the moment but I think will be launched next week). I can understand why someone would not want to read this subject matter, but I am really curious about the structure of the book. I know it has received some awards and not a little attention! There must be something there beyond the violence, and I would like to find out what it is and let you know. So, if no one who has previously commented is interested, please keep me in mind. Thanks.
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

mee said...

Since I just moved to Australia, I'd love to read and review this book. I don't think I've ever read a book with Australia backdrop. Mmh..

~mee

Anonymous said...

thanks for updating the information.. i am definitely interested..:)