Sacred Time ~ by Ursula Hegi, 2003, fiction (New York)
"That winter of 1953, stenciled glass-wax decorations appeared on nearly every window in the Bronx, and Uncle Malcolm was sent to jail for stealing stamps and office equipment from his last new job."
Not terribly exciting. I considered adding the first line of the other half of Book One, but it was less appealing. Book One has two parts, Anthony (above) and Leonora in the 1950s; Book Two has Floria and Belinda in the 1970s; Book Three has Floria and Anthony in the 2000s.
Summary: "This is the story of a troubled Italian-American family living in the Bronx. Anthony Amedeo is a lonely 7-year-old boy who must share a bedroom with his twin cousins Belinda and Bianca, after their father goes to jail for theft. One night in 1953, Anthony commits an unthinkable act that will haunt him and his family for 50 years, over the course of three generations."
The summary makes it sound more interesting, so I started reading this novel last night. I'll let you know what I think about it.
If you want to play along, this meme is hosted by Katy at
A Few More Pages. Share the first sentence or two of the book you are reading. (Sometimes it takes several sentences to get the full thought.) Then, share your impressions of that beginning. Click
this link to see what others say about the books they are reading this week.
If you want to play along, this meme is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages. Share the first sentence or two of the book you are reading. (Sometimes it takes several sentences to get the full thought.) Then, share your impressions of that beginning. Click this link to see what others say about the books they are reading this week.
That's odd; I love that beginning. Takes all kinds, right? I like that it sets a scene - I love the visual of the stenciled glass-wax decorations. And we learn something about Uncle Malcolm, too, in the reference to his "last new job." Will be interesting to see if it improves for you. That first line did well by me.
ReplyDeleteI loved Ursula Hegi's Down by the River (is that the right title?) that took place in WWII so I have high hopes for you regarding this book. Can't wait to hear what you think of it
ReplyDeleteI have had books on my TBR by Ursula Hegi forever... Still have never read her...
ReplyDeleteHelen, you are thinking of Stones from the River (1994). I've also read The Vision of Emma Blau, the 2000 novel about some of the same characters. I really enjoyed Salt Dancers (1995), about a girl dancing with her feet on her father's shoes. And now I've completed Sacred Time since starting it last night. I also have Hegi's Hotel of the Saints: Stories (2001) on my shelf. Hegi is a very good writer.
ReplyDeleteJulia, I knew I'd like the book (see the list above of Hegi's books I've already read), but the beginning wasn't the most exciting I've ever seen. It kept my attention last night and as soon as I got up this morning, so you could say I read it straight through. I rated it 8 of 10, a very good book.
Kailana, as you can see, I really like this writer. Pick one and give it a try. My favorite is still Stones from the River.
ReplyDeleteI actually really like that first sentence. I've never read anything by Ursula Hegi, but I have meant to. I hope the book turns out to be good!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, intriguing start, but not particularly exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for participating in Book Beginnings! :D