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A Certain Slant of Light: A Novel
At the heart of Cynthia Thayer's debut novel, Strong for Potatoes, was the tender relationship between a girl and her grandfather, constantly evolving as their lives grew and changed. Now, in Thayer's second novel, she tackles another kind of relationship, one between strangers.Peter lost his wife and children in a fire years ago, yet the wounds are still as fresh as if it happened yesterday. He's turned into something of a hermit in a cabin on the coast of Maine, shearing sheep and gardening to live, an old Passamaquoddy woman his only friend. Elaine is eight months pregnant and on the run from her husband, a hard man more interested in control than love. Fear is simply a part of her life, fear for herself and her unborn child.When Elaine turns up outside Peter's cabin during one of Maine's worst winter storms in years, Peter can't turn her away into the ice. Holed up together in his one-room home, the two troubled, lonely adults clash, then slowly discover that friendship, support, and healing can come in the most unlikely places.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2000
3 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Thayer
13 books19 followersCynthia Underwood Thayer was born in New York City in 1944, raised in Nova Scotia and migrated to Maine via Massachusetts in 1976 to farm organically. For many years she was a weaver, showing her work throughout Maine and the east coast. Seventeen years ago, at the age of 50, she wrote her first short story, which was published in the Antigonish Review, and was hooked on writing.
She earned her BA in British Literature from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and went on to do her graduate work in nineteenth-century British literature.
Her first novel, Strong for Potatoes, published in 1998 by St. Martin’s Press, won the Rep’s Choice Award, was named best new fiction by Ingram Books, and was a Barnes and Noble “Discover” book.
Her second novel, A Certain Slant of Light, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2000.
She earned her BA in British Literature from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and went on to do her graduate work in nineteenth-century British literature.
Her first novel, Strong for Potatoes, published in 1998 by St. Martin’s Press, won the Rep’s Choice Award, was named best new fiction by Ingram Books, and was a Barnes and Noble “Discover” book.
Her second novel, A Certain Slant of Light, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 16, 2011
A Certain Slant of Light was a surprise to me ~ I reserved it at the library, expecting it to be A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. I never checked the author's name when reserving this book, because it never once occurred to me that two books with this title would have been published in the last decade. Joke was on me, right? ;)
Actually, wrong, because I enjoyed this A Certain Slant of Light much better than I would have thought. Once upon a time, I was a big fan of literary fiction. Lately, the action packed books I have been reading have left me with little patience for journeys of self discovery and personal growth. As soon as I began reading A Certain Slant of Light I knew it wasn't the book I thought it was, and expected to roll my eyes at the pretentiousness of it (and in some places I did), yet I was drawn in anyway, and wasn't able to put it down.
On the surface, this is the tale of Peter, a man who lost his wife and children in a house fire quite a few years ago. Since the fire, he has withdrawn from society and lives the life of a hermit in coastal Maine. Peter makes his living from the land, has limited contact with people and is for the most part self sufficient. Elaine, a pregnant woman on the run from her Jehovah Witness husband, with a past and secrets of her own, shows up at Peter’s door one morning and the two begin an unlikely partnership. Through this relationship and of course Peter’s closeness with the land, and his animals, A Certain Slant of Light explores the cycle of life, birth and death. I’m not sure if this book is for everybody, but it has always been my dream to quit my proper job and make a living very much like Peter does (except, of course for the hunting and raising animals for food. My ideal hippie, hermit farm is totally a peaceful, happy no-kill farm!) As such, I didn’t mind the long passages describing tending the garden or the goats, or any of the other mundane tasks that keep Peter busy during his days. I loved that Peter was so connected to his home, his land, and his animals.
As with all books of this sort by the time we had reached the end not too much had happened, but everyone did change a little along the way. I would have loved more; for the story to continue until a clear resolution had been reached. But then again, stories don’t always have a clear resolution, do they? This sort of book is hard for me to review. A Certain Slant of Light is so personal, and who is to say if two people will have the same experience reading it? I do recommend it for people with the patience for literary fiction, and anyone who harbors a secret desire to be a farmer.
Finally, after writing this review, I looked on GR to see what other people had said about this book. One woman remarked,
”I absolutely loved the story in this book and would honestly have given it 5 stars if it were not for the language, the crude things added in here and there with absolutely no relevance to the story, and the very crass final page of the book. WHY would anyone end a book with that last page? The ending was good, leave it.”
Huh? Yeah, there was some cursing, and I know certain people become very offended by bad language, but I was mystified by the “crass” ending??? This book was far from “crass” or “crude” and for the life of me I couldn’t think of what was so offensive about the ending. So, this isn’t a spoiler at all, but on the last page, Peter goes to bed and “…pulls the blanket over his body, he closed his eyes, imagines her lying on the sheets. His hand finds a comfortable place over his genitals.” Ah-hahaha! There is no masturbation scene; Peter just puts his hand on his junk, listens to the sounds in the cabin, the woods, his heartbeat, his breath, the end. People make me laugh =)
Actually, wrong, because I enjoyed this A Certain Slant of Light much better than I would have thought. Once upon a time, I was a big fan of literary fiction. Lately, the action packed books I have been reading have left me with little patience for journeys of self discovery and personal growth. As soon as I began reading A Certain Slant of Light I knew it wasn't the book I thought it was, and expected to roll my eyes at the pretentiousness of it (and in some places I did), yet I was drawn in anyway, and wasn't able to put it down.
On the surface, this is the tale of Peter, a man who lost his wife and children in a house fire quite a few years ago. Since the fire, he has withdrawn from society and lives the life of a hermit in coastal Maine. Peter makes his living from the land, has limited contact with people and is for the most part self sufficient. Elaine, a pregnant woman on the run from her Jehovah Witness husband, with a past and secrets of her own, shows up at Peter’s door one morning and the two begin an unlikely partnership. Through this relationship and of course Peter’s closeness with the land, and his animals, A Certain Slant of Light explores the cycle of life, birth and death. I’m not sure if this book is for everybody, but it has always been my dream to quit my proper job and make a living very much like Peter does (except, of course for the hunting and raising animals for food. My ideal hippie, hermit farm is totally a peaceful, happy no-kill farm!) As such, I didn’t mind the long passages describing tending the garden or the goats, or any of the other mundane tasks that keep Peter busy during his days. I loved that Peter was so connected to his home, his land, and his animals.
As with all books of this sort by the time we had reached the end not too much had happened, but everyone did change a little along the way. I would have loved more; for the story to continue until a clear resolution had been reached. But then again, stories don’t always have a clear resolution, do they? This sort of book is hard for me to review. A Certain Slant of Light is so personal, and who is to say if two people will have the same experience reading it? I do recommend it for people with the patience for literary fiction, and anyone who harbors a secret desire to be a farmer.
Finally, after writing this review, I looked on GR to see what other people had said about this book. One woman remarked,
”I absolutely loved the story in this book and would honestly have given it 5 stars if it were not for the language, the crude things added in here and there with absolutely no relevance to the story, and the very crass final page of the book. WHY would anyone end a book with that last page? The ending was good, leave it.”
Huh? Yeah, there was some cursing, and I know certain people become very offended by bad language, but I was mystified by the “crass” ending??? This book was far from “crass” or “crude” and for the life of me I couldn’t think of what was so offensive about the ending. So, this isn’t a spoiler at all, but on the last page, Peter goes to bed and “…pulls the blanket over his body, he closed his eyes, imagines her lying on the sheets. His hand finds a comfortable place over his genitals.” Ah-hahaha! There is no masturbation scene; Peter just puts his hand on his junk, listens to the sounds in the cabin, the woods, his heartbeat, his breath, the end. People make me laugh =)
October 1, 2011
This was a very interesting read. It is a story about a man, Peter, who lives on the northern coast of Maine. He lives alone in a small cabin. His family died in a fire. During an ice storm, a pregnant woman knocks on his door. She has a bruise on her face and she asks if she could take shelter in the cabin for a while. It turns out she is a Jehovah’s Witness. She has runaway from her husband who obviously punched her in the face. So, Peter and Elaine share this cabin for what is suppose to be just a day or two, turns out to be several months. The author has a wealth of knowledge about gardening, sheep and the bagpipes. I actually learned a few things. Slowly, page by page, we learn about Peter and Elaine and why Peter is still haunted about the death of his wife and kids. Why Elaine’s husband hit her and how her religion has played a large part in her life. I wasn’t expecting to like this book this much. I am glad I read it and would be interested in reading another one by this author.
February 26, 2008
This book was set in coastal Maine, which I know and love. I found it nearly impossible to put down and stayed up super-late reading it as a result. This book concerned a man who had lost his family in a fire and who hadn't recovered, and a pregnant woman who was a Jehovah's Witness who stumbled into his life. I found the descriptions of how their relationship developed and how we got to know them very interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but I really enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend it.
January 10, 2025
Oh man, I enjoyed this book so much. How did I never hear of it before now?
Will write more later.
Will write more later.
March 3, 2025
Beautiful descriptive writing occasionally too graphic for me (I'm not talking about the sexual scenes). A somber story of a man whose family died tragically 20 years prior and had since been living basically as a hermit. A pregnant woman seeks refuge with him during an ice storm.
Much character development and a building of community.
I sensed very early in the book that Peter was hiding something which was revealed in the closing pages.
The ending seemed bittersweet to me, when in fact, it probably was just Peter finally moving forward.
Much character development and a building of community.
I sensed very early in the book that Peter was hiding something which was revealed in the closing pages.
The ending seemed bittersweet to me, when in fact, it probably was just Peter finally moving forward.
March 15, 2017
I closed my eyes and inserted my hand into one of my many boxes of books to read and came up with this gem. It is an engrossing story about two people - a woman who wants to be rescued from her guilt and a man who doesn't want to be rescued by anybody. The title of the book describes a type of light slanting in a window at the height of winter. It was a moving and plausible story.
Peter McQueen is so traumatized by the death of his wife and two children in a house fire twenty years previously while he was away at a bagpipe competition, that he has withdrawn from life and lives as a hermit on the northern coast of Maine near Bangor. He lives in a one-room cabin with no plumbing or electricity and has become self-sufficient by raising sheep for their wool, gardening, and cutting wood. His only companions are his old dog named Dog, his horse named Alice, his goat named Ruby, and his chickens. The only friend who understands him and asks no questions is an old Passamaquoddy woman named Dora who lives nearby. His pain over the loss of his family is still so fresh and debilitating that he has a dollhouse with dolls representing his wife and children. He puts them to bed each night, moves them around during the day, and talks to them.
One day during a March ice storm, a young pregnant woman named Elaine Sinclair shows up outside his cabin. She has a huge bruise under her eye, harbors secrets, is a member of the Jehovah Witness, and loves to sing. Peter reluctantly takes her in, but is adamant she is to leave the next day. He wants nothing to interrupt his daily routine and is embarrassed by the dollhouse. He even makes up a name for his dog who he calls Dog, because he is afraid of what she might think of him. She is adamant that she is staying. One day turns into two and two turns into months. Elaine's controlling husband, Oliver, keeps showing up to demand she come home, but she keeps telling him she needs time to make some decisions and would he please return a little black diary of hers. This is crucial to her back story and the antagonism of Oliver and the elders of their church. Peter and Elaine, after their initial clash, begin to get along with each other and slowly discover that friendship, support, and healing are taking place in both their lives. Dora is a midwife and helps deliver baby Azelin when it's time. Dora also teaches Elaine how to spin wool. Peter's sheep live on a nearby island and, after a day of shearing wool, a tragedy occurs which brings Elaine to the decision she has been pondering over and leads Peter to face up to why he has been so guilty over his family's death.
Peter hasn't played his bagpipe since the fire and begins to be interested in music once again. Each chapter is titled from a ballad or song which Elaine sings or Peter played in his past life. Music is a major part of both of their lives. I had to go to the internet and look up bagpipes, because there was lots of descriptions on the parts of a bagpipe. Even with their age difference, Peter begins to believe that the two of them could make a life together as he unwittingly falls in love with her. This is a bittersweet story because the ending is different than what you might expect.
I was raised on a farm so the ample descriptions of killing, plucking, and cleaning a chicken; the goat delivering a baby, or the castrating of sheep didn't gross me out like some reviewers indicated. And I didn't find the last page to be as inappropriate as some thought. Remember, this man was a hermit for over twenty years with no human contact to speak of. A rich story that moved and captivated me.
Peter McQueen is so traumatized by the death of his wife and two children in a house fire twenty years previously while he was away at a bagpipe competition, that he has withdrawn from life and lives as a hermit on the northern coast of Maine near Bangor. He lives in a one-room cabin with no plumbing or electricity and has become self-sufficient by raising sheep for their wool, gardening, and cutting wood. His only companions are his old dog named Dog, his horse named Alice, his goat named Ruby, and his chickens. The only friend who understands him and asks no questions is an old Passamaquoddy woman named Dora who lives nearby. His pain over the loss of his family is still so fresh and debilitating that he has a dollhouse with dolls representing his wife and children. He puts them to bed each night, moves them around during the day, and talks to them.
One day during a March ice storm, a young pregnant woman named Elaine Sinclair shows up outside his cabin. She has a huge bruise under her eye, harbors secrets, is a member of the Jehovah Witness, and loves to sing. Peter reluctantly takes her in, but is adamant she is to leave the next day. He wants nothing to interrupt his daily routine and is embarrassed by the dollhouse. He even makes up a name for his dog who he calls Dog, because he is afraid of what she might think of him. She is adamant that she is staying. One day turns into two and two turns into months. Elaine's controlling husband, Oliver, keeps showing up to demand she come home, but she keeps telling him she needs time to make some decisions and would he please return a little black diary of hers. This is crucial to her back story and the antagonism of Oliver and the elders of their church. Peter and Elaine, after their initial clash, begin to get along with each other and slowly discover that friendship, support, and healing are taking place in both their lives. Dora is a midwife and helps deliver baby Azelin when it's time. Dora also teaches Elaine how to spin wool. Peter's sheep live on a nearby island and, after a day of shearing wool, a tragedy occurs which brings Elaine to the decision she has been pondering over and leads Peter to face up to why he has been so guilty over his family's death.
Peter hasn't played his bagpipe since the fire and begins to be interested in music once again. Each chapter is titled from a ballad or song which Elaine sings or Peter played in his past life. Music is a major part of both of their lives. I had to go to the internet and look up bagpipes, because there was lots of descriptions on the parts of a bagpipe. Even with their age difference, Peter begins to believe that the two of them could make a life together as he unwittingly falls in love with her. This is a bittersweet story because the ending is different than what you might expect.
I was raised on a farm so the ample descriptions of killing, plucking, and cleaning a chicken; the goat delivering a baby, or the castrating of sheep didn't gross me out like some reviewers indicated. And I didn't find the last page to be as inappropriate as some thought. Remember, this man was a hermit for over twenty years with no human contact to speak of. A rich story that moved and captivated me.
August 4, 2017
Cynthia Thayer's novel from 2000, "A Certain Slant of Light" is achingly beautiful, haunting, disturbing, and heartbreaking. It is the story of two lost souls, a middle aged widower who lost his family in a fire decades earlier, and a young pregnant woman on the run from her husband, and the life they build together for awhile in his cabin in remote coastal Maine. There was so much pain and sadness in this book, for animals, humans, and for me, as the reader, but I could not put it down. Thayer's writing is literary in style. I wish I were studying this one in a college class. It is filled with symbolism and offers so much fodder for deep thought.
February 25, 2017
An aromatic and flavorful paella: the rural culture of coastal Maine; a 20-year widower addicted to solitude and a pregnant married runaway; island shepherding and garden-and-barn-to-table farming; midwifery; bagpipes and Gaelic lullabies; Jehovah's Witness Community; and the healing of haunted hearts.
September 17, 2009
I was looking for a book without a fairytale happy ending. While the ending wasn't the typical happily ever after, I didn't like the ending. I finished feeling like there was a lot more to know about the main character's mental and emotional well being that wasn't said.
January 7, 2017
Interesting how the theme of this book is virtually identical to the theme of Shreve's 'Light on Snow'. I wonder who 'stole' the theme from whom.
August 14, 2018
I did not enjoy this one....way too much technical bagpipe and music stuff in there for me.... and the dog died, I knew it was coming but it was just too sad....I did finish it but I considered stopping many time, just not my type of book. The religion, the implausibility of the whole situation and then throw in all the religion and thoughts of going back to the abusive husband, Peter’s unbelievable life....glad it is done
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2020
This is a comfortable (but not boring) book. It moves along at a perfect pace, not so slow all you see are the characters and miss the story and not so fast you miss the details and don't get to know the characters. This is a perfect balance. The author does a wonderful job drawing in the characters, story and reader together.
June 30, 2021
A Hermit who left left life behind when his family died in a fire. A Jehovah witness looking for answers when her baby might need a transfusion. I reawakening of both souls as they spend time together. Good.
September 3, 2017
I'm glad I read other reviews before forcing myself to finish this book. I found Peter to be an implausible character and by page 70 I had to give up.
September 24, 2017
an intricately plotted story; but you really care about the characters and the outcome
March 7, 2018
Riveting. I love this writer's style and subject matter. Thank you, Cynthia Thayer.
February 6, 2024
This book is the category of books that I would not normally read and now I why. Boring, trite, predictable.
April 1, 2019
What I Liked
By reading other reviews, it looks like I was not the only one who accidentally checked out the wrong book by this title from the library! I expected this to be the same title by Laura Whitcomb and did not double check until I began reading and thought, "What is this about again?" and realized my mistake.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by Thayer's writing. She is a lovely writer and creates a sad, slowly gripping tale about a widower named Peter who lives as a virtual hermit after the death of his family. When a heavily pregnant Jehovah's Witness woman named Elaine shows up on his doorstep and asks for a place to flee, his warring emotions, embarrassment, and awkwardness are all incredibly true-to-life.
What I Didn't Like
I wish the ending had a bit more of a hold to it. The conclusion fell somewhat short, with several characters and storylines being left somewhat unresolved.
Elaine as a character often drove me crazy. Her willingness to just depend on everyone financially and for full support seemed incredibly selfish and over-dramatic.
By reading other reviews, it looks like I was not the only one who accidentally checked out the wrong book by this title from the library! I expected this to be the same title by Laura Whitcomb and did not double check until I began reading and thought, "What is this about again?" and realized my mistake.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by Thayer's writing. She is a lovely writer and creates a sad, slowly gripping tale about a widower named Peter who lives as a virtual hermit after the death of his family. When a heavily pregnant Jehovah's Witness woman named Elaine shows up on his doorstep and asks for a place to flee, his warring emotions, embarrassment, and awkwardness are all incredibly true-to-life.
What I Didn't Like
I wish the ending had a bit more of a hold to it. The conclusion fell somewhat short, with several characters and storylines being left somewhat unresolved.
Elaine as a character often drove me crazy. Her willingness to just depend on everyone financially and for full support seemed incredibly selfish and over-dramatic.
March 31, 2011
I'm so glad I read the synopsis to this book on Goodreads while I was looking for another book with the same title. This book was pleasant surprise to the dreckage of the other one, and had a story I won't soon forget.
20 years ago, Peter MacQueen lost his wife and 2 kids in a house fire. He had been away from home at the time, competing in a bagpipe competition at some highland games somewhere. His life shattered by bitter regrets and loss, he moves to a summer cabin on the coast of Maine, and for the next 20 years he lives basically like a hermit; shut off from other people and keeping a closed door on his heart. Peter ekes out a small living as a sheep farmer. He's alive, but that's about all you can say. He exists.
During a March ice storm, Peter looks out his cabin window and sees a heavily pregnant woman making her way through the forest. She's blue with cold and it's all she can do to keep her feet. Peter wants nothing to do with her, but he can't leave her outside to die. Peter takes her in, only for a day, but 1 day turns into 2, and then a week, and then a month. Her name is Elaine. She wants to stay. She has a past as well, and wants time to make some important decisions for her life and the life of her child.
As Thayer's subtle tale of redemption slowly unfolds, the reader learns more about Peter's tragic loss and Elaine's backstory. It is a love story of sorts, but not in the conventional way. It's more a story of 2 people learning to come to grips with their past and forging a new direction for their lives. The ending is bittersweet. People who like HEA's might not be pleased, but for me it struck a perfect chord, and made sense within the context of the story.
One of the things I liked most about Thayer's story was her descriptions of playing the bagpipes. I've always loved bagpipe music, and the way that Thayer talked about the instrument and the various ballands and laments was beautifully done. She either did alot of research on this subject, or she knows about bagpipes firsthand. Some of the ballads/laments were chapter titles (some I even knew!!), so that part was fascinating.
For my money, Thayer's A Certain Slant of Light is the clear winner.
20 years ago, Peter MacQueen lost his wife and 2 kids in a house fire. He had been away from home at the time, competing in a bagpipe competition at some highland games somewhere. His life shattered by bitter regrets and loss, he moves to a summer cabin on the coast of Maine, and for the next 20 years he lives basically like a hermit; shut off from other people and keeping a closed door on his heart. Peter ekes out a small living as a sheep farmer. He's alive, but that's about all you can say. He exists.
During a March ice storm, Peter looks out his cabin window and sees a heavily pregnant woman making her way through the forest. She's blue with cold and it's all she can do to keep her feet. Peter wants nothing to do with her, but he can't leave her outside to die. Peter takes her in, only for a day, but 1 day turns into 2, and then a week, and then a month. Her name is Elaine. She wants to stay. She has a past as well, and wants time to make some important decisions for her life and the life of her child.
As Thayer's subtle tale of redemption slowly unfolds, the reader learns more about Peter's tragic loss and Elaine's backstory. It is a love story of sorts, but not in the conventional way. It's more a story of 2 people learning to come to grips with their past and forging a new direction for their lives. The ending is bittersweet. People who like HEA's might not be pleased, but for me it struck a perfect chord, and made sense within the context of the story.
One of the things I liked most about Thayer's story was her descriptions of playing the bagpipes. I've always loved bagpipe music, and the way that Thayer talked about the instrument and the various ballands and laments was beautifully done. She either did alot of research on this subject, or she knows about bagpipes firsthand. Some of the ballads/laments were chapter titles (some I even knew!!), so that part was fascinating.
For my money, Thayer's A Certain Slant of Light is the clear winner.
March 28, 2021
3.5 stars. I read the wrong book! I meant to read A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. Thank goodness this was a strange but interesting book, but silly me for picking the wrong book. For the record, this book was published in 2000 and the Whitcomb book was published in 2005.
This is a very different story about an older man living a secluded life in a one room cabin in rural Maine...and this pregnant woman shows up on his door step in an ice storm and turns his life upside down. I am a temperate weather kind of gal, so this is too cold for me, but I do live in snow country so I can relate.
Likes:
* References to the certain slants of light
* Elaine's singing
* Bagpipe maintenance and playing
* Sheep shearing
* Life in rural Maine
* Old Dora
* Jehovah Witness elders seemed reasonable and wise most of the time
* Elaine praying and listening for the answer to her prayers
Dislikes:
* Awkward on purpose and at times unsettling, even distasteful
With-reservations:
masturbation, violence, language
This is a very different story about an older man living a secluded life in a one room cabin in rural Maine...and this pregnant woman shows up on his door step in an ice storm and turns his life upside down. I am a temperate weather kind of gal, so this is too cold for me, but I do live in snow country so I can relate.
Likes:
* References to the certain slants of light
* Elaine's singing
* Bagpipe maintenance and playing
* Sheep shearing
* Life in rural Maine
* Old Dora
* Jehovah Witness elders seemed reasonable and wise most of the time
* Elaine praying and listening for the answer to her prayers
Dislikes:
* Awkward on purpose and at times unsettling, even distasteful
With-reservations:
masturbation, violence, language
February 8, 2013
This is another of those stories that I just don't get. It starts off with a young lady that runs away from home and her husband to find answers. Except, she'd totally unprepared, nearing giving birth, and totally religious and scared she'll be punished by not only her god, but also her entire church.
When she runs away, she meets and stays with an old man that's old enough to be her father. This old man has a lot of unresolved issues of his own, so he's very crotchety. He resists her staying, even though he doesn't want to toss her out into a winter ice storm while she's 8 months pregnant, doubly so when she's scared of her husband who hit her. So, an uneasy alliance while the weather clears.
You'd think that this could make a very touching story of healing. And, I suppose, in a way, it does. Except it's also vaguely creepy and uncomfortable for the following reasons:
1.) The old man falls in love with and begins to have sexual fantasies about this young woman that could be his daughter (never mind she's married and going to have someone's kid).
2.) It's never sat with me very well when someone is abusive, and her husband hit her hard enough to bruise her face. And she still wants to go back?!
3.) I know very little about Jehovah's Witness's lives; this book portrays them as fairly cultish and domineering. I've not quite come to terms with that little aspect yet.
All in all, I'm glad it was a shortened book put into a Reader's Digest book. If was any longer, I'd have to have put it down or chucked the book into the "to sell" pile without finishing it. It's really not my type of story, characters, themes or messages.
When she runs away, she meets and stays with an old man that's old enough to be her father. This old man has a lot of unresolved issues of his own, so he's very crotchety. He resists her staying, even though he doesn't want to toss her out into a winter ice storm while she's 8 months pregnant, doubly so when she's scared of her husband who hit her. So, an uneasy alliance while the weather clears.
You'd think that this could make a very touching story of healing. And, I suppose, in a way, it does. Except it's also vaguely creepy and uncomfortable for the following reasons:
1.) The old man falls in love with and begins to have sexual fantasies about this young woman that could be his daughter (never mind she's married and going to have someone's kid).
2.) It's never sat with me very well when someone is abusive, and her husband hit her hard enough to bruise her face. And she still wants to go back?!
3.) I know very little about Jehovah's Witness's lives; this book portrays them as fairly cultish and domineering. I've not quite come to terms with that little aspect yet.
All in all, I'm glad it was a shortened book put into a Reader's Digest book. If was any longer, I'd have to have put it down or chucked the book into the "to sell" pile without finishing it. It's really not my type of story, characters, themes or messages.
February 16, 2016
When I put this on hold at the library, I thought I was requesting the other A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. The reviews on this one were promising, though, so I decided to read it.
The jacket summary didn't leave me very excited - our main character, Peter, is a hermit in the Maine woods who is quite put out when a very pregnant Elaine shows up at his door. She has a bruise on her face and while he wonders how she ended up at his cabin, he reluctantly lets her stay. Of course, after Peter's animosity toward her wears off, they begin to develop a friendship and the reader begins to learn more about Peter and Elaine's respective backstories. Both are tragic in their own way, Peter having lost his wife and children in a house fire and Elaine trapped in a fundamentalist religion with an abusive husband. I won't spoil it here, but she shares a story with Peter that is heartbreaking and made me like and sympathize with her instantly. Despite her fragile appearance, she's a tough cookie.
It was interesting to see the relationship form between Peter and Elaine since he was so vehemently opposed to her being there at the beginning. All these years later he was still grieving his family and her presence was an enormous imposition to him. I suspected the friendship would feel forced or corny, but surprisingly it wasn't. As Elaine's baby is born the drama ramped up (and afterwards, as well, at the sheep shearing) and really made you connect with the characters.
Overall, this was well written and made the characters feel like friends. A solid 3.5 stars from me.
The jacket summary didn't leave me very excited - our main character, Peter, is a hermit in the Maine woods who is quite put out when a very pregnant Elaine shows up at his door. She has a bruise on her face and while he wonders how she ended up at his cabin, he reluctantly lets her stay. Of course, after Peter's animosity toward her wears off, they begin to develop a friendship and the reader begins to learn more about Peter and Elaine's respective backstories. Both are tragic in their own way, Peter having lost his wife and children in a house fire and Elaine trapped in a fundamentalist religion with an abusive husband. I won't spoil it here, but she shares a story with Peter that is heartbreaking and made me like and sympathize with her instantly. Despite her fragile appearance, she's a tough cookie.
It was interesting to see the relationship form between Peter and Elaine since he was so vehemently opposed to her being there at the beginning. All these years later he was still grieving his family and her presence was an enormous imposition to him. I suspected the friendship would feel forced or corny, but surprisingly it wasn't. As Elaine's baby is born the drama ramped up (and afterwards, as well, at the sheep shearing) and really made you connect with the characters.
Overall, this was well written and made the characters feel like friends. A solid 3.5 stars from me.
November 20, 2011
I almost wrote a review for the wrong book! There's another book entitled, "A Certain Slant of Light", but this is the one I read.
A wonderful book, this truly shows life in rural Maine, the drudgery and joy of living off the land. It made me feel as though I was living in that tiny cabin, going out with the main character Peter to perform the myriad chores.
The storyline of interlocking families and tragedy is compelling. The author lets you into Peter's mind and the secrets it holds only in small flashes of light, so that the story reveals itself in halts and flickers. That's the only way he can allow himself to think about his family and the incident that took them.
The other character, Elaine, who literally stumbles into his lonely existence, is an enigma as well. Hugely pregnant, in obvious trouble, she keeps her secrets safe until the time is right.
A part of the storyline concerns bagpipes- Peter played them. I had never known much about this clamorous instrument, but the author portrays them and Peter's love of them in such a beautiful light that I want to go out and buy a recording tomorrow.
This is an honest and very readable story about two strong and injured people and the way they build a relationship. It shines.
A wonderful book, this truly shows life in rural Maine, the drudgery and joy of living off the land. It made me feel as though I was living in that tiny cabin, going out with the main character Peter to perform the myriad chores.
The storyline of interlocking families and tragedy is compelling. The author lets you into Peter's mind and the secrets it holds only in small flashes of light, so that the story reveals itself in halts and flickers. That's the only way he can allow himself to think about his family and the incident that took them.
The other character, Elaine, who literally stumbles into his lonely existence, is an enigma as well. Hugely pregnant, in obvious trouble, she keeps her secrets safe until the time is right.
A part of the storyline concerns bagpipes- Peter played them. I had never known much about this clamorous instrument, but the author portrays them and Peter's love of them in such a beautiful light that I want to go out and buy a recording tomorrow.
This is an honest and very readable story about two strong and injured people and the way they build a relationship. It shines.
April 24, 2016
Although interesting, this book had a certain weirdness to it. It is set on the coast of Maine, an hour and a half drive from Bangor. The main character is a hermit who lost his family in a fire twenty years prior. Now he has a doll house in his one-room cabin. He rearranges the three dolls (representing his lost family) twice a day. During an ice storm, a young, very pregnant woman makes her way to his cabin. She's been abused by her husband and asks to stay the night. She ends up staying a lot longer. There is a lot more to the story including: an elderly Passamaquoddy neighbor, sheep shearing, Jehovah's Witnesses, a Jamaican mother-in-law. I could have done without the detailed description of the slaughtering and preparation for dinner of a chicken. The author lives on a farm and she has a detailed knowledge of all it involves.
January 28, 2011
I liked this book better after discussing it with a group of smart women who helped me see past the parts of the novel that made me so skeptical that I had a hard time getting past a large amount of disbelief that a young pregnant woman would appear at a lonely cabin in the coldest weather of the year and refuse to leave. I loved the way Peter, one of the two main characters, was able to come to grips with his guild about his past and seem to be ready to go on with life. Cynthia Thayer is an organic farmer and her values come out in the novel in an appealing way. I wish she'd write another novel, and meanwhile I may try to find her first one.
August 5, 2008
After a fire takes the life of his wife and children, Peter MacQueen becomes a hermit living on the coast of Maine. His solitude is interrupted when a young pregnant woman appears on his doorstep seeking shelter from a winter storm and a troubling family situation. The chance encounter helps each rediscover value in human relationships. The novel moves at a slow pace despite the dramatic themes explored by the author.
September 6, 2009
First off, there are quite a few "F" words in this book among other bad language, so please know that while I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters, I cringed every time I came across the bad language.
The story had me interested from the start and it was an easy read. Most of it was rather predictable.
The story had me interested from the start and it was an easy read. Most of it was rather predictable.
January 17, 2011
I absolutely loved the story in this book and would honestly have given it 5 stars if it were not for the language, the crude things added in here and there with absolutely no relevance to the story, and the very crass final page of the book. WHY would anyone end a book with that last page? The ending was good, leave it.
March 13, 2016
I most enjoyed reading about spinning and shepherding in the country but these were the smallest parts of the story. The undertones of religious bias and shunning needed explaining and detail for the story to make more sense. The ending felt unfinished, with no one in the story happy with life or consequences. Wouldn't read again, not a keeper for my book shelf.
October 16, 2007
Okay, it may be a bit of a soap opera, but I enjoyed it. A young pregnant Jehovah's witness winds up with a hermit in the woods of Maine. The hermit has a tragic past, of course. This is yet another book about grief, forgiveness, and moving on.
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