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Nice
It is summer, 1968. When Les was really little, they played the Star Spangled Banner in movie theaters; she could feel her chest ripple just like the flag on the screen.But it is summer, 1968--Martin Luther King Jr. shot in April and, in June, Bobby Kennedy. “What in the world is happening to this country?” everyone on TV cries, and Les wonders what she, a kid, a girl on the cusp of becoming a teenager, can do about any of it. Other than hold firm to the idea that if people were only just nice enough, the world would somehow work. Though, in the meantime, she would also like to be just a little more cool--Her teenage brother, Arne, lives his own story that summer as he struggles against the squeeze of suburban family life and the escalating Vietnam War. But “what in the world is happening?” he wonders as he sees his sister changing, his sister who has always been the nice one. Their story, of abuse and its aftermath, traverses the landscape of country, family, heart.
204 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 25, 2015
I know Karin through her poetry and there is certainly a lot of connection that I recognize in Nice. The story about the siblings and growing up during a special time is filled with both disturbing and sweet details. I think this leads me to think a lot about what happened afterward. How does Les and Arne cope with the secret(s) and what kind of grown up will they be. Somehow this makes me think about people I meet and what kind of past they have. What has formed them to what they are. I recommend this book for anyone, and it works well to be read both in small daily doses or reading all at once.
December 1, 2014
Karin Gustafson masters telling a story about children, siblings in a confusing and mean time. I was rooting for these kids, and their narrative has stuck with me. At times stomach-turning, alternately tender, always poignant and full of truth and heart. Highly recommended!
October 23, 2015
Karin Gustafson is a captivating story teller. She planted me in the middle of family dysfunction, dark secrets, and siblings and I wasn't sure where the story would ultimately take me. I laughed, I cried, got angry, kept reading. The difficult and delightful in this book had me visiting the ghosts of my own childhood. It's a hearty thumbs up for this read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews