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Ginger's Fire
Tells the story of one woman's painful but very necessary rebirth about self & family, about the complexity of maintaining a partnership, & about the trickiness of communicating across generations powerful & spiritual questions, as the characters reach toward understanding and reconciliation.
171 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
14 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Brady
10 books9 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 25, 2024
I'm not sure where to start this. 4 stars feels too minimal. 5 stars feels like too high of praise. But given the lackluster 3.20 this book currently stands at, with the last rating given being from nearly a decade ago- I think it's only fair and only right to at least put words down in commemoration of reading this book. Something that really sells this book as being something someone read and cared enough to respond to (which it was! which it is!).
An average rating nearing three stars feels like robbery for the novel I have read. I would question if everyone read the same book, though I'm aware as is the case for all art forms that literature and the enjoyment of it is subjective.
A quick tl;dr of my opinions of the book/content as summarized in pros and cons:
Pros:
-It's realistic and raw in a way that many lesbian novels stray from.
-It's a shorter read, around 160 pages, for those looking for a less lengthy read
-It dares to be unhappy
Cons:
-Despite it's brevity in pages, the words and prose more than make up for length, and at times it feels like points and events drag along. At times sentences are difficult to digest from the composition alone and require a slow pace in reading to fully take in.
I am assuming, with very limited proof to go off of (after all, there are no other written reviews here!), that perhaps reasoning for the lower reviews hinges off the encompassing sadness and deterioration of our depicted couple, or perhaps that this novel may stray far from the "romance" genre of lesbian fiction. I dare say that despite it all, it does still hold itself as a romance book, in a self-reflective, reminiscent kind of way.
It's so very unhappy at many times, nearly throughout. Maybe that serves itself to bring the energy down. But the energy was never promised. And I'm glad it takes it's subject matter(s) and makes something new with it. Ginger is, in my opinion, a very relatable character. Maybe some may struggle to empathize with her- her situations are often more unique than the mundane- but she struggles in a way that is human, and understandable. I don't think she has to or had to be any certain way for me to feel sympathy for her, and to by extent care for the character she is. She could complain more if she wanted to, even though through her introspection we saw most if not all of that turmoil, unvoiced. She's brave because she's expected and conditioned to be so, when she is also anxious and inhibited or otherwise restrained.
Ginger learns about herself in the same cadence as the reader, and I was there for the ride. There was no rush to understand, because it is not a process that can be rushed in reality. I had no problem with that, even if at times I felt mildly bored. But that's just life- isn't it? And this book serves as a reminder of just what life is. Unpredictable. Harsh. Full of disappointment and opportunity and learning and growing. And growing indeed is shown, in the most realistic and non linear pattern Brady can muster, and I can't voice enough my appreciation for it.
This book doesn't follow a conventional plotline, or timeline, with it's flashbacks and its dwelling and its deep and heartfelt grieving. It's refreshing, if that's appropriate to say. It makes this novel feel all the more intimate for it. If you are a reader who thrives off the model plot, rising action to one big climax to a sound and steady resolution, then I understand that this book is likely not what is expected, or perhaps wanted. But if you're a reader who is prepared to sit as attentively as one's inner conscious- I can say many good things about the insight this book provides.
An average rating nearing three stars feels like robbery for the novel I have read. I would question if everyone read the same book, though I'm aware as is the case for all art forms that literature and the enjoyment of it is subjective.
A quick tl;dr of my opinions of the book/content as summarized in pros and cons:
Pros:
-It's realistic and raw in a way that many lesbian novels stray from.
-It's a shorter read, around 160 pages, for those looking for a less lengthy read
-It dares to be unhappy
Cons:
-Despite it's brevity in pages, the words and prose more than make up for length, and at times it feels like points and events drag along. At times sentences are difficult to digest from the composition alone and require a slow pace in reading to fully take in.
I am assuming, with very limited proof to go off of (after all, there are no other written reviews here!), that perhaps reasoning for the lower reviews hinges off the encompassing sadness and deterioration of our depicted couple, or perhaps that this novel may stray far from the "romance" genre of lesbian fiction. I dare say that despite it all, it does still hold itself as a romance book, in a self-reflective, reminiscent kind of way.
It's so very unhappy at many times, nearly throughout. Maybe that serves itself to bring the energy down. But the energy was never promised. And I'm glad it takes it's subject matter(s) and makes something new with it. Ginger is, in my opinion, a very relatable character. Maybe some may struggle to empathize with her- her situations are often more unique than the mundane- but she struggles in a way that is human, and understandable. I don't think she has to or had to be any certain way for me to feel sympathy for her, and to by extent care for the character she is. She could complain more if she wanted to, even though through her introspection we saw most if not all of that turmoil, unvoiced. She's brave because she's expected and conditioned to be so, when she is also anxious and inhibited or otherwise restrained.
Ginger learns about herself in the same cadence as the reader, and I was there for the ride. There was no rush to understand, because it is not a process that can be rushed in reality. I had no problem with that, even if at times I felt mildly bored. But that's just life- isn't it? And this book serves as a reminder of just what life is. Unpredictable. Harsh. Full of disappointment and opportunity and learning and growing. And growing indeed is shown, in the most realistic and non linear pattern Brady can muster, and I can't voice enough my appreciation for it.
This book doesn't follow a conventional plotline, or timeline, with it's flashbacks and its dwelling and its deep and heartfelt grieving. It's refreshing, if that's appropriate to say. It makes this novel feel all the more intimate for it. If you are a reader who thrives off the model plot, rising action to one big climax to a sound and steady resolution, then I understand that this book is likely not what is expected, or perhaps wanted. But if you're a reader who is prepared to sit as attentively as one's inner conscious- I can say many good things about the insight this book provides.
Displaying 1 of 1 review