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Bright Angel Time
The story of an eight-year-old's journey towards adulthood on the roads of the American West with her family, her mother's darkly charismatic new lover, and assorted hangers-on.
258 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 1997
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About the author
Martha McPhee
13 books162 followersMartha McPhee graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and received her M.F.A. from Columbia University.
She is the author of five novels: An Elegant Woman, Dear Money; L'America; Gorgeous Lies; and Bright Angel Time. Her work has been honored by a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Gorgeous Lies was a finalist for a National Book Award. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and teaches at Hofstra University.
She is the author of five novels: An Elegant Woman, Dear Money; L'America; Gorgeous Lies; and Bright Angel Time. Her work has been honored by a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Gorgeous Lies was a finalist for a National Book Award. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and teaches at Hofstra University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 14, 2007
As a child who grew up in a very screwed up family during the 70s, I have a special fondness for this book. It's the story of Kate, a young girl whose father has just left her mother. The mother, whose life revolved completely around her husband and three daughters, goes haywire and then decides to shack up with her new therapist. Only problem is the therapist is a charletan who travels around the country giving workships on Love, Sex, and Equality. Undaunted by a little thing like distance, Kate's mom piles her daughters in the family station wagon and drives all the way across country to reunite with her beloved, even though it means sleeping in the car at gas stations along the way. Finally, they meet up with the mother's therapist, who is travelling with his 5 children in a cruddy old RV after having left his own wife.
Kate and her sisters are then plunged into a lifestyle that is radically different from their own back in suburban New Jersey. Going to school, taking baths, and having three square meals a day becomes a distant memory. Despite her suppressed rage at her mother and aching loneliness for her father, Kate learns to adapt, as all kids must when their parents go nuts.
Some people don't like the end of this book, feeling it is too abrupt, but I actually loved it, because it makes sense for Kate's character. Ultimately, she is left in the wilderness to fend for herself, and while it's a sad fate, it one that many dissaffected children of the 70s share. Including me.
Kate and her sisters are then plunged into a lifestyle that is radically different from their own back in suburban New Jersey. Going to school, taking baths, and having three square meals a day becomes a distant memory. Despite her suppressed rage at her mother and aching loneliness for her father, Kate learns to adapt, as all kids must when their parents go nuts.
Some people don't like the end of this book, feeling it is too abrupt, but I actually loved it, because it makes sense for Kate's character. Ultimately, she is left in the wilderness to fend for herself, and while it's a sad fate, it one that many dissaffected children of the 70s share. Including me.
October 22, 2007
Bright Angel Time follows eight-year old Kate as her father leaves her family and her mom takes up with her married hippie Gesalt therapist,embracing the utter freedom and love preaching of the '70s. Their own version of On the Road ensues, and Kate, her mother, two sisters, new boyfriend Anton and his five kids traipse around the west and southwest in a self-created world without many rules or boundaries. Instead, Anton has established a dictatorship of love, where anything goes as long as his authority isn't questioned. Their glasses are more than just rose colored, but as the book progresses we see the desperation all the love and marijuana still doesn't touch.
I'm not sure what was learned by the end of the book--I guess that 10+ people living in a dirty camper is a recipe for disaster? It's always fun to be inside a child's head, though, and you learn some interesting geology along the way. As crazy as it all is, you know this really could have happened. I wonder if she knew the guy from Running with Scissors? He could have been inspiration.
I'm not sure what was learned by the end of the book--I guess that 10+ people living in a dirty camper is a recipe for disaster? It's always fun to be inside a child's head, though, and you learn some interesting geology along the way. As crazy as it all is, you know this really could have happened. I wonder if she knew the guy from Running with Scissors? He could have been inspiration.
June 2, 2009
Sejak memiliki kemampuan membaca..., seingat saya hanya ada beberapa buku yang jika saya baca ulang, maka kesan yang saya dapat berbeda. Salah satunya ya buku ini,
Pertama kali membaca, saya merasa kasihan plus kagum pada sosok Kate. Dia yang selalu menganggap Papanya sempurna, suatu hari harus menerima kenyataan bahwa Papanya tidak berbeda dengan orang lain. Memiliki kekurangan dan kesalahan, kesalahan papanya adalah kabur dengan istri sahabatnya,Brian Cain
Saat seluruh dunia sibuk menonton peristiwa bersejarah, pendaratan orang pertama di bulan, Papa Kate menjadikannya momentum untuk pergi meninggalkan keluarganya dengan pacar gelapnya, Camille.
Padahal sejak pagi, sang papa sudah berjanji akan memindahkan televisi ke halaman, hingga seluruh keluarga bisa menonton televisisambil mendongakkan kepala memandang bulan, berikut mendengarkan penjelasan seputar geologi bulan. Lama ditungu, bukan Papa Kate yang pulang, namun Brian sahabat keluarga yang membawa kabar bahwa istrinya telah kabur bersama Papa Kate.
Sejak saat itu semuanya berubah bagi Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. Padahal usia Kate baru tujuh tahun, Julia sembilan dan Jane sebelas. Saat kate sakit, sang ibu memasukkan kerumah sakit, ongkos perawatannya dibebankan pada sang papa. Namun belakangan sang papa menolak membayarnya, bahkan menganggap sebagai kengawuran istrinya, Eva. Kate mendengar pertengkaran kedua orang tuanya, jadi tidak menginginkan ayahnya kembali kerumah. Ia malah berteriak mengusir ayahnya!
Belakangan Mama Kate sudah mampu menghadapi kenyataan bahwa suaminya berselingguh dan meninggalkan keluarganya demi wanita lain. Saat itu, hadirlah sosok lelaki yang dianggap Mama Kate mampu memberikan cinta, Antoni. Antoni sebenarnya sudah menikah dan memiliki istri yang kaya raya, yang menjadi biarawati. Sosok Antoni sendiri digambarkan cukup religius.
Kehadiran Antoni, membawa perubahan bagi dinamika kehidupan Kate,
Antoni sering menempelkan uang di pintu kamar tidur mereka. Antoni juga mengajarkan cara bermain poker hingga mereka ketagihan. Mereka mulai mencintai Antoni, seperti mamanya mencintai Antoni.
Sepertinya Mama Kate sudah tergila-gila pada Antoni. Kate dan keluarga menempuh ribuan mil agar bisa bersama Antoni. “ Seorang cowok buat kalian masing-masing dan mama yakin kalian akan jatuh cinta. Mama janji” Rayu Mama Kate di perjalanan.
Perjumpaan pertama mereka dengan anak-anak Antoni adalah di tempat pemandian di Esalen. Walau nyaris seumur, namun mereka sangat berbeda dengan Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. “Berusahalah menyayangi mereka seolah mereka saudara dan saudaraimu sendiri”, Pesan sang mama.
Antoni selalu mengagungkan cinta kasih. “Definisi cinta yang romantis adalah: aku adalah engkau. Kau adalah aku . Untuk bisa mrmiliki cinta seperti itu, kita perlu seks yang setara. Kita tidak bisa punya perkawinan yang tetap romantis kalau hubungan kita seperti hubungan antara tuan dan budak” Jelas Antoni.
Kate baru benar-benar merindukan papanya saat bertengkar dengan Antoni dan mamanya, karena hanya diijinkan untuk membeli makanan yang tidak lebih dari dua dolar, padahal ia menginginkan ayam goreng yang sudah pasti harganya diatas dua dolar.Kate menghubungi papanya melalui telpon dan memintanya untuk menjemput dan membawanya pulang.
Hubungan Mama Kate dan Antoni tidaklah selalu mulus.Suatu hari terjadi pertengkaran, yang membuat mama Kate mendapat pukulan di wajah! Akibatnya mama Kate memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Antoni dan keluarganya. Namun mereka pada akhirnya memutuskan untuk kembali bersama lagi.
Pertengkaran tersebut malah membuat Antoni dan Mama Kate memutuskan untuk bertunangan dan bersiap menikah, Meskipun Kate dan saudaranya serta seluruh anak Antoni menolak pernikahan tersebut, namun keputusan sudah dibuat!
Saat mereke menjelah Grand Canyon, Kate, Julia kakaknya serta Sofia anak Antoni terpisah dari rombongan. Saat itu Kate benar-benar menunjukkan pengetahuannya terhadap bebatuan(hal 436). Kate malah bisa memastikan bahwa mereka hanya terpisah satu tingkat dibawah yang lainnya.
Disini terlihat bahwa Kate sudah berubah menjadi lebih dewasa, Umurku hampir sembilan tahun. Aku punya pistol. Aku berjaga, hangat dalam kantong tidurku. Aku punya keyakinan. Bahwa aku bisa menjaga diriku sendiri. Aku tidak lelah lagi... (hal 442)
Novel ini diakhiri dengan baris-baris kalimat yang menyentuh saya, ”Saat berada di Masa Bright Angel-dalam masa yang penuh berkat Tuhan, masa yang penuh janji”
(hal 445)
Seluruh novel ini tidak hanya bercerita mengenai Kate dan keluarganya, Antoni dan keluarganya, namun Sebagai selingan, diceritakan juga bahwa setelah Papa Kate pergi, ada satu keluarga yang ikut menumpang di rumah mereka. Dan keluarga tersebut sangat mendukung Mama Kate dan membenci Papa Papa Kate. Ada juga bab mengenai bagaimana kehidupan Papa Kate dengan pacar gelapnya.
Saat menerima hadiah buku ini dari Serambi dan membaca untuk kedua kalinya, tokoh favorit saya adalah JANE, kakak Kate. Hanya Jane yang diperbolehkan memasuki kamar mama saat dalam masa meratapi kepergian papanya. Hanya Jane yang berani mengeluarkan pendapatnya, berani mempertanyakan keputusan Antoni sementara yang lain hanya diam, padahal yang dia utarakan adalah hal yang wajar. Seperti mengapa Antoni dan anak-anaknya selalu memerintah Kate dan keluarganya, sementara saat Mama kate memperingatkan anak Antoni, timbul pertengkaran. Jane juga yang berani meninggalkan rombongan, dengan uang pinjaman dari Kate pergi naik bus ke rumah sahabatnya!
Merged review:
Sejak memiliki kemampuan membaca..., seingat saya hanya ada beberapa buku yang jika saya baca ulang, maka kesan yang saya dapat berbeda. Salah satunya ya buku ini,
Pertama kali membaca, saya merasa kasihan pada sosok Kate. Dia yang selalu menanggap Papanya sempurna, suatu hari harus menerima kenyataan bahwa Papanya tidak berbeda dengan orang lain. Memiliki kekurangan dan kesalahan, kesalahan papanya adalah kabur dengan istri sahabatnya,Brian Cain
Saat seluruh dunia sibuk menonton peristiwa bersejarah, pendaratan orang pertama di bulan, Papa Kate menjadikannya momentum untuk pergi meninggalkan keluarganya dengan pacar gelapnya, Camille
Padahal sejak pagi, sang papa sudah berjanji akan memindahkan televisi ke halaman, hingga seluruh keluarga bisa menonton televisisambil mendongakkan kepala memandang bulan, berikut mendengarkan penjelasan seputar geologi bulan. Lama ditungu, bukan Papa Kate yang pulang, namun Brian sahabat keluarga yang membawa kabar bahwa istrinya telah kabur bersama Papa Kate.
Sejak saat itu semuanya berubah bagi Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. Padahal usia Kate baru tujuh tahun, Julia sembilan dan Jane sebelas. Saat kate sakit, sang ibu memasukkan kerumah sakit, ongkos perawatannya dibebankan pada sang papa. Namun belakangan sang papa menolak membayarnya , bahkan menganggap sebagai kengawuran istrinya, Eva. Kate mendengar pertengkaran kedua orang tuanya, jadi tidak menginginkan ayahnya kembali kerumah. Ia malah berteriak mengusir ayahnya!
Belakangan Mama Kate sudah mampu menghadapi kenyataan bahwa suaminya berselingguh dan meninggalkan keluarganya demi wanita lain,
Saat itu, hadirlah sosok lelaki yang dianggap Mama Kate mampu memberikan cinta, Antoni. Antoni sebenarnya sudah menikah dan memiliki istri yang kaya raya, yang menjadi biarawati. Sosok Antoni sendiri digambarkan cukup religius.
Kehadiran Antoni, membawa perubahan bagi dinamika kehidupan Kate,
Antoni sering menempelkan uang di pintu kamar tidur mereka. Antoni juga mengajarkan cara bermain poker hingga mereka ketagihan. Mereka mulai mencintai Antoni, seperti mamanya mencitai Antoni.
Sepertinya Mama Kate sudah tergila-gila pada Antoni. Kate dan keluarga menempuh ribuan mil agar bisa bersama Antoni . “ Seorang cowok buat kalian masing-masing dan mama yakin kalian akan jatuh cinta. Mama janji” Rayu Mama Kate di perjalanan.
Perjumpaan pertama mereka dengan anak-anak Antoni adalah di tempat pemandian di Esalen. Walau nyaris seumur, namun mereka sangat berbeda dengan Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. “Berusahalah menyayangi mereka seolah mereka saudara dan saudaraimu sendiri”, Pesan sang mama.
Antoni selalu mengagungkan cinta kasih. “Definisi cinta yang romantis adalah: aku adalah engkau. Kau adalah aku . Untuk bisa mrmiliki cinta seperti itu, kita perlu seks yang setara. Kita tidak bisa punya perkawinan yang tetap romantis kalau hubungan kita seperti hubungan antara tuan dan budak” Jelas Antoni.
Kate baru benar-benar merindukan papanya saat bertengkar dengan Antoni dan mamanya, karena hanya diijinkan untuk membeli makanan yang tidak lebih dari dua dolar, padahal ia menginginkan ayam goreng yang sudah pasti harganya diatas dua dolar.Kate menghubungi papanya melalui telpon dan memintanya untuk menjemput dan membawanya pulang.
Hubungan Mama Kate dan Antoni tidaklah selalu mulus.Suatu hari terjadi pertengkaran, yang membuat mama Kate mendapat pukulan di wajah! Akibatnya mama Kate memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Antoni dan keluarganya. Namun mereka pada akhirnya memutuskan untuk kembali bersama lagi.
Pertengkaran tersebut malah membuat Antoni dan Mama Kate memutuskan untuk bertunangan dan bersiap menikah, Meskipun Kate dan saudaranya serta seluruh anak Antoni menolak pernikahan tersebut, namun keputusan sudah dibuat!
Saat mereke menjelah Gran Canyon, Kate, Julia kakaknya serta Sofia anak Antoni terpisah dari rombongan. Saat itu Kate benar-benar menunjukkan pengetahuannya terhadap bebatuan(hal 436). Kate malah bisa memastikan bahwa mereka hanya terpisah satu tingkat dibawah yang lainnya.
Disini terlihat bahwa Kate sudah berubah menjadi lebih dewasa, Umurku hampir sembilan tahun. Aku punya pistol. Aku berjaga, hangat dalam kantong tidurku. Aku punya keyakinan. Bahwa aku bisa menjaga diriku sendiri. Aku tidak lelah lagi... (hal 442)
Novel ini diakhiri dengan baris-baris ykalimatang menyentuh saya, ”Saat berada di Masa Bright Angel-dalam masa yang penuh berkat Tuhan, masa yang penuh janji”
(hal 445)
Seluruh novel ini tidak hanya bercerita mengenai Kate dan keluarganya, Antoni dan keluarganya, namun Sebagai selingan, diceritakan juga bahwa setelah Papa Kate pergi, ada satu keluarga yang ikut menumpang di rumah mereka. Dan keluarga tersebut sangat mendukung Mama Kate dan membenci Papa Papa Kate. Ada juga bab mengenai bagaimana kehidupan Papa Kate dengan pacar gelapnya.
Saat menerima hadiah buku ini dari Serambi dan membaca untuk kedua kalinya, tokoh favorit saya adalah JANE, kakak Kate. Hanya Jane yang diperbolehkan memasuki kamar mama saat dalam masa meratapi kepergian papanya. Hanya Jane yang berani mengeluarkan pendapatnya, berani mempertanyakan keputusan Antoni sementara yang lain hanya diam, padahal yang dia utarakan adalah hal yang wajar. Seperti mengapa Antoni dan anak-anaknya selalu memerintah Kate dan keluarganya, sementara saat Mama kate memperingatkan anak Antoni, timbul pertengkaran. Jane juga yang berani meninggalkan rombongan, dengan uang pinjaman dari Kate pergi naik bus ke rumah sahabatnya!
Pertama kali membaca, saya merasa kasihan plus kagum pada sosok Kate. Dia yang selalu menganggap Papanya sempurna, suatu hari harus menerima kenyataan bahwa Papanya tidak berbeda dengan orang lain. Memiliki kekurangan dan kesalahan, kesalahan papanya adalah kabur dengan istri sahabatnya,Brian Cain
Saat seluruh dunia sibuk menonton peristiwa bersejarah, pendaratan orang pertama di bulan, Papa Kate menjadikannya momentum untuk pergi meninggalkan keluarganya dengan pacar gelapnya, Camille.
Padahal sejak pagi, sang papa sudah berjanji akan memindahkan televisi ke halaman, hingga seluruh keluarga bisa menonton televisisambil mendongakkan kepala memandang bulan, berikut mendengarkan penjelasan seputar geologi bulan. Lama ditungu, bukan Papa Kate yang pulang, namun Brian sahabat keluarga yang membawa kabar bahwa istrinya telah kabur bersama Papa Kate.
Sejak saat itu semuanya berubah bagi Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. Padahal usia Kate baru tujuh tahun, Julia sembilan dan Jane sebelas. Saat kate sakit, sang ibu memasukkan kerumah sakit, ongkos perawatannya dibebankan pada sang papa. Namun belakangan sang papa menolak membayarnya, bahkan menganggap sebagai kengawuran istrinya, Eva. Kate mendengar pertengkaran kedua orang tuanya, jadi tidak menginginkan ayahnya kembali kerumah. Ia malah berteriak mengusir ayahnya!
Belakangan Mama Kate sudah mampu menghadapi kenyataan bahwa suaminya berselingguh dan meninggalkan keluarganya demi wanita lain. Saat itu, hadirlah sosok lelaki yang dianggap Mama Kate mampu memberikan cinta, Antoni. Antoni sebenarnya sudah menikah dan memiliki istri yang kaya raya, yang menjadi biarawati. Sosok Antoni sendiri digambarkan cukup religius.
Kehadiran Antoni, membawa perubahan bagi dinamika kehidupan Kate,
Antoni sering menempelkan uang di pintu kamar tidur mereka. Antoni juga mengajarkan cara bermain poker hingga mereka ketagihan. Mereka mulai mencintai Antoni, seperti mamanya mencintai Antoni.
Sepertinya Mama Kate sudah tergila-gila pada Antoni. Kate dan keluarga menempuh ribuan mil agar bisa bersama Antoni. “ Seorang cowok buat kalian masing-masing dan mama yakin kalian akan jatuh cinta. Mama janji” Rayu Mama Kate di perjalanan.
Perjumpaan pertama mereka dengan anak-anak Antoni adalah di tempat pemandian di Esalen. Walau nyaris seumur, namun mereka sangat berbeda dengan Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. “Berusahalah menyayangi mereka seolah mereka saudara dan saudaraimu sendiri”, Pesan sang mama.
Antoni selalu mengagungkan cinta kasih. “Definisi cinta yang romantis adalah: aku adalah engkau. Kau adalah aku . Untuk bisa mrmiliki cinta seperti itu, kita perlu seks yang setara. Kita tidak bisa punya perkawinan yang tetap romantis kalau hubungan kita seperti hubungan antara tuan dan budak” Jelas Antoni.
Kate baru benar-benar merindukan papanya saat bertengkar dengan Antoni dan mamanya, karena hanya diijinkan untuk membeli makanan yang tidak lebih dari dua dolar, padahal ia menginginkan ayam goreng yang sudah pasti harganya diatas dua dolar.Kate menghubungi papanya melalui telpon dan memintanya untuk menjemput dan membawanya pulang.
Hubungan Mama Kate dan Antoni tidaklah selalu mulus.Suatu hari terjadi pertengkaran, yang membuat mama Kate mendapat pukulan di wajah! Akibatnya mama Kate memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Antoni dan keluarganya. Namun mereka pada akhirnya memutuskan untuk kembali bersama lagi.
Pertengkaran tersebut malah membuat Antoni dan Mama Kate memutuskan untuk bertunangan dan bersiap menikah, Meskipun Kate dan saudaranya serta seluruh anak Antoni menolak pernikahan tersebut, namun keputusan sudah dibuat!
Saat mereke menjelah Grand Canyon, Kate, Julia kakaknya serta Sofia anak Antoni terpisah dari rombongan. Saat itu Kate benar-benar menunjukkan pengetahuannya terhadap bebatuan(hal 436). Kate malah bisa memastikan bahwa mereka hanya terpisah satu tingkat dibawah yang lainnya.
Disini terlihat bahwa Kate sudah berubah menjadi lebih dewasa, Umurku hampir sembilan tahun. Aku punya pistol. Aku berjaga, hangat dalam kantong tidurku. Aku punya keyakinan. Bahwa aku bisa menjaga diriku sendiri. Aku tidak lelah lagi... (hal 442)
Novel ini diakhiri dengan baris-baris kalimat yang menyentuh saya, ”Saat berada di Masa Bright Angel-dalam masa yang penuh berkat Tuhan, masa yang penuh janji”
(hal 445)
Seluruh novel ini tidak hanya bercerita mengenai Kate dan keluarganya, Antoni dan keluarganya, namun Sebagai selingan, diceritakan juga bahwa setelah Papa Kate pergi, ada satu keluarga yang ikut menumpang di rumah mereka. Dan keluarga tersebut sangat mendukung Mama Kate dan membenci Papa Papa Kate. Ada juga bab mengenai bagaimana kehidupan Papa Kate dengan pacar gelapnya.
Saat menerima hadiah buku ini dari Serambi dan membaca untuk kedua kalinya, tokoh favorit saya adalah JANE, kakak Kate. Hanya Jane yang diperbolehkan memasuki kamar mama saat dalam masa meratapi kepergian papanya. Hanya Jane yang berani mengeluarkan pendapatnya, berani mempertanyakan keputusan Antoni sementara yang lain hanya diam, padahal yang dia utarakan adalah hal yang wajar. Seperti mengapa Antoni dan anak-anaknya selalu memerintah Kate dan keluarganya, sementara saat Mama kate memperingatkan anak Antoni, timbul pertengkaran. Jane juga yang berani meninggalkan rombongan, dengan uang pinjaman dari Kate pergi naik bus ke rumah sahabatnya!
Merged review:
Sejak memiliki kemampuan membaca..., seingat saya hanya ada beberapa buku yang jika saya baca ulang, maka kesan yang saya dapat berbeda. Salah satunya ya buku ini,
Pertama kali membaca, saya merasa kasihan pada sosok Kate. Dia yang selalu menanggap Papanya sempurna, suatu hari harus menerima kenyataan bahwa Papanya tidak berbeda dengan orang lain. Memiliki kekurangan dan kesalahan, kesalahan papanya adalah kabur dengan istri sahabatnya,Brian Cain
Saat seluruh dunia sibuk menonton peristiwa bersejarah, pendaratan orang pertama di bulan, Papa Kate menjadikannya momentum untuk pergi meninggalkan keluarganya dengan pacar gelapnya, Camille
Padahal sejak pagi, sang papa sudah berjanji akan memindahkan televisi ke halaman, hingga seluruh keluarga bisa menonton televisisambil mendongakkan kepala memandang bulan, berikut mendengarkan penjelasan seputar geologi bulan. Lama ditungu, bukan Papa Kate yang pulang, namun Brian sahabat keluarga yang membawa kabar bahwa istrinya telah kabur bersama Papa Kate.
Sejak saat itu semuanya berubah bagi Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. Padahal usia Kate baru tujuh tahun, Julia sembilan dan Jane sebelas. Saat kate sakit, sang ibu memasukkan kerumah sakit, ongkos perawatannya dibebankan pada sang papa. Namun belakangan sang papa menolak membayarnya , bahkan menganggap sebagai kengawuran istrinya, Eva. Kate mendengar pertengkaran kedua orang tuanya, jadi tidak menginginkan ayahnya kembali kerumah. Ia malah berteriak mengusir ayahnya!
Belakangan Mama Kate sudah mampu menghadapi kenyataan bahwa suaminya berselingguh dan meninggalkan keluarganya demi wanita lain,
Saat itu, hadirlah sosok lelaki yang dianggap Mama Kate mampu memberikan cinta, Antoni. Antoni sebenarnya sudah menikah dan memiliki istri yang kaya raya, yang menjadi biarawati. Sosok Antoni sendiri digambarkan cukup religius.
Kehadiran Antoni, membawa perubahan bagi dinamika kehidupan Kate,
Antoni sering menempelkan uang di pintu kamar tidur mereka. Antoni juga mengajarkan cara bermain poker hingga mereka ketagihan. Mereka mulai mencintai Antoni, seperti mamanya mencitai Antoni.
Sepertinya Mama Kate sudah tergila-gila pada Antoni. Kate dan keluarga menempuh ribuan mil agar bisa bersama Antoni . “ Seorang cowok buat kalian masing-masing dan mama yakin kalian akan jatuh cinta. Mama janji” Rayu Mama Kate di perjalanan.
Perjumpaan pertama mereka dengan anak-anak Antoni adalah di tempat pemandian di Esalen. Walau nyaris seumur, namun mereka sangat berbeda dengan Kate dan saudara-saudaranya. “Berusahalah menyayangi mereka seolah mereka saudara dan saudaraimu sendiri”, Pesan sang mama.
Antoni selalu mengagungkan cinta kasih. “Definisi cinta yang romantis adalah: aku adalah engkau. Kau adalah aku . Untuk bisa mrmiliki cinta seperti itu, kita perlu seks yang setara. Kita tidak bisa punya perkawinan yang tetap romantis kalau hubungan kita seperti hubungan antara tuan dan budak” Jelas Antoni.
Kate baru benar-benar merindukan papanya saat bertengkar dengan Antoni dan mamanya, karena hanya diijinkan untuk membeli makanan yang tidak lebih dari dua dolar, padahal ia menginginkan ayam goreng yang sudah pasti harganya diatas dua dolar.Kate menghubungi papanya melalui telpon dan memintanya untuk menjemput dan membawanya pulang.
Hubungan Mama Kate dan Antoni tidaklah selalu mulus.Suatu hari terjadi pertengkaran, yang membuat mama Kate mendapat pukulan di wajah! Akibatnya mama Kate memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Antoni dan keluarganya. Namun mereka pada akhirnya memutuskan untuk kembali bersama lagi.
Pertengkaran tersebut malah membuat Antoni dan Mama Kate memutuskan untuk bertunangan dan bersiap menikah, Meskipun Kate dan saudaranya serta seluruh anak Antoni menolak pernikahan tersebut, namun keputusan sudah dibuat!
Saat mereke menjelah Gran Canyon, Kate, Julia kakaknya serta Sofia anak Antoni terpisah dari rombongan. Saat itu Kate benar-benar menunjukkan pengetahuannya terhadap bebatuan(hal 436). Kate malah bisa memastikan bahwa mereka hanya terpisah satu tingkat dibawah yang lainnya.
Disini terlihat bahwa Kate sudah berubah menjadi lebih dewasa, Umurku hampir sembilan tahun. Aku punya pistol. Aku berjaga, hangat dalam kantong tidurku. Aku punya keyakinan. Bahwa aku bisa menjaga diriku sendiri. Aku tidak lelah lagi... (hal 442)
Novel ini diakhiri dengan baris-baris ykalimatang menyentuh saya, ”Saat berada di Masa Bright Angel-dalam masa yang penuh berkat Tuhan, masa yang penuh janji”
(hal 445)
Seluruh novel ini tidak hanya bercerita mengenai Kate dan keluarganya, Antoni dan keluarganya, namun Sebagai selingan, diceritakan juga bahwa setelah Papa Kate pergi, ada satu keluarga yang ikut menumpang di rumah mereka. Dan keluarga tersebut sangat mendukung Mama Kate dan membenci Papa Papa Kate. Ada juga bab mengenai bagaimana kehidupan Papa Kate dengan pacar gelapnya.
Saat menerima hadiah buku ini dari Serambi dan membaca untuk kedua kalinya, tokoh favorit saya adalah JANE, kakak Kate. Hanya Jane yang diperbolehkan memasuki kamar mama saat dalam masa meratapi kepergian papanya. Hanya Jane yang berani mengeluarkan pendapatnya, berani mempertanyakan keputusan Antoni sementara yang lain hanya diam, padahal yang dia utarakan adalah hal yang wajar. Seperti mengapa Antoni dan anak-anaknya selalu memerintah Kate dan keluarganya, sementara saat Mama kate memperingatkan anak Antoni, timbul pertengkaran. Jane juga yang berani meninggalkan rombongan, dengan uang pinjaman dari Kate pergi naik bus ke rumah sahabatnya!
May 8, 2015
I liked this book about growing up in hippie religious person view of the world.
Mom fell in love with her therapist once Dad left her for another woman. Apparently dad never lived up to mom's father so he ran off with Connie, the wife of of his childhood friend. It turns out that Connie convinced Ian to run away with her since if they staged her husband was threatening to kill them. Eve tried to patch things up with Ian but he opted to leave her and the kids instead of trying to patch things up with Eve. Although Kate loved her father, she told him to leave at the urging of her mother. Children of divorced parents are sad b/c they are caught b/w loyalty to their mother and father. A child tries to fill the emptiness she is feeling by material things usually with the acquiescence of the parent who left.
Mom's boyfriend, Anton was a priest who was married to a wealthy heiress nun. Anton and mom had the same sense of adventure. While some people in town thought great things about him noting his charisma, other people thought he was a snake charmer and would not let their wives near him. Anton taught the kids to play poker b/c that is what he is good at doing. Jane wanted to protect mom by stating the obvious that Anton will never leave his wealthy wife in order to be with mom.
Since dad was moving back to NJ, mom decided to run away with her kids to California to join Anton's family. Mom's faith in the promise of Anton was what kept her going toward California. When they reached California, the girls met the Fureys who were wealthy hippie kids. They started living in a hippie commune with nude people all over the place. The only rule in the commune is to love everyone and everything. While Julia was fascinated on sexuality, Kate hated the nudity in the camp. Julia went boy crazy after one of Anton's kids while Kate put extra clothes on in order to be different from the nudist around her. She begins to equate love with people doing things for her. The real Anton was bossy not like the charismatic man that he was previously. He was also a womanizer who had multiple affairs. He was rightly adamant in stating that you have to respect your partner as your equal for a marriage to work but he was jealous at the same time. Kate identifies and thus defends outcasts.
Everyone except Jane loves Anton's spontaneity and sense of adventure. In their family commune, there was no such thing as private property so everything belongs to the group. When things are great, the family harmoniously gets along. Kate seems to have Daddy issues in that she can't stop thinking about Anton after he sees her naked. Anton wanted to teach the kids the Christian lesson of generosity and forgiveness. Even though Anton was a devout Catholic, he entertained other religions such as Dwyane's religion as a practicer of meditative Yoga. Anton had a way of making things okay to live on the road by a sudden burst of generosity ( the dad effect). Meanwhile, Jane busied herself by reading various books. When Julia got sick, Anton bumped into an old rich client of his who paid for everything for their stay in a 5star hotel. Anton wanted to teach his followers that uncertainty brings about faith in the Divine. But the kids were allowed to experiment with alcohol and drugs like dropping acid. Anton believes that experience was at the root of all enlightenment and travel was the most important form of education. So even though Dwayne had the kids drop acid, Anton could not kick him out of his family/ followers.
Although Anton believed in equal opportunity for men and women, he gets terribly jealous and thus violent. After Anton punched Eve in the eye, she decided to leave the Fureys with her children. Unfortunately for the kids, Eve loved Anton's unpredictable ways to their fathers steadfast way; so they ended up going back to Anton. She would rather have a marriage based on "equality" but with a physically violent man rather than to go back to Ian who had an affair with another woman. She blames Ian for not asking for what she wants and also the fact that he left her while Anton chose her further made her realize how much she wanted the life of excitement with Anton.
Ian's lover Camille tells the children that they fuck like rabbits to which Julia readily eats up. Jane wanted to leave Anton's camp b/c she no longer believe she could defend mom from herself. She hated dad b/c of the enormous responsibility that he left her with in caring for mom. Dad was mad that his girls wanted nothing to do with him so he decided to move back to NJ to which mom responded by running away.
Since they are never going home, Katy decided to place her faith in Catholicism and find God. Anton believed Christianity is the greatest religion b/c within it lay the commandment of forgiveness and to love your neighbor as yourself. Anton makes Julia feel sexual while Kate wants to please Anton by converting to Catholicism. She began to appreciate the Catholic rituals that Anton had. Anton had an outsize influence on Kate's growth as a girl. She wanted to be Catholic to be closer to Anton. Jane finally got the courage to leave Anton's cult with Kate's $300. B/c of Jane's disappearance, James finally questioned Anton's wanderlust as being bad for the children. So Anton decided to settle in NJ where the three girls live and abandon his insistence on living in the here and now in favor for the children's more stable future.
They went to the Grand Canyon and saw the greatness of God's creation. Unfortunately for Kate, she, Julia, Sophia were lost in the Grand Canyon. While Kate became super religious, Julia was a girl who preferred knowledge over religion. When Kate was a little girl she feared her dad would die before she was older. Having the primary breadwinner die must be horrible, since at that point there is a shift in roles in the relationship. Being lost in the Grand Canyon, Kate discovered her personal faith in God and her faith made Him close to her. With that faith, she had the conviction that everything would turn out alright and no longer feared being lost.
Mom fell in love with her therapist once Dad left her for another woman. Apparently dad never lived up to mom's father so he ran off with Connie, the wife of of his childhood friend. It turns out that Connie convinced Ian to run away with her since if they staged her husband was threatening to kill them. Eve tried to patch things up with Ian but he opted to leave her and the kids instead of trying to patch things up with Eve. Although Kate loved her father, she told him to leave at the urging of her mother. Children of divorced parents are sad b/c they are caught b/w loyalty to their mother and father. A child tries to fill the emptiness she is feeling by material things usually with the acquiescence of the parent who left.
Mom's boyfriend, Anton was a priest who was married to a wealthy heiress nun. Anton and mom had the same sense of adventure. While some people in town thought great things about him noting his charisma, other people thought he was a snake charmer and would not let their wives near him. Anton taught the kids to play poker b/c that is what he is good at doing. Jane wanted to protect mom by stating the obvious that Anton will never leave his wealthy wife in order to be with mom.
Since dad was moving back to NJ, mom decided to run away with her kids to California to join Anton's family. Mom's faith in the promise of Anton was what kept her going toward California. When they reached California, the girls met the Fureys who were wealthy hippie kids. They started living in a hippie commune with nude people all over the place. The only rule in the commune is to love everyone and everything. While Julia was fascinated on sexuality, Kate hated the nudity in the camp. Julia went boy crazy after one of Anton's kids while Kate put extra clothes on in order to be different from the nudist around her. She begins to equate love with people doing things for her. The real Anton was bossy not like the charismatic man that he was previously. He was also a womanizer who had multiple affairs. He was rightly adamant in stating that you have to respect your partner as your equal for a marriage to work but he was jealous at the same time. Kate identifies and thus defends outcasts.
Everyone except Jane loves Anton's spontaneity and sense of adventure. In their family commune, there was no such thing as private property so everything belongs to the group. When things are great, the family harmoniously gets along. Kate seems to have Daddy issues in that she can't stop thinking about Anton after he sees her naked. Anton wanted to teach the kids the Christian lesson of generosity and forgiveness. Even though Anton was a devout Catholic, he entertained other religions such as Dwyane's religion as a practicer of meditative Yoga. Anton had a way of making things okay to live on the road by a sudden burst of generosity ( the dad effect). Meanwhile, Jane busied herself by reading various books. When Julia got sick, Anton bumped into an old rich client of his who paid for everything for their stay in a 5star hotel. Anton wanted to teach his followers that uncertainty brings about faith in the Divine. But the kids were allowed to experiment with alcohol and drugs like dropping acid. Anton believes that experience was at the root of all enlightenment and travel was the most important form of education. So even though Dwayne had the kids drop acid, Anton could not kick him out of his family/ followers.
Although Anton believed in equal opportunity for men and women, he gets terribly jealous and thus violent. After Anton punched Eve in the eye, she decided to leave the Fureys with her children. Unfortunately for the kids, Eve loved Anton's unpredictable ways to their fathers steadfast way; so they ended up going back to Anton. She would rather have a marriage based on "equality" but with a physically violent man rather than to go back to Ian who had an affair with another woman. She blames Ian for not asking for what she wants and also the fact that he left her while Anton chose her further made her realize how much she wanted the life of excitement with Anton.
Ian's lover Camille tells the children that they fuck like rabbits to which Julia readily eats up. Jane wanted to leave Anton's camp b/c she no longer believe she could defend mom from herself. She hated dad b/c of the enormous responsibility that he left her with in caring for mom. Dad was mad that his girls wanted nothing to do with him so he decided to move back to NJ to which mom responded by running away.
Since they are never going home, Katy decided to place her faith in Catholicism and find God. Anton believed Christianity is the greatest religion b/c within it lay the commandment of forgiveness and to love your neighbor as yourself. Anton makes Julia feel sexual while Kate wants to please Anton by converting to Catholicism. She began to appreciate the Catholic rituals that Anton had. Anton had an outsize influence on Kate's growth as a girl. She wanted to be Catholic to be closer to Anton. Jane finally got the courage to leave Anton's cult with Kate's $300. B/c of Jane's disappearance, James finally questioned Anton's wanderlust as being bad for the children. So Anton decided to settle in NJ where the three girls live and abandon his insistence on living in the here and now in favor for the children's more stable future.
They went to the Grand Canyon and saw the greatness of God's creation. Unfortunately for Kate, she, Julia, Sophia were lost in the Grand Canyon. While Kate became super religious, Julia was a girl who preferred knowledge over religion. When Kate was a little girl she feared her dad would die before she was older. Having the primary breadwinner die must be horrible, since at that point there is a shift in roles in the relationship. Being lost in the Grand Canyon, Kate discovered her personal faith in God and her faith made Him close to her. With that faith, she had the conviction that everything would turn out alright and no longer feared being lost.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
I loved Bright Angel Time. The author, Martha McPhee, is very talented. Kate, the eight year old narrator, is bright and impressionable. I liked her POV. Kate has a lot of things to work out in her young life and a road trip with her mom‘s new boyfriend Anton, her two sisters, and his five kids, is definitely a tale to read. There is a lot of showing, not telling, and some of Anton’s creepy points were very subtle. I found this to be a real page-turner. I cared about these characters and wanted to know what was going to happen. The ending worked for me, satisfying, and yet left questions to be answered, but in a good way. I recommend this read.
June 12, 2020
On that historic day in 1969 when the astronauts take their first steps on the moon, Kate's father leaves her mother for another woman. When Kate's mother falls in love with a charismatic spiritual therapist, eight-year-old Kate along with her two older sisters find themselves on a cross-country adventure in the back of a shoddy camper with a herd of new siblings. Full of rich characters and vivid imagery, the author captures the atmosphere of the seventies perfectly.
November 3, 2020
This book follows eight-year old Kate after her father leaves her mom and her mom takes up with her married therapist, who apparently is a con man. Mom and her new boyfriend blend their families, and eight kids have to live in a camper on the back of a pickup truck. None of the kids go to school. They decide to head west and stop by the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately Kate, Julia, Sophia become lost. While lost, Kate discovers her personal faith and believes that everything would turn out alright.
There is not a single moment that was lighthearted, interesting or uplifting about this book. The second half the book, the road trip through the American West, was only interesting because of the locations. All I kept thinking was that this kids would be a lot better off with different parents. It was one of my least favorite books this year, and I've read a lot of crap in 2020.
There is not a single moment that was lighthearted, interesting or uplifting about this book. The second half the book, the road trip through the American West, was only interesting because of the locations. All I kept thinking was that this kids would be a lot better off with different parents. It was one of my least favorite books this year, and I've read a lot of crap in 2020.
April 14, 2020
This was my second reading of this book, which I loved just as much this time around. I knew some of the principals in this story and was touched, once again, by how expertly Ms. McPhee wove disturbing autobiographical events into fiction. While I await publication of her latest, "An Elegant Lady," I'm rereading her other fiction as well: Gorgeous Lies and Dear Money.
April 14, 2025
I really enjoyed Kate’s perspective on what is ultimately an uncomfortable, frustrating and difficult to digest story - particularly for an English 23 year old so so far removed from any awareness of this lifestyle. I found some of the linguistic choices and plot points a little annoying but was overall pretty engrossed in and moved by the journey I was taken on as a reader.
February 9, 2019
This was a story that lasted too long and then didn't really end as much as just stop. And nothing was ever concluded. Do not recommend.
I give it 2 stars because it was trying to be a story and wasn't complete garbage. But two stars is overselling it.
I give it 2 stars because it was trying to be a story and wasn't complete garbage. But two stars is overselling it.
August 13, 2017
Gorgeous, generous exploration of doing our best, trying took make a life and survive it, and failing our children mightily.
July 10, 2019
This may be the perfect book for someone else, but it was not for me.
January 28, 2024
I enjoyed this book even though parts of it were hard to fathom (parents treating their children in the ways they do). However, I think I liked it more for the nostalgia of the 1970s aspect.
April 4, 2014
I've implemented a new rule in my life: if a book doesn't grab me, if I don't care about any of the characters after reading 100 pages, I'm done with the book.
This book caused me to implement the rule. I think I'm about 40 pages in so far, and I haven't been grabbed. I'll be sure to post an update once I make a decision.
This review and the book in question might be triggering.
UPDATE: By page 100, I was interested to know what would happen next in this somber story. I was interested in the way you might be interested to hear about the life of a friend of a friend who’s sliding into train wreck status. There’s nothing you can do. You don’t know the person in question, and even if you did, chances are s/he wouldn’t listen to your advice, but you keep paying attention, waiting for the crash to happen.
I kept expecting the worst. There were teasers that someone would die, . I kept waiting to find out that the mom’s new boyfriend (or maybe the dad himself) had molested one of the girls, . I kept waiting for someone to get beat up, .
Of course, the things that did happen were pretty fucked up. Dad leaves mom. Mom punishes dad by doing her best to keep his daughters from him. Dad doesn’t want to pay an adequate amount of child support. Mom and her new boyfriend blend their families, and eight kids have to live in a camper on the back of a pickup truck. None of the kids go to school. (Ok, maybe that part is the best thing that ever happened to any of those kids). The kids are dirty most of the time. Mom manipulates her daughters in order to boost her own low self-esteem. Older teenagers traveling with the “family” . The whole group is a mess.
When the book ends, The family plans to head “home,” but the reader is left believing that the dysfunction is just going to go on and on.
There is not a single thing lighthearted or uplifting about this book. If you are looking for some wacky Brady Bunch-esque antics, this is not the book for you. I can’t think of one good reason to recommend this book to anyone. The writing was fine, so I am giving it two stars, but really, it’s a downer.
This book caused me to implement the rule. I think I'm about 40 pages in so far, and I haven't been grabbed. I'll be sure to post an update once I make a decision.
This review and the book in question might be triggering.
UPDATE: By page 100, I was interested to know what would happen next in this somber story. I was interested in the way you might be interested to hear about the life of a friend of a friend who’s sliding into train wreck status. There’s nothing you can do. You don’t know the person in question, and even if you did, chances are s/he wouldn’t listen to your advice, but you keep paying attention, waiting for the crash to happen.
I kept expecting the worst. There were teasers that someone would die, . I kept waiting to find out that the mom’s new boyfriend (or maybe the dad himself) had molested one of the girls, . I kept waiting for someone to get beat up, .
Of course, the things that did happen were pretty fucked up. Dad leaves mom. Mom punishes dad by doing her best to keep his daughters from him. Dad doesn’t want to pay an adequate amount of child support. Mom and her new boyfriend blend their families, and eight kids have to live in a camper on the back of a pickup truck. None of the kids go to school. (Ok, maybe that part is the best thing that ever happened to any of those kids). The kids are dirty most of the time. Mom manipulates her daughters in order to boost her own low self-esteem. Older teenagers traveling with the “family” . The whole group is a mess.
When the book ends, The family plans to head “home,” but the reader is left believing that the dysfunction is just going to go on and on.
There is not a single thing lighthearted or uplifting about this book. If you are looking for some wacky Brady Bunch-esque antics, this is not the book for you. I can’t think of one good reason to recommend this book to anyone. The writing was fine, so I am giving it two stars, but really, it’s a downer.
October 25, 2025
This is one of those types of novels that expects you to enjoy the journey, not the destination. Because of this, there are things that happen and are never fully explained. Which is realistic in a sense, don't get me wrong. But I've always been the type of reader that wants there to be a point to the story. I think the point of this novel is to showcase domestic trauma and how it affects us throughout our lives? I think the author did a good job at writing very realistic and flawed characters. But for me personally, I like there to be a plot in my books. So unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would.
April 21, 2008
Bright Angel Time tells the story of a family that drops out of society and joins a wandering band of late 60's hippies, traveling through the Southwest in an R.V., after being abandoned by their father. It is told from the perspective of eight-year-old Kate, in whom the author deftly captures the wild selfish bravado of childhood. Through Kate's voice, I felt myself repeatedly confronted with complex emotional experiences and very simple thoughts that I instantly identified with completely, but that had been buried somewhere deep inside under thick layers of maturity and etiquette.
I feel like the "I was raised without structure by hippies and it was totally messed up" novel has become a little genre in and of itself (Running with Scissors comes to mind) and in Bright Angel Time we get one of the most well-drawn, radically beautiful and intensely well-observed examples of this mini-genre.
Through the eyes of Kate the wild freedom of their ragged, drug-fueled meandering has a glamorous danger and a brightly-colored attraction. The limitless vistas of the gorgeous desert landscapes that they wander through, with their blooming Joshua Trees, jagged rock formations, and bottomless caverns, echo their un-restricted life-style. Amidst all of this love and togetherness and exploration, you see all too clearly how frightening lack of structure can be, and how terrifying it is for a child to be aware that the adults around you are not truly in control.
This is a tale, simply told, that is immeasurably psychologically complex and vastly observant about human nature. I think it was beautiful and chilling and piercingly honest.
I feel like the "I was raised without structure by hippies and it was totally messed up" novel has become a little genre in and of itself (Running with Scissors comes to mind) and in Bright Angel Time we get one of the most well-drawn, radically beautiful and intensely well-observed examples of this mini-genre.
Through the eyes of Kate the wild freedom of their ragged, drug-fueled meandering has a glamorous danger and a brightly-colored attraction. The limitless vistas of the gorgeous desert landscapes that they wander through, with their blooming Joshua Trees, jagged rock formations, and bottomless caverns, echo their un-restricted life-style. Amidst all of this love and togetherness and exploration, you see all too clearly how frightening lack of structure can be, and how terrifying it is for a child to be aware that the adults around you are not truly in control.
This is a tale, simply told, that is immeasurably psychologically complex and vastly observant about human nature. I think it was beautiful and chilling and piercingly honest.
July 23, 2011
Set in the 1970s, a time of searching for meaning in deconstructed relationships, drugs, and whatever else that would challenge the social norms of the times; this is a story of two families that fell apart, and the effects of that failure on the children.
The mother of 3 girls in one family ends up alienating the girls from their father after their separation and becomes involved with a so called Jesuit therapist, Anton, who had been excused from his priestly duties in the past. Anton & Eve join their families, Anton's eight or so children from a marriage to a nun, and Eve's three, and set out to trek around the country in a haphazard manner with the kids living out of a camper in what most would consider squalor.
I found the story completely annoying at the lack of an adult in the chaos, with the exception being Eve's 12 year old "difficult" daughter, the voice of reason challenging the decisions of the so called adults. Not surprisingly, she runs away and the makeshift family watch as Anton is called on his behavior. There is a tentative reconnoitering but the book doesn’t deliver a tied up ending, so we are not certain of any resolution, or if 3 of the children lost in the Grand Canyon (a last side trip on their way home?) are ever caught up with the negligent parents.
Some folks should not have kids because they haven't grown up themselves, and when they do, it's a miracle any resulting children survive. The book may be set in the 70s, but some things never change!
The mother of 3 girls in one family ends up alienating the girls from their father after their separation and becomes involved with a so called Jesuit therapist, Anton, who had been excused from his priestly duties in the past. Anton & Eve join their families, Anton's eight or so children from a marriage to a nun, and Eve's three, and set out to trek around the country in a haphazard manner with the kids living out of a camper in what most would consider squalor.
I found the story completely annoying at the lack of an adult in the chaos, with the exception being Eve's 12 year old "difficult" daughter, the voice of reason challenging the decisions of the so called adults. Not surprisingly, she runs away and the makeshift family watch as Anton is called on his behavior. There is a tentative reconnoitering but the book doesn’t deliver a tied up ending, so we are not certain of any resolution, or if 3 of the children lost in the Grand Canyon (a last side trip on their way home?) are ever caught up with the negligent parents.
Some folks should not have kids because they haven't grown up themselves, and when they do, it's a miracle any resulting children survive. The book may be set in the 70s, but some things never change!
June 27, 2009
Betapa ingin saya bilang ke semua orang yang berminat membaca buku ini: sebaiknya batalkan niat Anda.
Ceritanya nyaris klise: sepasang orangtua berpisah karena sang ayah memilih pergi bersama perempuan lain, lalu sang ibu depresi sebelum bertemu seorang pacar baru yang kaya, (sok) religius, dan ahli terapi Gestalt . Ketiga anak perempuan mereka kemudian diajak ibu berkelana ala hippie bersama keluarga pacar yang punya lima anak. Kejadian2 sepanjang jalan yang menjadi porsi terbesar cerita buku ini, dengan narasi dari Kate, anak bungsu si ibu yang usianya hampir sembilan tahun.
Dari cerita-cerita itu, saya yakin memang demikianlah gambaran kaum hippies Amerika di tahun 1970an seperti latar belakang buku ini. Slogan "Make love not war" secara harfiah diterapkan oleh para romantis yang senang diskusi anti perang Vietnam (tapi tidak anti-KDRT), selalu berdoa karena mereka terus2an melakukan dosa secara sadar, anggota klub nudis, pengelana yang tidak memikirkan sekolah anak2, dan mengizinkan anak2 itu melinting ganja dan minum alkohol. Tapi saya terganggu dengan penceritaan yang terlalu terbuka, sambil geleng2 kepala karena tidak percaya anak seusia Kate bisa bersikap sedewasa ketika dia bernarasi.
Dan hal yang paling mengganggu saya adalah penerjemahan dan editing buku ini yang sangat berantakan!
Ceritanya nyaris klise: sepasang orangtua berpisah karena sang ayah memilih pergi bersama perempuan lain, lalu sang ibu depresi sebelum bertemu seorang pacar baru yang kaya, (sok) religius, dan ahli terapi Gestalt . Ketiga anak perempuan mereka kemudian diajak ibu berkelana ala hippie bersama keluarga pacar yang punya lima anak. Kejadian2 sepanjang jalan yang menjadi porsi terbesar cerita buku ini, dengan narasi dari Kate, anak bungsu si ibu yang usianya hampir sembilan tahun.
Dari cerita-cerita itu, saya yakin memang demikianlah gambaran kaum hippies Amerika di tahun 1970an seperti latar belakang buku ini. Slogan "Make love not war" secara harfiah diterapkan oleh para romantis yang senang diskusi anti perang Vietnam (tapi tidak anti-KDRT), selalu berdoa karena mereka terus2an melakukan dosa secara sadar, anggota klub nudis, pengelana yang tidak memikirkan sekolah anak2, dan mengizinkan anak2 itu melinting ganja dan minum alkohol. Tapi saya terganggu dengan penceritaan yang terlalu terbuka, sambil geleng2 kepala karena tidak percaya anak seusia Kate bisa bersikap sedewasa ketika dia bernarasi.
Dan hal yang paling mengganggu saya adalah penerjemahan dan editing buku ini yang sangat berantakan!
January 4, 2011
I recently reread this book to once again share the experience of being a child in the late 1960s/early 1970s when adults were wild and kids were confused. McPhee's writing is vivid and clear; she creates a believable eight year old narrative voice with short sentences and clear observations. The multiple time line technique is handled deftly with no confusion for the reader. My only gripe with the book is the ending, which seems inordinately false and dramatic, as if the author did not know how to end the book. Other than this unraveling in the final thirty pages, I deeply enjoyed reading this book.
January 15, 2021
A novel about a woman whose husband leavesher and her three children for another woman in 1969, she develops a relationship with her ¨Gestalt¨therapist Anton and then hits the road with him. And her three daughters. And his five children. In a rundown camper van. Mostly a period piece, this is told from the perspective of the youngest daughter Kate and explores the hippie-free lifestyle of traveling around mostly California with no limitations or societal obligations. It also incorporates a pretty liberal drug and alcohol scene amongst the kids. It functions best as a reflection of a period of time in american culture.
February 17, 2011
The story is told from the perspective of an eight year old girl in 1969-70, who struggles, with her sisters and mother, to cope with the breakup of the family when her father leaves them for another woman. It was an ugly look at what parents do to their children in the messy aftermath of betrayal and divorce. We've all seen it first hand at some point, but I still cringed.
I liked a good bit about this book and, for the most part, found the eight year old believable. However, the overuse of these words drove me to distraction: "babe", "love", and various forms of "to flirt"....flirt, flirted, flirting and, if I'm not mistaken, some made-up versions of the word.
I liked a good bit about this book and, for the most part, found the eight year old believable. However, the overuse of these words drove me to distraction: "babe", "love", and various forms of "to flirt"....flirt, flirted, flirting and, if I'm not mistaken, some made-up versions of the word.
October 23, 2009
ide (baca: niat penulisnya) bercerita emang sangat bagus. memandang segala permasalahan keluarga yg rumit dan pelik dari sudut pandang seorang anak kecil, tapi kalo gak peka dan jeli, hasilnya malah aneh. Narasi cerita yang harusnya dituturkan oleh seorang anak perempuan gadis kecil (polos dan lugu), malah tampak seperti omelan dan ocehan nenek tua tukang gosip yang cerewet T_T
dan yang cukup mengganggu adalah (maap) terjemahan.... seharusnya sang editor mau melakukan editing lebih telaten lg :P
dan yang cukup mengganggu adalah (maap) terjemahan.... seharusnya sang editor mau melakukan editing lebih telaten lg :P
September 9, 2007
I actually read the sequel to this book first - Gorgeous Lies.
Holy shit was this book a crazy three-ringed circus. I threw it on the floor more than once while reading it. I knew more than one family like this growing up. The immaturity of parents and their inability to look past their own needs to those of their children. Fictitious though they may be, the kids in this book are the reason the world has psychotherapists. A little too much Running With Scissors than Brady Bunch.
Holy shit was this book a crazy three-ringed circus. I threw it on the floor more than once while reading it. I knew more than one family like this growing up. The immaturity of parents and their inability to look past their own needs to those of their children. Fictitious though they may be, the kids in this book are the reason the world has psychotherapists. A little too much Running With Scissors than Brady Bunch.
January 7, 2009
Whoa, fascinating and unexpected. The book cover made it look like this would be your typical girl-in-the-south-lives-through-poverty plot but it was so much more vibrant and dysfunctional (and not really set in the south at all). I really got into the characters and their journey, but I wonder if part of the reason I liked this book so much was because I had absolutely no expectations going into it; I found it on the bargain bookshelf. :)
January 6, 2014
I liked this book. Takes place in the early 1970s. Told from the prospective of a seven year old daughter. She is the youngest of three sisters. Her father recently walked out on the family and the mother takes up with a spiritualist at Esalen who has five children. The families combine and set out for the Grand Canyon in a camper. I really enjoyed this little girl's outlook on life and her relationships with all the family members.
July 29, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. It was recommended to me and so I delved right into it. Parts were brilliant, parts was tedious/unbelievable and so skimmed through those parts. I like how the story was told by a young girl whose life was turned upside down by first her father and then her mother. It held my interest 65% of the time.
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December 21, 2016I started out really enjoying this book. Well written. Great characters. But there are places further into the read that "suggest" that something did or may happen and it disturbed me. Also I feel that there wasn't actually an ending. I turned the page and there was nothing there. It leaves you hanging.
February 11, 2011
saya jadi tau kenapa buku ini dihibahkan (kepada saya).
Ceritanya, tokohnya, penyelesaian akhirnya..... *urut dada*
cerita dengan tokoh utama anak berumur 8 tahun yang bukan untuk pembaca anak.
Ceritanya, tokohnya, penyelesaian akhirnya..... *urut dada*
cerita dengan tokoh utama anak berumur 8 tahun yang bukan untuk pembaca anak.
August 20, 2012
This book is like watching an inevitable train wreck , I'm not done with it yet but my heart has ran the emotional race with them . I like the little girls perspective on the world even though it is a very messed up world !
April 16, 2014
Bagaimana pun, saya agak terganggu dengan perjalanan panjang yg melibatkan segerombolan anak2 yg dikawal 2 orang dewasa yg egois dan kekanak-kanakan... 3 bintang saja sebenarnya masih agak terlalu banyak...
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