The Caretaker has been sitting beside my bed for many months because I didn't feel ready to read it. Rash can be a tad dark in his always beautiful writing, and the dark time we're in has had me reading lighter stuff. But finally I braved up and began.
Excellent writing as always and the characters and their stories grabbed me immediately. A recluse with a damaged face, a young couple who marry despite parental opposition, the Korean War, an obsessed mother. . . and what a plot! I had to keep going. Highly recommended for any time.
I continue to enjoy and be in awe of Leonard's snappy story telling and his way with dialogue. He is a perfect example of the writing teacher's mantra Show, don't Tell. These three were delightful.
On the other hand, I was surprised to find that I didn't enjoy these two from Alice Hoffman as much as I expected to, and found myself skimming through and quibbling with some anachronisms that annoyed me. Also, the two books were very heavy on the Tell as opposed to Show. It's all so subjective --some other time, I might have liked them more.
