Floating In My Mother's Palm by Ursula Hegi

"A unique coming of age story told from the point of view of Hanna, a young girl growing up in a small town in Germany shortly after WWII has ended."

3 Stars

Pros: Hegi's writing flows so well and she paints such vivid images of the town and people, it's easy to see yourself watching it all unfold.

Cons: Though it's mainly about what Hanna, the young girl sees in the town, there doesn't seem to be a set, linear storyline, which isn't a con per se but sometimes it leaves the reader wanting for some continuity.

Full Review:

The war has ended, with its repercussions, but for Hanna, life is more or less the same as it's always been. She interacts with the others in the town, her best friend, Renate, who everyone thinks may be a Gypsy orphan, the Dwarf Librarian, Frau Montag and Hanna's housekeeper, Frau Brooker, who has an illegitimate son who's father was an American G.I who was stationed in their small town after the war.

She's learned most of what she knows about the people in the town from Frau Montag's insatiable curiosity and gossip and Frau Brooker's own wagging tongue. Hanna is young, innocent and isn't concerned about the outside world, since so far, it hasn't affected her much. She's content to live her life the way she always has, surrounded by her loving parents and sometimes attempting to learn more of the past from what others have told her. She tries to conjure up memories of her younger brother, who passed away when he was only nine days old, and its only when she imagines memories that they've never shared and never will share, such as sledding together, that she can feel the sorrow for the connection she's never had.

Like any small town, it has its share of scandals. The Priest's sister running away with a young school teacher who came to town, a rash of crimes of passion committed and other happenings in a small town where everyone knows one another and nothing can really be kept secret. The ending was surprising in its abruptness but overall, it felt complete.

This is a hard book to describe but I'm glad I read it. It had a way of making the reader feel transported, running alongside Hanna and Renate near the Rhein, sitting with Frau Montag in her library and drinking tea. It was a beautifully written book and it was an interesting change of pace from what I usually read.

Comments

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