Monday 11 April 2016

All their minds in tandem - David Sanger



Twin Peaks in the 1800s - an enigmatic stranger unearths a small town's secrets.
The setting is October 1879. The stage is New Georgetown, West Virginia.

A mysterious figure by the name of 'The Maker' has entered this small community and, almost immediately upon doing so, started entering the minds of the townsfolk.

Townsfolk who are as curious as The Maker himself. Like Dr Umbründ, the pint-sized physician with a prodigious capacity for sin; like the three sisters in the house on the hill - one stern, one wild, one mysterious; like the tavern's semi-mythical siren, 'The Bird', who plays spellbinding music from behind a black velvet curtain, and whom no patron has ever laid eyes on; like Odell, a youth with dreams and ambitions that his craven disposition will forever prevent him from seizing; and who has spent the entirety of his erstwhile existence under the crushing heel of Clay, New Georgetown's lead cad and chief alpha male.
As we enter these characters' lives, and lightly tread our way through their brains, their bedrooms, their backstories and beyond, we will see what it is they all hope for and hide - and learn just why The Maker has chosen to meet them. 

My thoughts:
I guess this book has a bit of magical realism in it, well yes it does. It's just Emerson is so good at what he does, it could be real, a little suggestion here and there you know. 

And now I will tell you what it's about.

Emerson is called The Maker, and he can make memories from you and take the bad ones away. But he is on a mission. I felt sorry for him in a way, he just wants one thing.

Odell is a pianist with a drunk for a father, and his story is more of a finding his own path.
And then there is Ora his sister who just seems lost

We also got Doctor Umbrund who hires Emerson. He was a hard one to pin down.

And last the 3 Marianne sisters. The one who is on the shelf, the one who should know better and the young one wanting more.

Emerson touches all their lives in one way or another. They all have their own stories, they all are connected. Some have memories from the war, some want more than this little town, and the book gives a few flashbacks here and there. Memories are sure the thing here, and secrets.

It's hard to say more since then you will know everything, and it's hard not to say more since I do want to explain things. But it was a nice setting, I wished they all could have gotten what they deserved (the good, the bad and the ugly), but that is not life. And of course the whole Maker thing was really good. 

I enjoyed their tales, and I must say the flashbacks were interesting. The whole war thing you know.

Conclusion:
An interesting tale.

Hardcover, 464 pages
Published March 31st 2016 by Quercus Books
Historical fiction
For review

26 comments:

  1. Hmmmmmm very interesting. Thanks for sharing this one!

    Happy Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like an interesting concept. I would love to have some memories removed and have some new ones to replace them.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

    ReplyDelete
  3. Doesn't sound like my kind of thing but I'm glad you enjoyed it!


    Karen @For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always like a good magical realism book

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh I do enjoy flashbacks in most books!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This one does sound interesting! I'm intrigued by the magical realism :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I need to meet Emerson like for real and have him do some sort of memory erasing/replacement thing for me

    ReplyDelete
  8. All I needed was "Twin Peaks in the 1800s" and I was sold!

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just the blurb and what you said about the book has my interest. I love these quirky closed community settings and interesting characters with the 'stranger comes to town' set up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do have all sorts in this town, good and bad, which makes it good

      Delete
  10. I love when an author makes the impossible seem real.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That cover is so vivid!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I think I need to look for this!

    ReplyDelete

Contributors

Copyright © 2008-2020 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP