Review: Islands In the Stream by Ernest Hemingway

Genre: Fiction 
Series: No 
Pages: 448
Copyright: 1997 for this edition. Originally 1970. 
Buy: Amazon

Summary:
This book tells the story of Thomas Hudson in three sections. Each section builds on his life. This is a hard book to create a summary of because it is the life story of one central character. It is a well told story with characters being an important part, even though there is very little that remains from one section to the next. Each section is a piece of Thomas Hudson's life: happiness, grief, and escape. Each is set in a different location and time.

Feelings:
This was a very frustrating book at times. It was divided into three sections, and at the beginning of every new section there were all new characters, or almost all new characters. For a while you were left wondering what happened to the old characters, but then you began to like the new characters. The entire book was very well written, and the sections were all very striking. They built on Thomas Hudson’s grief, making it greater after every section. The ending was very striking because you knew that there was nothing that would change what was happening, and it was very true for the main character.

“Oh shit.” Willie said. “You never understand people that love you.”

It made the end very final and sad. The character was never going to experience the one thing he loved any more, painting, and his joy, his children were dead. The anti-submarine activity he had to achieve was complete. This was a book I put off reading for a long time because it was about an artist and didn’t seem at first glance to be as well developed as the other Hemingway books. After reading Islands in the Stream, it seems more mature, but the main character was left with nothing at the end like in most of the books I’ve read by Hemingway.

Review: Firethorn by Sarah Micklem

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yes
Pages: 383
Copyright: 2005
Publisher: Spectra
Buy: Amazon

Here is a link to my review of the second in the series: Wildfire

Summary:
This book starts out with a young woman, Luck (later Firethorn), who leaves society and lives in the woods for a year after her mistress dies. In the woods, Luck becomes Firethorn when she eats the berries of the firethorn tree, has visions, and the God Ardor permits her to live. When she returns to the town many things have changed. The Blood, basically the royals, are going to war. When the army is gathering she meets Sire Galan and they form a relationship during the celebration of upside down days. What Firethorn thought would end with the upside down days continues and she goes with Sire Galan as his sheath. On their travels and in the Marchfield where they wait to go to war, Firethorn proves herself to know plants, and she becomes a greenwoman healing and helping people.

Feelings:
I have been drawn into the world of fiction, and my thoughts overflow with the story. I just finished reading Firethorn by Sarah Micklem. The world was different and yet similar enough that I could imagine visiting and seeing the plants I read about. I was drawn in from the first word and I followed every step not questioning even though the text may have stumble. If I did question it was more for myself and my desire to know more, to be come the character whom I am reading. Firethorn was easy to love even though she was a tough person in the book. I read and read and still I want the book to continue as the end wasn't really an ending. I have the next book and am waiting to pick it up, yet I want the first book to continue. I'm not ready for a second book yet. I have to wait for the story to drift out of my mind and stop pestering me before I start the next book.

Firethorn is light fantasy. It is not the fantasy where you have to try and believe in dragons and time travel, which I have nothing against. I like this kind of fantasy because it is easy to read without questions. Firethorn, the main character in the book, has been given gifts by the god of fire, Ardor, after she survives eating the fruit of the firethorn. When she returns from her time in the Kingswood she finds that the kingdom is going to war. When the troops come through the town she is spotted for her red hair by one of the Blood, descendant of the Gods. He takes her for his lover, but instead of leaving her in the town he takes her with him. Most of the novel takes place in the Marchfield while they are waiting to go to war across the sea. As there is little physical movement and they never get to war in the story, the book could have easily dragged, but it didn't. I did start to feel impatient and wanted them to leave for war but I never was sorry they didn't leave. The more I read the more I got to know the characters and the more I wanted to read the next in the series, Wildfire. I have to say that I was really drawn to the cover of Wildfire and would probably not have read Firethorn if I hadn't realized it was a series. I am not sorry that I did though and would recommend the novel. I do think it will appeal more to females as it is in first person, and Firethorn is not a female character who would easily be liked by male readers.