Jayne Anne Phillips

Really tightly crafted and structured, like a piece of classical music. Aside from the fact that it was good, compelling reading, the whole infrastructure of it was interesting to follow. With, yes, a major deus ex machina, but Phillips isn't asking us to believe he was anything other than that, so it managed not to grate. Plus he had his counterpart -- all characters were carefully but not heavy-handedly twinned -- so there was a place for him. And the language was terrific. She's so show more controlled. show less

This book has all the ingredients for a great movie, but as a book it is unnecessarily complex for the sake of complexity, with flashbacks within flashbacks and dialogue unattributed for pages at a time. The ending is unnecessarily gloomy and also unconvincing. Phillips has done some research, and she makes sure to get it all in there, whether it forwards the plot or not. This is hugely disappointing, as Phillips' early short stories and her novel "Machine Dreams" are standout pieces of show more gritty, perceptive writing. But what we have here is not that. It's a hot mess. If you are looking for a really great novel about the Civil War I recommend "Nostalgia" by Dennis McFarland. show less

Jayne Anne Phillips newest novel is based on the true story of Henry Powers who was a serial killer during the Great Depression, land ured his victims through lonely-hearts advertisements which promised marriage. When Powers (who actually went by several aliases) killed Asta Eicher and her three children (all of whom were under the age of twelve), he did not count on the determination of those who knew the family to seek justice. Those murders resulted in his arrest and later conviction. He show more was put to death for his crimes.

Phillips was intrigued with the story and especially touched by the life of Annabelle, the youngest Eicher child, who was artistic and full of life. In fact, Phillips was only six years old when her mother walked her past the scene of the murders at Quiet Dell, West Virginia. This memory has haunted Phillips and was the inspiration for her novel.

The book begins before the murders and introduces the reader to the Eicher family, with a special focus on Annabelle. Emily Thornhill and her cohort Eric Lindstrom are two of the non-historical characters conjured up through the imagination of the author. They arrive after the murders as journalists intent on uncovering the crime and finding justice for the family. Much of the novel centers around Emily, a single woman with an unusual profession (at that time) who becomes emotionally invested in the crime. Her character is forever changed through the course of the investigation and trial. She discovers love and family and finds herself connected to the Eichers on many levels.

Jayne Anne Phillips has done a masterful job of recreating the events of 1931 and in the process introduces the reader to beautifully wrought fictional characters. Her novel is a blend of fact and fiction, eliciting strong emotions and in the process giving a voice to the victims of Powers’ crimes.

Quiet Dell is the best of fiction – strong characters, carefully wrought details, historical accuracy and an emotional message of redemption and justice for its characters. I loved this book and found myself thinking of the characters…and the real life victims…even after turning the final page.

Emotionally rich and exceptionally written, Quiet Dell will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction, crime fiction, and literary fiction.

Highly recommended. show less

In West Virginia in 1874, 12-year-old ConaLee brings her mother Eliza to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum because she has not spoken in a year. A man who is only named Papa, a Confederate veteran who forced himself into their live and admits to not even being ConaLee's father, makes ConaLee and Eliza take on assumed identities. ConaLee pretends to be her mother's nurse and stays to care for her.

At the institution they become acquainted with the night watch, an enigmatic man who goes by show more the name John O'Shea. He was a Union sharpshooter during the war but an explosion caused him to lose an eye and all his memories. Flashbacks to before and during the war show how the lives of these characters, and ConaLee's kind elderly neighbor Dearbhla, are all interconnected. Through these characters' stories the themes of finding identity and surviving trauma (from both the war and sexual abuse) are starkly explored. While the climax of the book hinges on a tragedy, this is also a book of hope and healing that is realized in the epilogue. show less