The Catalpa Tree
by Denyse Devlin
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Description
33 year old Oliver, becomes the guardian of his best friend's 14 year old daughter, Jude, after his friend's sudden death. In the seven years that follow, Jude struggles with being alone in the world and Oliver struggles with caring for a beloved child who is becoming a woman.Tags
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I read this in two days after I found it in the apartment we were staying in Paris. A book of tangled emotions and relationships, it is well written, although at times stretches credibility somewhat. The author evokes thoughts and memories of places I've been with vivid descriptions of parts of France, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
I stumbled upon this book and had only intended on it being a light read; however, I found that this novel was so much more. It is a fairly peculiar story of a girl named Jude who is taken under the wing of her legal guardian, Oliver, after she is left without parents. Their extraordinary relationship experiences so many highs and lows and takes breathtaking turns. I can see how this book may not appeal to everyone, but I think Devlin is deserving of praise for having written such a lyrical novel.
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Too long, too much. From the time when 38-year-old Oliver becomes guardian to eight-year-old orphan Jude until her twenty-second year we read far too many does she / doesn't shes, will they / won't theys, it's all over / oh no it isn'ts. Too much weeping and screaming. Too many reachings for zips. Too many details of the ghastly, too-long-drawn-out death of Jude's mother. Too many sentences show more like `That candid love, which he had so often ducked, had given him purpose when he had no other' and `Years of restraint and control were washed away as by an overdue monsoon'. Other events occur in these 13 years and 452 pages, such as marriages, children born, an education completed, a college degree gained, research into Gaelic literature undertaken -- but the focus throughout is entirely on the emotional (and indeed physical) wallowings of guardian and ward. show less
added by KayCliff
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9 Works 93 Members
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- (3.47)
- Languages
- English
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