Ursula, Under

Ursula,Under is an odd yet beautifully written book. It begins by introducing little Ursula, age two. Her mother, who was crippled in a hit-and-run accident as a young girl, wasn't supposed to be able to have children. Her father, of mixed Chinese descent, adores his little girl and vows to do a better job than his own father, who abandoned his family when he was a toddler. Then, on a visit to the Michigan Upper Peninsula, the unthinkable happens - Ursula, laughing and happy, runs across a field and vanishes into a concealed mine shaft. This is where the story takes an unconventional turn. Instead of proceeding directly with the tense rescue - or recovery - of Ursula, the story jumps back 2,000 years to a Chinese ancestor of Ursula, an show more alchemist. Every other chapter follows this pattern - the rescue and the background of Ursula's parents, and then a drop into the distant past of Finland or China, and eventually, the United States.

The heart of this story is an affirmation of genealogy: we only exist because of the whim of procreation over successive generations, and even though facts and names have been lost, we still carry on their legacy. The historical fiction parts of the novel were delightful because they covered territory that most other novelists ignore, and show how the birth of a child means different things to different people across the ages. Hill's writing is phenomenal and poetic. My one complaint is that the novel is heavily stream-of-consciousness and goes off on various tangents; whereas the approach seems realistic, it becomes tedious in the context of a novel, especially when whip-lashed between several different character and an omnipotent narrator who describes some events that don't even happen because of a character's death. (There is one passing reference that a father, had he lived, would have molested his daughter at exactly 4 years and 2 months of age. However, the father died before the child was even born.)

I enjoyed the book because the concept and the quality outweighed the sometimes-annoying stream-of-consciousness technique. It should be of particular interest to those who love genealogy and wonder about the whims of their own existence. show less

I came to this book with preconceptions and walked away so happy I read this family saga. The textures of history and human existence come together in unexpected ways, leaving us to question exactly where we came from. I won't reveal any of the plot, for to tell too much would spoil the essence of the experience. Ingrid Hill has written a beautiful and evocative work; her achievement is a foil for all those other historical novels who try to be this good but fall short.

I don’t remember why I put this on my TBR list, though I suspect it was a recommendation from my local indie bookseller back in 2004. Having finally read it, I wonder why I kept it on the list for so long.

The basic story line is that a two-year-old child, Ursula Wong, falls into an abandoned mine while on a holiday with her parents in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While her parents wait for the rescue teams to organize and arrive at the remote location, and for the painstaking preparations they need to make to shore up the mine before attempting to go after the child, the author goes back in time to give us Ursula’s ancestry. The story line moves back and forth in time from the drama unfolding in Michigan to the 3rd century BC show more where we meet a Chinese alchemist, to 17th-century Europe, to Ursula’s great-grandfather who died in a mine collapse. Some of these stories were fascinating, others failed to capture my attention.

Hill does have some strikingly original and beautifully written passages in the book. And those fed my love of literary fiction and kept me turning pages, hoping for more of this. But, it was a slog to get through. It took me over a month to finish it, because I kept putting it aside for other books that required less brain power to enjoy. (I did have a number of other things on my plate which kept me from doing much reading, so it’s not entirely the book’s fault.)

So, while I appreciate the message that each of us owes much to our varied ancestry, the novel seemed bogged down by the complex structure and timeframe Hill chose for delivering her message. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book and wonder why it isn't a more well known. It really makes you appreciate and wonder about one's ancestors and the histories that are part of each life whether known or unknown.

Best novel I've read in a very long time. Absolutely captivating. Wonderful, original premise. Will recommend to many of my thinking reading friends.

Similar to THE GARGOYLE, not in the writing style or content, but in the format. URSULA, UNDER alternates between a chapter in the present and a chapter in the past, focusing on the ancestors of Ursula's parents, Justin (who is Chinese-American) and Annie (Finnish-American). So, like THE GARGOYLE, there are many stories in one, but they are tied together more neatly. Ingrid Hill is a wonderful writer.

I still think about this book from time to time, as that's how good it was. Ingrid Hill skillfully weaves together the stories of Ursula's very disparate ancestors who faced difficulties and challenges with courage, humor and sometimes sheer luck.