Mystical Rose
by Richard Scrimger
On This Page
Description
Set primarily in Toronto, with brief stops in Philadelphia and New York, "Mystical Rose" spans from the 1920s to the 1990s. The story is told in flashbacks, revelations from the disordered mind of the elderly Rose, who, confronting death, has entered into a conversation with God. She revisits her life as an English-born girl growing up in the small town of Cobourg, Ontario. When her father returns from the First World War a burnt-out shell of his former self, her family's reduced show more circumstances force Rose into domestic service. Shortly after she enters the wealthy Rolyoke household, Rose finds herself married to the scion of the family and transported into a world she struggles to understand. With lyrical, precise prose and haunting images, Richard Scrimger captures the tale of a woman never quite in control of her own destiny, yet determined to deal with all that life presents. "From the Hardcover edition." show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
One scan of the dustjacket and you know what you’re getting in for with Mystical Rose: this isn’t a happy book. In her last moments of life, Rose Rolyoke recounts and reflects on her past, coming to terms with her failures and seeking validation of her relationships with her parents, her husband, her best friend Ruby, and – most of all – her daughter. Born to an emotionally-troubled mother and an alcoholic father left scarred by his service in World War I, Rose suffers a mostly unhappy childhood, and it all just sort of goes downhill from there. (It really goes downhill – so if you’re looking for a lighter read, grab something else, NOW. But bear in mind that there are a few really sparkling laugh-out-loud moments, plus show more you’d be missing one heck of a good story…). Grasping at scraps of happiness, Rose lives nearly ninety years wondering if she was truly ever loved, and she sees reflections of herself in her daughter Harriet, who struggles with her own relationship issues. Please read the rest of my review at The Door is Ajar, http://shernor2.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/book-review-mystical-rose/. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
31 Works 736 Members
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Suspense & Thriller
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PR9199.3 .S368 .M97 — Language and Literature English English Literature English literature: Provincial, local, etc.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 23
- Popularity
- 1,144,855
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.71)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 1
