(ABNA 2010 Placeholder title

The excerpt opens with the narrator remembering bits and pieces of her childhood while living in Bavaria and going sledding with the brother of a friend. The story then moves forward twenty years and we catch up with her as a mom with high school age kids who is also a teacher in the lower school where her son attends. Life is not perfect when chasing around small children in a classroom all day and taking care of husband and teenagers at night, and her weariness Is felt by the reader. This is definitely one of the outstanding excerpts I have read. Everything from the hook to the writing style is strong. The author shows talent in being able to pace the story so that the reader is drawn in page by page and busy trying to fit the pieces together to understand the story. The writing is beautiful and elegant (the author understands that sometimes, less is more) and writes very descriptively without throwing every adjective or adverb he or she knows into the text. This is definitely a book I would be drawn to based upon a dust jacket description and would stay with based upon the writing. A real winner --

I think the story has a good hook with the beginning prologue, and it will make readers want to continue further, but I'm not sure the following scenes are enough to sustain interest. The writing is generally clear and well done, but sometimes the narrator's thoughts are explained and described with strange metaphors that don't have much resonance. This excerpt could potentially lead to an interesting story, although it is unclear at this point where it is heading.

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.