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This was my choice for August #TBRTarot - Choose a book… that is based on a true story/real person. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is written by an author from my home state of West Virginia. It takes place during and after the War Between the States. West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863. The story mostly takes place at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, a real place constructed from 1858 and 1881. It (cont)⬇️

Fabulous read. The story of ConaLee and her family during and after the cataclysm that was the U.S. Civil War and the horrors it wrought moved me deeply. As a Yankee living in Virginia, I was reminded of the history of this in-between state and the chaos it meant for individuals who were forced to choose sides. A friend recently visited the Trans-AlleghenyLunatic asylum and recommended it highly. I‘d def like to take a tour.

This year‘s dark horse Pulitzer winner, on post-Civil War West Virginia.

Overall, for me this novel has some good aspects, but also problems. I liked the slightly difficult prose, and the various aspects of history and place. The plot seemed flawed to me, full of aspects that I couldn't make sense of. Slightly disappointing, maybe. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Overall, I really enjoyed this read about a family in the wake of the civil war. It was an engaging story about a daughter who needed to care for her mother and siblings in the aftermath of the war. Some aspects of the story I found confusing but overall enjoyed the book. 3.5/5

Trying to get into it. But the magical feelings and herbs that always fail to prevent the bad stuff are bothering me. I‘m only on page 82.

“Endurance was strength. The courage of the lost swelled and moved, a force separating the days, clearing the way.” (p. 276) This is a remarkable novel with beautifully crafted writing and a fascinating story. Set in the aftermath of the Civil War and told through multiple voices and perspectives. Phillips gives us an account of how the horrors of slavery, poverty and war fracture lives and identities. Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer for Fiction.

Rooftop reading on a Friday afternoon.

This turned up on one of the prize lists. And it definitely belongs there. A woman and child are caught up in the aftermath of the Civil War and end up in an asylum. The author adds quotes and actual pictures and diagrams from the asylum.

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Past pub date.

This story centers ConaLee and her mother Eliza in post-Civil War West Virginia, but broadens out to include several people in their orbit and the past. Learning how they got to where they are was the more compelling part of the story for me, whereas their current time in an asylum was a little less interesting. A low pick for me.

NBA longlist, fiction

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