more words

with the hubbie away and the little'un having a few early nights i have managed to read a couple of books this week.

firstly the last days of dogtown by anita diamant (pub. scribner). admittedly i picked this up as i had enjoyed reading the red tent, a fascinating account of women living in biblical times. the red tent comes from the tent where the women sequestered themselves during their monthly menstruations. they were considered unclean by the menfolk who did not want them preparing their food. seems to me the concept worked out quite well as the women pampered themselves and drank wine, talking and telling stories. i think this would work quite nicely for me once a month too.

anyhow, getting back to the dogtown, a few chapters in i almost decided to quit as it was quite miserable. it is set in 1800s america in a small town, the characters are unhappy and isolated battling against hardship and poverty. i battled on too and was soon absorbed in their lives and how their situations arose, and what happens to them. this is a great read, i would definitely recommend it.

also lost in the forest by sue miller (knopf)
i often pick up novels by authors i have previously enjoyed and sue miller is no exception. she has a way of writing about families with delicate perception. you can really identify with the characters and situations which seem so real and familiar. it's the story of a family who deal with life after a tragic accident focusing on teenager Daisy who deals with the loss by beginning her own sexual journey. brilliant.