Book Review -- The Time Between

The Time Between by Karen White

My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hangover rating: 1

Source: Library

Genre: Literary fiction

Objectionable material: None

 

Seeking atonement over her guilt that she caused her sister's paralysis, Eleanor Murray takes a job caring for an elderly woman and becomes caught up in the woman's life of passion, danger, heartache, and deception in Hungary during World War II. 

 

Things I liked:

I love WWII survival tales. The escape by the Szarka sisters from Hungary was harrowing and dramatic.

The lush descriptions of the Carolina low country was exceptional.

Things I didn't:

Narrated from three different points of view (Eleanor, her sister Eve, and Aunt Helena) -- the alternating voices were far too similar. If it hadn't been for the chapter headers at the beginning, I would never have known which character was speaking.  It was very confusing and one deminsional.

Eleanor's two jobs for one boss was problematic: she never seems to be "at the office" -- which in real life would create many problems among co-workers.

I felt like the author was trying to manipulate my emotions -- I was not at all vested in the story and tried to push back against her literary motivations.

Details: and this totally bugged me -- library materials, not meant for her, were handed over without concern. Does. Not. Happen. Or shouldn't anyway (much like medical records).

This author's Tradd Street series is supposed to be very good. I'm still willing to give her another chance.

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