Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

What would happen if someone did the unthinkable-and didn't deliver a letter? Filled with stunning parallels to today, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.

This is yet another book that I had such high hopes for and was let down upon reading it.

I will admit, I fell in love with the cover first. I love that picture. Love it. 

That and the beautiful writing are the only good things about this book. The language and the pictures Blake paints throughout the book are, at times, breathtaking. But the story lacked so much. It almost felt as if she focused on picking the right words to describe a scene that she forgot the plot of the story. The story is disjointed and often confusing. Some of the confusing parts make sense at the end when it all comes together but that fact did not make up for the rest of the book. Also, it was very slow moving. There were times where it picked up and, thanks to the writing, there were a few parts I really enjoyed. Overall, though, I did not enjoy it.

The characters were okay. I never fully connected with any of them and I felt like none of there stories were fully hashed out. Also, I am wondering why the book is called 'The Postmistress'. Number one, there is no such thing as a postmistress in the United States. Number two, the postmaster was only one of several characters. The majority of the book isn't even about her, it was about Frankie, an American reporting on the blitz in London.

I was so disappointed with this book. Blake's writing is the only reason I gave the book an extra star.

2 out of 5 stars

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