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eje15's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.5
mbenzz's review against another edition
5.0
I had this book sitting on my wish list forever. Every time I needed a new book, I always skipped over this. Well, finally I decided to get it out from the library so I'd be forced to read it...and I'm soooo glad I did. This book was IMPOSSIBLE to put down. It came everywhere with me until I finished it.
The book offers three different viewpoints from three very different women. In the beginning, these women are strangers to one another, but over time we see how they each come into each other's lives, and how much they (and the reader) are affected by this.
Karen has been on death row in Texas for 5 years for killing multiple men. She gives us a glimpse as to what the prison life is like and the odd friendships that are formed. Franny is a doctor in NYC whose life is falling apart. After receiving news of her Uncle's death, she leaves her old life behind to go home to her native Texas. There she starts a most unexpected job and a most unexpected relationship with a death-row inmate. And finally, Celia is the wife of one of Karen's victims. We hear her heartbreaking story of life without her husband, her range of emotions towards Karen, and how she copes with it all in the end.
I can't recommend this book enough. These women become women we know and care about. And even though Karen has killed numerous men, (and we hear how this has affected one of their wives) you can't help but feel sorry for her. I've added Ms. Ward's newest novel 'How To Be Lost' to my wish list, and definitely won't wait so long to read it.
The book offers three different viewpoints from three very different women. In the beginning, these women are strangers to one another, but over time we see how they each come into each other's lives, and how much they (and the reader) are affected by this.
Karen has been on death row in Texas for 5 years for killing multiple men. She gives us a glimpse as to what the prison life is like and the odd friendships that are formed. Franny is a doctor in NYC whose life is falling apart. After receiving news of her Uncle's death, she leaves her old life behind to go home to her native Texas. There she starts a most unexpected job and a most unexpected relationship with a death-row inmate. And finally, Celia is the wife of one of Karen's victims. We hear her heartbreaking story of life without her husband, her range of emotions towards Karen, and how she copes with it all in the end.
I can't recommend this book enough. These women become women we know and care about. And even though Karen has killed numerous men, (and we hear how this has affected one of their wives) you can't help but feel sorry for her. I've added Ms. Ward's newest novel 'How To Be Lost' to my wish list, and definitely won't wait so long to read it.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5***
Three very different women are connected by an impending execution at the Huntsville Prison in Texas. Karen – “the Highway Honey” – is on death row for the series of murders she committed in an effort to keep her young lover supplied with heroin. Celia is a lost and emotionally drained librarian and widow, whose husband was murdered. Franny left the small Texas town years ago for boarding school, making her life in New York as a doctor. Reeling from the recent death of one of her pediatric patients, she leaves her fiancé behind to return to Texas when her last relative, Uncle Jack, dies suddenly, and winds up taking over his job as prison physician. All three are emotionally disconnected and fragile. The novel spans one hot Texas summer and is told in alternating chapters by each of the three women.
Karen’s background story is obviously based on that of Aileen Wuornos (who was executed in Florida for the robbery/murders she committed there), with very little effort to change the circumstances. She might have been any murderer, why borrow such a recognizable back story? The novel is set in the fictional Gatestown, which is obviously a stand-in for the real Gatesville in which the Mountain View Unit for female Death Row prisoners is actually located. Why bother to change the name if it’s going to be so similar? The book mentions that this is about a 5-hour drive to Hunstville, where the executions actually take place, yet hordes of people show up “for the execution.” This confused me … wouldn’t they go to Huntsville? But enough quibbling over small details; they were distractions, yes, but not major flaws.
This book surprised me. Despite the emotional distance of the three central characters, there was an immediacy to the writing and I found myself completely drawn into their combined story. Their tale of grief, loneliness, longing and forgiveness has a universality about it despite the unique circumstances of each. Karen and her fellow inmates on Death Row try to create some sort of “family” out of their shared experience as they wait for their respective execution dates. Celia stumbles through her days trying to find a way back to life, afraid to hold anyone close again after losing Henry in such a violent and sudden way. She insists she is “fine” and proves it by buying a new bikini (“Isn’t that what normal women do?”), but her therapist feels that she has not really faced her rage yet. Franny is perhaps the most closed-off character and I had a very hard time with her. Of the three, she seems to be the one most damaged, going through the motions and sedating herself with alcohol. Her actions make little sense to me, but I was glad that she was finally able to acknowledge some love and personal connection.
The ending was emotionally charged for the characters, but I felt a little manipulated. The women didn’t seem to understand their own motives and, frankly, neither did I. And I thought the “resolution” was contrived and convenient. Still, this was a pretty good debut effort and I will certainly read more of this author’s works.
Three very different women are connected by an impending execution at the Huntsville Prison in Texas. Karen – “the Highway Honey” – is on death row for the series of murders she committed in an effort to keep her young lover supplied with heroin. Celia is a lost and emotionally drained librarian and widow, whose husband was murdered. Franny left the small Texas town years ago for boarding school, making her life in New York as a doctor. Reeling from the recent death of one of her pediatric patients, she leaves her fiancé behind to return to Texas when her last relative, Uncle Jack, dies suddenly, and winds up taking over his job as prison physician. All three are emotionally disconnected and fragile. The novel spans one hot Texas summer and is told in alternating chapters by each of the three women.
Karen’s background story is obviously based on that of Aileen Wuornos (who was executed in Florida for the robbery/murders she committed there), with very little effort to change the circumstances. She might have been any murderer, why borrow such a recognizable back story? The novel is set in the fictional Gatestown, which is obviously a stand-in for the real Gatesville in which the Mountain View Unit for female Death Row prisoners is actually located. Why bother to change the name if it’s going to be so similar? The book mentions that this is about a 5-hour drive to Hunstville, where the executions actually take place, yet hordes of people show up “for the execution.” This confused me … wouldn’t they go to Huntsville? But enough quibbling over small details; they were distractions, yes, but not major flaws.
This book surprised me. Despite the emotional distance of the three central characters, there was an immediacy to the writing and I found myself completely drawn into their combined story. Their tale of grief, loneliness, longing and forgiveness has a universality about it despite the unique circumstances of each. Karen and her fellow inmates on Death Row try to create some sort of “family” out of their shared experience as they wait for their respective execution dates. Celia stumbles through her days trying to find a way back to life, afraid to hold anyone close again after losing Henry in such a violent and sudden way. She insists she is “fine” and proves it by buying a new bikini (“Isn’t that what normal women do?”), but her therapist feels that she has not really faced her rage yet. Franny is perhaps the most closed-off character and I had a very hard time with her. Of the three, she seems to be the one most damaged, going through the motions and sedating herself with alcohol. Her actions make little sense to me, but I was glad that she was finally able to acknowledge some love and personal connection.
The ending was emotionally charged for the characters, but I felt a little manipulated. The women didn’t seem to understand their own motives and, frankly, neither did I. And I thought the “resolution” was contrived and convenient. Still, this was a pretty good debut effort and I will certainly read more of this author’s works.
mcearl12's review against another edition
5.0
One of my all-time favorite books...right up there with Irving's "Prayer for Owen Meany" and Gruen's "Water for Elephants." It is a brilliant book and you simply MUST read it. It's really that simple. Others will tell you what it's about...just know that it is so much more than that. Go ahead and fall into it...I dare you not to be affected by it!!
hannahcanread's review
2.0
Three women whose lives intertwine. Maybe the original appeal was it took place in Texas, but it was sometimes hard to hold my attention and the story is more dramatic than I usually enjoy.
Dropping it down to two stars because I can’t remember half the plot after finishing.
Dropping it down to two stars because I can’t remember half the plot after finishing.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
I found this book to be very descriptive, long winded and boring. I didn't like the writing style or the story itself so I didn't finish the book. I hated the characters as well especially the Death Row women-I have no sympathy listening to sob stories of how hard a life someone had that made them kill an innocent. Bullcrap! Having a tough childhood or bad experience is NEVER an excuse to murder an innocent. Plenty people have a bad start in life but not all of them go and do hellish things. I know the book is fiction but it still got on my nerves. Maybe the author is one of those bleeding hearts who believe that all murderers deserve more chances than their victims. I won't be looking at anything else by the author either.
bookishblond's review against another edition
4.0
A very postmodern book, if only in its undertones. This was a surprisingly quick read which I devoured in a single afternoon. This engrossing plot features a triangle between three women: a prisoner on Death Row, a doctor, and a librarian. At first, the three narratives seem to be randomly thrown together, but their connection is revealed soon enough. You won't be able to put it down after that.
As a native Texan, I enjoyed the well-researched bits about Huntsville, the prisons, and the death sentence. Texas executes more people than any other state, and middle schools statewide make the field trip / pilgrimage to the Huntsville museum where Old Sparky is retired. From an early age, we learn about the lethal injection and the gruesome details of how exactly an execution-via-electric chair works. I recently went to the museum as an adult and was horrified to see a gift shop t-shirt featuring Old Sparky, with the slogan "Riding Thunder." That is fucked.
Ward is obviously not from Texas, but this fact, obviously, does not take away from the quality of her writing, which is well-researched and written in lovely prose. However, her opinions on the death penalty go against everything most Texans believe. Her characters do not reflect the average Texan. Here, the death penalty is not just a policy, but a part of religion. Just like gun rights.
Ward devalues the death penalty. As in, what good would this woman's death do? What good could come from killing this woman? We look at this woman's life before prison and sympathize with her plight, but Ward seems to be advocating that justice is relative. Her character is a murderer, but she had such a tragic life, surely we can judge the murder in a different life?
The death penalty is not a cruel and unusual punishment... There are many arguments made about its cruelty, but as for unusual, it's definitely not, because we do it! A lot. Especially in Texas. This is a common punishment. Common! If you tip the scales of justice, they must be righted again. Ward questions this sentiment with grace.
As a native Texan, I enjoyed the well-researched bits about Huntsville, the prisons, and the death sentence. Texas executes more people than any other state, and middle schools statewide make the field trip / pilgrimage to the Huntsville museum where Old Sparky is retired. From an early age, we learn about the lethal injection and the gruesome details of how exactly an execution-via-electric chair works. I recently went to the museum as an adult and was horrified to see a gift shop t-shirt featuring Old Sparky, with the slogan "Riding Thunder." That is fucked.
Ward is obviously not from Texas, but this fact, obviously, does not take away from the quality of her writing, which is well-researched and written in lovely prose. However, her opinions on the death penalty go against everything most Texans believe. Her characters do not reflect the average Texan. Here, the death penalty is not just a policy, but a part of religion. Just like gun rights.
Ward devalues the death penalty. As in, what good would this woman's death do? What good could come from killing this woman? We look at this woman's life before prison and sympathize with her plight, but Ward seems to be advocating that justice is relative. Her character is a murderer, but she had such a tragic life, surely we can judge the murder in a different life?
The death penalty is not a cruel and unusual punishment... There are many arguments made about its cruelty, but as for unusual, it's definitely not, because we do it! A lot. Especially in Texas. This is a common punishment. Common! If you tip the scales of justice, they must be righted again. Ward questions this sentiment with grace.
marie_gg's review against another edition
4.0
I'd never heard of this author or book before until my friend Shelia recommended it.
Three women's lives that intersect in this thought-provoking novel about crime, the death penalty, and loneliness.
Three women's lives that intersect in this thought-provoking novel about crime, the death penalty, and loneliness.
iris_cadaver's review against another edition
4.0
Heart-breaking book that should make anyone rethink the death penalty. I've read other books that tied the stories of multiple characters together, but I think this one did it better than most. A good book to read when you feel like reading something sad. Going to need some kind of silly paperback to buoy my spirits after this one.