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A review by ellamariepeterson
Before and After by Rosellen Brown
2.0
I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a book snob. I don't generally pick up books just because they've been on the New York Times Bestseller list; I don't normally go for the books that have that smooth cover art that reminds me of Dan Brown's empire of "history"-thrillers or any given murder mystery. It's not that I don't think those books will be enjoyable, I'm sure they are. It's just that when I look for books to read, I'm looking at writing style. I'm looking for authors that have something new to teach me, whether it be a new perspective, a new way of approaching a plot twist, or just a fresh voice.
So when my wonderfully literary friend Kelly sent me this book, I glanced at it and then put in on my shelf for a few months. But I eventually gave it a try. And I'm quite glad I did. Roselle Brown approaches a familiar story-- murder-- from an unfamiliar perspective. She sheds light on the struggles that befall an ordinary family when their son is suddenly implicated in a brutal killing of a young girl. In their small, rural community, the event takes on a life of its own and drives this family into hiding. With their voices, by showing the father, mother, sister and the way this one horrific night changed everything about their lives, their relationships with each other, their views of childhood and community and joy and guilt and fairness. The story is cautious and subtle, it attacks issues of class, race, religion, the stigma of being outsiders, the guilt of living while others die.
All told, I was surprised by this book. I was taken in, and I got more out of it than I expected. Not a work of enormous literary merit, but definitely deserving of a read.
So when my wonderfully literary friend Kelly sent me this book, I glanced at it and then put in on my shelf for a few months. But I eventually gave it a try. And I'm quite glad I did. Roselle Brown approaches a familiar story-- murder-- from an unfamiliar perspective. She sheds light on the struggles that befall an ordinary family when their son is suddenly implicated in a brutal killing of a young girl. In their small, rural community, the event takes on a life of its own and drives this family into hiding. With their voices, by showing the father, mother, sister and the way this one horrific night changed everything about their lives, their relationships with each other, their views of childhood and community and joy and guilt and fairness. The story is cautious and subtle, it attacks issues of class, race, religion, the stigma of being outsiders, the guilt of living while others die.
All told, I was surprised by this book. I was taken in, and I got more out of it than I expected. Not a work of enormous literary merit, but definitely deserving of a read.