Later Chapters and Whole Novel: Winter and Spring

[pen21]

I like how you state this. Surviving to Luxury. What a good description.

You are so right, how could they imagine our needs,  for instance our electronics.

Good obeservations.

pen21

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SueC1950 wrote:

I thought this was a great book.  Made me think about how far we have come from just surviving to luxury.  They could not have imagined how we live now.  Also the emotional toll it took to live in a world where survival was your whole existence.  I can only imagine how they could end up like they did.  The freedoms we have are truly wonderful.  The book created a tension as you read because there was always that underlying feeling of disaster waiting to strike, but you had a hard time putting it down.

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[jb70]

So many interesting topics and posts!  On something different, I really liked the way Mitchell included the letters about the land dispute, the recipes, receipts and newspaper articles.  They made the novel seem more real in a way, more authentic.  I love when reading non-fiction works when these types of things are included.  I almost hoped at some point we would see the photography that was described at the beginning.  Maybe from far away so that we could picture their faces on our own, but a family in summer clothes in the snow grouped together.  Although the cover art worked for me I think that might have worked equally well.  It took me until just the other day to notice the small coyote on the cover at the bottom.  This was not a book I would have picked up on my own, but I'm glad to have been pulled out of my comfort zone for it.  This is why I miss the book club I used to belong to and am so glad I found this group!

[christinezeg]

I agree about the letters. It added a feeling of authenticity. They outlined how sad things were and frustrating especially when between family members.

[dj5775]

The land offices handled the dispute between the families and land well, keeping all informed and hoping for a agreement of some sort.

It was difficult to understand how Anna could kill her own child in the manner she did, although in her state of mind it was to be suspected. She seperated herself from the child since the first moment, it was never wanted. 

Teodore killing Anna wasn't expected. I knew he was broken upon hearing of the police visit. Faced with prison once again he shut down. He worked that land, his family worked that land and now it was beyond his reach. His sister knew of the stash and had to have turned him in, giving him no other choice, he wouldn't go to jail again.

Maria will use all her strength and her family will start over she didn't save the grain for nothing. The children will grow as famers. Petro was influenced by his father and ultimatley will become him, Lesya will be with the church but both will have emotional scars.

[jb70]

In my mind Theodor killed Anna because of the baby she killed not because of turning him in to the police, because that was more unforgivable to me.  All the death and killing at the end surprised me, I know the rest of the novel was bleak and the prologue mentioned that there would be two murders but part of me was still routing for things to turn around.

[Paige_K]

I finished this book with tears in my eyes.  I had such hopes for Theo and Maria and their family. 

I defintely had some mixed feelings about Canada during this time period.  Canadians are so polite, pleasant to deal with and flexible.  Yet the Canadian land officers were uninterested in doing what was right or even looking further into this matter.  Lazy jerks if you ask me. 

Teodor was a good man and didn't deserve to end the way he did.   I hoped they would run away!  And I really had hoped that Lesya could go live with her aunt and uncle. 

I liked the book, but I was hoping for a happier ending.

Paige K.