New Life

Saturday, June 28, 2008


It's happened again: The nest outside my door has been feathered into and entrusted, and babies have been born—the sharp triangles of their silent beaks tilted earthworm-ward, indulgent and needy. The mother hollers at me not to touch, and of course I'd never touch. But I feel somehow knighted and new again, proximate to wings and to accumulating dreams of flight.

The very terrific Keris Stainton has posted a review of HOUSE today on her popular and fashionably pinked Trashionista blog. I hadn't been sleeping, came downstairs, clicked on her blog, just because I love reading her blog, and there, amazingly, this was.

http://www.trashionista.com/2008/06/book-review-hou.html

Thank you so much, Keris.

4 comments:

Jena said...

I happened across your blog quite by accident a few weeks ago, but I've been enjoying it. I have to say, however, that I was just at the Trashionista site (I just happen to have both blogs bookmarked--er, had them both bookmarked) and had to force quit both Safari and Firefox because something on the site froze the browsers. I even tried to tell them about it, but my attempt to find a contact method was thwarted by the frozen browsers. Can I read the review elsewhere?

Beth Kephart said...

Good morning, Jena, and thanks so much for writing. I'm sorry to hear about the browswer problem on Keris' site; I just sent her a note to let her know. And I'm really honored that you want to take the time to read the Trashionista review, which I paste in here.

I'm always amazed, really amazed, when this blog of mine is found...and read. Thank you for that,

Beth
BOOK REVIEW: House of Dance by Beth Kephart/Trashionista

In the comments on my review of Marisa de los Santos's Belong To Me, Jade said, "Even though they don't actually contain it, I just feel like somehow her books have a sense of magical realism about them...". I feel exactly the same way about Beth Kephart's books. Every time I picked up House of Dance, it struck me that I felt like I was entering a dream ... the real world just faded away.

It's the story of Rosie, whose friends are away for the summer and whose mother is distant, spending all her time with her business partner, with whom she's also having an affair. Rosie's grandfather is dying and, though she doesn't know him all that well, her mother tells her he needs her now and so she starts visiting every day.



On the way to her grandfather's house, Rosie passes the House of Dance. At first it just seems incongruously glamorous, but soon Rosie finds herself climbing the stairs and signing up for dance lessons.

Rosie's grandfather wants to get his affairs in order and, in helping him sort through his stuff, Rosie gets to know him better: his dreams, his regrets and exactly what she can do to give him the perfect goodbye.

This book is so beautiful, I almost felt bereft when I finished reading

5 stars

Kris Cahill said...

Wonderful! Congratulations to you. I went to her blog and commented there also. You are a magical and beautiful writer.

Beth Kephart said...

Oh, Kris.

So good to see your pretty face here again,

b

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