The Crooked Branch

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Like many historical novels, this has a dual narrative and I really enjoyed both equally and cared about what happened to both protagonists. Alice Spring is decidedly eccentric, but is she crazy? Are her peculiarities the product of her situation in life (her childless abandonment by her husband, her sheltered detachment from the real world), or are those peculiarities just symptoms of her preexisting insanity? Zombie Parents Guide (Alice in Wonderland)59. a barmy bookworm (Mrs Dalloway)60. Janie (Ireland)61. Anna @ Diary of an Eccentric (The Crooked Branch)62. Anna @ Diary of an Eccentric (The […] Shelf Awareness for Readers for Tuesday, January 21, 2020". www.shelf-awareness.com . Retrieved 2020-01-25.

The Crooked Branch - Macmillan The Crooked Branch - Macmillan

One moving scenario is when Majella goes to a mommies group. The mothers here have very clear rules of what constitutes a good mother (and that definitely does not include bottle feeding!) In alternating chapters, we follow Ginny Doyle, in Ireland in 1846-7, during the famine and Majella, her great-great-great? granddaughter in current day NYC as each struggles to figure out how to be a good mother, what you should be willing to sacrifice, and what you should not. When people “ fill in every conversation with fluff, to prevent you from trying to talk about anything real […] there’s usually some super-deep reservoir of hurt under there that they’re trying to hide. And they spend their whole life doing jazz-hands so that nobody will notice the gushing wound of pain behind the curtain.”

Eccentric Archives

Determined to uncover the truth of her heritage and her own identity, Majella sets out to explore Ginny’s past—and discovers surprising truths about her family and ultimately, herself. Leo loves Majella, and he tries to be empathetic, but there are moments when he just doesn’t understand what his wife is going through. Is he a supportive husband? How could he be better, more helpful? Is Majella right to get angry when he uses the word “babysitting” to describe staying home with their daughter, or does she overreact?

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I received an offer to read and review this book and am really looking forward to it -especially after reading your review!

Eds, The (2013-03-18). "Baltimore Fishbowl | The Ivy Bookshop Brings Jeanine Cummins, author of "The Crooked Branch" -". Baltimore Fishbowl . Retrieved 2020-01-25. One of the best…but who knows? When I make my list at the end of the year, it could come out on top. 😉 From Jeanine Cummins, the national bestselling author of American Dirt and A Rip in Heaven, comes The Crooked Branch--the deeply moving story of two mothers from two very different times.

The Crooked Branch by Jeanine Cummins | Waterstones

Exploring the effect of a secret from the past on a woman who is truly on the edge—of motherhood, of her future, of sanity, of happiness—Jeanine Cummins has written a story that truly resonates. Insightful, suspenseful, and sometimes bitingly funny, with characters the reader will think about for weeks, this bittersweet novel is emotional and immensely satisfying.”—Award-winning author Simone St. James The book closes with Majella’s mother finally coming to visit her new grandchild. Does this signal a significant change in their relationship? Will this baby girl of a new generation allow Majella and her mother to bond in a way they haven’t before? Is Majella still angry with her mother? How have her feelings changed and why? Majella wonders if perhaps she is a bad mother because of this Ginny, that maybe she is genetically programmed to fail at motherhood. After all, Majella and her mother don’t have a great relationship, so maybe she is she destined to have the same with Emma. But as Majella continues to unravel the mystery that is Ginny and her Irish family, she forms a new connection with her mother, forges a possible friendship with another new mother, and starts to regain some of her sanity.Ein typisches, viktorianisches morality tale. Wer seine Kinder zu sehr verwöhnt, muss damit rechnen, dass sie auf die schiefe Bahn geraten. Niemand sollte danach streben, sich über seinen Stand zu erheben. Vorhersehbar, irgendwie ein wenig an den Haaren herbeigezogen, denn wirklich klar wird nie gemacht, warum Benjamin so missraten konnte, auf einem abgelegenen Bauernhof. Möglicherweise führte zu viele Bildung über seinen Stand hinaus zu dieser charakterlichen Missbildung. Jeanine Cummins knows that there are stories beneath the stories, and she uses this brilliant knowing to weave a tale that is lyrical, emotional and often funny. This extraordinary novel reminds us how motherhood can make us feel as though we are coming undone while also being remade. Majella and Ginny navigate motherhood with a fierce love that propels the story forward with intense strength. Brilliant, vulnerable and intense, The Crooked Branchpierced my heart and paused my breath.”— New York Timesbestselling author Patti Callahan Henry In her determination to save her children, Ginny relies heavily on help from her eleven-year-old daughter Maire. Is it fair for Ginny to place so much responsibility on Maire? Is there some part of Ginny that just wants to escape from the harrowing circumstances at home, or are her motives for leaving her children entirely pure? Does her leaving constitute abandonment?