Geraldine Brooks writes erudite and wonderfully crafted literature -- I really enjoyed her Caleb's Crossing. She writes historical fiction that is a clear step above a lot of the stuff out there, both in terms of its research and the mastery with which she practices her word-craft.
In The Secret Chord, she takes on the ambitious goal of retelling the story of the biblical figure King David, a hugely challenging task, considering the length and polyvocality of the original account in the Bible . She chooses to use a 1st person POV of Natan (Nathan) one of the seers who lived with David and his household and sets the whole story within a frame tale reflecting backward on David's life. For me, unfortunately, this way of organizing her retelling makes the story feel too distant and not engaging enough for me to want to keep reading through the bloodshed and horror (especially for women) during Biblical times.
About Me
- Lisa Frieden
- My literary taste runs the gamut from Shakespeare, Poe, and Austen, to Elizabeth Lowell, Toni Morrison, and Jo Nesbo. Though I often read tales that plumb the inner demons of tortured souls, I prefer to write lighter books that my readers can have fun with.
Growing up, my sister and I lived next door to three French girls, who were like sisters to us. It was our friendship that gave me the idea of writing a book series about a group of five girls, plus the wonderful time I spent in Santa Barbara in my 20s.
Set in Santa Barbara, the Cota Club books tell the stories of each of the five friends and reflect the genres that fit each of the characters. That’s why Kristi’s story in Love and Money is a mystery, whereas Carla’s story in The Offering is romantic suspense. Tate’s story in Love and Hate is a thriller. I don’t know yet about Izzy’s, but Gwen’s will turn to the world of the supernatural.