Clara Callan
2 journalers for this copy...
From the back cover:
In a small town in Canada, Clara Callan reluctantly takes leave of her sister, Nora, who is bound for New York. It's a time when the growing threat of fascism in Europe is a constant worry, and people escape from reality through radio and the movies. Meanwhile, the two sisters - vastly different in personality, yet inextricably linked by a shared past - try to find their places within the complex web of social expectations for young women in the 1930s.
While Nora embarks on a glamorous career as a radio-soap opera star, Clara, a strong and independent-minded woman, struggles to observe the traditional boundaries of a small and tight-knit community without relinquishing her dreams of love, freedom, and adventure. However, things aren't as simple as they appear - Nora's letters eventually reveal life in the big city is less exotic than it seems, and the tranquil solitude of Clara's life is shattered by a series of unforeseeable events. These twists of fate require all of Clara's courage and strength, and finally put the seemingly unbreakable bond between the sisters to the test.
In a small town in Canada, Clara Callan reluctantly takes leave of her sister, Nora, who is bound for New York. It's a time when the growing threat of fascism in Europe is a constant worry, and people escape from reality through radio and the movies. Meanwhile, the two sisters - vastly different in personality, yet inextricably linked by a shared past - try to find their places within the complex web of social expectations for young women in the 1930s.
While Nora embarks on a glamorous career as a radio-soap opera star, Clara, a strong and independent-minded woman, struggles to observe the traditional boundaries of a small and tight-knit community without relinquishing her dreams of love, freedom, and adventure. However, things aren't as simple as they appear - Nora's letters eventually reveal life in the big city is less exotic than it seems, and the tranquil solitude of Clara's life is shattered by a series of unforeseeable events. These twists of fate require all of Clara's courage and strength, and finally put the seemingly unbreakable bond between the sisters to the test.
I finished reading this on 14/01/2015.
***
I really enjoyed this rather bittersweet story. The mix of diary entries and letters made for an interesting format, and helped to tell the story from a few different viewpoints. However, I was disappointed for Elizabeth at the end to have only learned of her history from the diary and letters, and not to have heard about it from Clara - it seemed that she and Clara were not close, and that was a bit sad considering it was the two of them 'against the world' as a result of the social viewpoints of their time and place.
***
I really enjoyed this rather bittersweet story. The mix of diary entries and letters made for an interesting format, and helped to tell the story from a few different viewpoints. However, I was disappointed for Elizabeth at the end to have only learned of her history from the diary and letters, and not to have heard about it from Clara - it seemed that she and Clara were not close, and that was a bit sad considering it was the two of them 'against the world' as a result of the social viewpoints of their time and place.
Placed into the Aussie 3kg Bookbag.
Journal Entry 4 by alice2623663 at Wollongong, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, November 12, 2015
Taken from the bag.