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The Clover House: A Novel (2013)

by Henriette Lazaridis(Favorite Author)

3.25 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0345530683 (ISBN13: 9780345530684)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Ballantine Books

review 1: Just OK for me. I don't think this book managed to do what it was trying to do. Most of the characters were either unlikeable or uninteresting. Callie's stained relationship with her mother, and the big mystery behind it, was the main story and it just never added up. The big traumatic revelation wasn't very traumatic, and certainly didn't explain the 60 some years of secrecy and bitterness in the family. I think some chances were missed to make this a much better book, but it was an interesting enough way to pass some time.
review 2: 2.5 stars. I don't know where to begin with this book. I cannot figure out how it got so many glowing recommendations. Neither of the main characters, Callie and her mother Clio, were likeable. The book takes place in 200... more0 as well as the 1940s during WWII in Greece. Callie, recently engaged to Jonah, lives in Boston and receives a phone call that her beloved Uncle Nestor has died and left her an inheritance. At the same time she is confused as to why her mother who now lives in Greece, wants to handle the situation for her. The backdrop for modern day Greece is the Carnivale season before Lent. The WWII storyline dealt with the occupation of Patros by the Italians and the Germans and the secret kept throughout years between Nestor and Clio. I nearly gave up on this one. I could not relate to Callie at all and was disgusted by the choices she made in Greece all because she had Mommy issues and afraid of committing to Jonah especially because (as the author pointed out numerous times) she is 35. Rather than drawing me in with all the Greek culture information I spent the first half of the book feeling like an outsider. I did relate to the aunties and could identify with some of Callie's issues with her mother due to a particularly insightful passage. As for the WWII parts of the book they were interesting enough but I didn't find the secret that shocking or moving for that matter. To be honest, this was a chore for me to read. less

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