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The Storm At The Door (2011)

by Stefan Merrill Block(Favorite Author)

3.1 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1400069459 (ISBN13: 9781400069453)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Random House

review 1: Stefan Merrill Block has found inspiration in his own family � he writes of his maternal grandfather, Frederick, who was committed to a mental institution for several months in 1962, and his grandmother Katharine, struggling to maintain ordinary family life for the sake of their four daughters. [return][return]The structure of the book was good; the focus switched from Frederick to Katharine intermittently, and I found that the swap always happened just at the right point, so the momentum in the story gradually increased. The characters were generally quite engaging, particularly those in the institution, although I think more could have been made of the couple�s children because there wasn�t much of a sense of their reaction to their father�s absence.[return][retu... morern]I thought the final pages, when Stefan Merrill Block wrote himself into the story, were a bit stilted and quite unnecessary. A more powerful ending might have been produced if he hadn�t done this, and just kept the story to the previous two generations. All in all, it was enthralling and I read it almost in one sitting.
review 2: THE STORM AT THE DOOR is a fascinating exploration of Stefan Merrill Block’s family history, both of what actually and what might’ve happened following his grandmother’s fateful decision to commit his manic depressive grandfather to a mental institution. Told with intelligence, a poetic ear for language, and empathy, THE STORM AT THE DOOR is a captivating story about separation and enduring love.--Lisa Genova less

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