Source: Publisher Mama takes thirteen-year-old Serena and her sister to the US in search of fortune, leaving behind their multicultural family, stability, and the colors of the Caribbean. After driving from Miami to Hollywood, their money and luck run out and a 1963 Ford Galaxie becomes their first American home. Guided by the memory of her native Curaçao and the words of her wise grandmother, Serena confronts unimagined challenges and grows up quickly. What gifts will this new country bring, and at what price?
I really enjoyed the setting in House of Six Doors. It seemed like it own character at times. I could feel all of the fond memories in Curaçao and the beauty of California. I couldn't really relate to Mama in the beginning, but I slowly understood her. I loved Serena. She had issues that both teens and immigrants have. I could really relate to her desire to fit in, because who hasn't felt left out. The plot was a little slow at the beginning and some of the middle, but other then that I really enjoyed The House of Six Doors. I am excited to see what Selbert will come up with next. Her characters and settings were so rich and detailed that I couldn't help enjoying it.
I have this one on my TBR, so I'm glad that you liked it! I thought the setting was interesting, so I'm glad that it's important to the story.
ReplyDeleteThe setting of this novel is truly a wonder to behold!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your review I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the book, so I went ahead and bought the digital version for my Kindle. You were right. I was blown away by this book, so rich, so full of wisdom, humorous and intense. This is not at all the kind of book that I'd normally read, but I couldn't put it down, and when I finished I wanted to start all over again.
ReplyDeleteThere was a surprise waiting for me when I bought the Kindle version when I found something that was basically another amazing book, full of stories, recipes, and photographs of Curacao. There was even a Papiamentu phrasebook! There are 60 or so pages of extra content in the digital book! The photos show in black-and-white in my Kindle, but fortunately I can still see them in color in my computer with Amazon software.
I'm so in love with Curaçao now. I want to try all the recipes, and I want to go there! And I may just get to because there's a contest for a free trip to Curaçao, including hotel on the beach, which I entered when I bought the book through a secret page in the book's website: http://thehouseofsixdoors.com/promo/
I probably shouldn't tell you this, since I'm reducing my chances of winning, but it's an offer to good to pass up (and there are plenty of prizes to go around). I believe it ends on March 30th.
Check out the book's website for more information!