The book is not 190 pages or less as he states in his review. Rather it comprises 207 pages.
Lifelong Reader termed the book semi-autobiographical which, of course, it is not.......I'm neither old enough nor wise enough to have been alive in the days of the Great Depression. However the story is definitely based on some seeds of truth as they were told to me by family members and friends.
I'm happy that Lifelong Reader found the story moving. And this reader gave my story 3 stars. SARA was my first novel and for the 3 stars I say thank you to Lifelong Reader whoever you may be.
Lifelong Reader correctly describes the writing as unpolished. This description is interesting and telling .... the writing style is deliberately unpolished. The style is simplistic and is there to tell the story of simple folk who are unpolished, ordinary and unknown. Yet if a reader would take the time to look into this mirror he would see himself and his "ordinaryness" reflected
I will say I have had wonderful feedback from readers of Sara, a Canadian Saga in its paperback form and, of course, I value all feedback be it positive or otherwise because it is all helpful and serves good purpose when it is offered in a constructive manner.
I hope this first review will not deter you from wanting to read this warm, touching story which comes from the heart.
The Ebook Kindle edition of Sara, a Canadian Saga is published by Wynterblue Publishing Canada which is a non-profit company. Wynterblue is invaluable because of its support to northern writers. A special thank you goes out to them for all that they do to help emerging authors.
Here are more positive reviews of Sara, a Canadian Saga.
"Your well-written book brought memories of actual places and people to me. I was a child growing up on Prince Edward Island in the dirty thirties." K. Austin
"I've read your book already and loved the story. It reminded me of the stories my parents and grandparents used to relate about the 20's and 30's, Your story will sell very well with the older audience and educate the younger ones. They were not easy days for anyone." Judy Donovan-McDonald.
"I received SARA on Tuesday and cóuldn't wait to read it. I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the story especially the streets in Toronto. It brought back a lot of memories. It is good for the soul to remember the past. Could that be why we call them the good old days? Looking forward to a sequel. Maureen Jones-Motchan.
"I truly enjoyed reading SARA. At times I laughed and at other times I felt tears welling up. It was such a good story, well written and I loved it." Eleanor Lambert.
I just finished reading "Sara."
I took the book to work with me where I was teaching a grade 7 class. The children were directed to write about a time when they or someone they knew, demonstrated perseverance. I held up the book and used "Sara" as an example of a woman who demonstrated perseverance. I also spoke to the fact that the author demonstrated this quality in her determination to have her story published. You would not believe the response from these kids - many wanted to know if they could get it at Chapters. This story is uniquely Canadian and should be marketed to adolescents as part of their Canadian heritage. "Sara" is a narrative that figures in the histories of Canadian families everywhere. I will be passing this on to my son!
The line that cracked me up and drew me in for good:
"Their mother set the steaming bowls of vegetables in the centre of the large, old, wooden table that no amount of wax and polish could dignify." (p. 11)
I won't over-analyze why this struck me as hilarious, it just did. What sad, sad state Rebecca was in over her table. This table is a silent witness to generations of love, hope, fear, strife, courage, ignorance and finally, understanding. What a beautiful metaphor for an old scratched up, banged around history that none of us can escape and our fear of endlessly repeating it.
Thank-you for inviting us to the table.
Karen Preson.
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