What a frustrating book! On the one hand, I liked the voices of the characters very much. I could just about hear them speaking in my mind. I truly enjoyed some of the characters very much but they didn't appear as often as I liked.
On the downside: what was this story supposed to be about? I was drawn to it because of the title and the summary I saw in the book club newsletter: it's the Civil War and a young woman dresses up like a man and follows her husband off to war. There were not-so-subtle hints about a ghost story, too. Well...look at the title, Ghost Riders. But ... I feel like I was misled! Yes, young Malinda Blalock dressed up like a soldier and followed her husband to war ... that was about one chapter. There were small chapters interspersed that told of the spirits of Civil War soldiers stirred up by the re-enactments going on around them. There wasn't enough of that.
There was an awful lot about Zebulon Vance, an ambitious mountain boy who becomes a lawyer, then a politician, then a soldier, then the governor of North Carolina...so? I kept waiting for him to have more encounters with the Blalocks but he never did. Their paths crossed just once, back when Malinda disguised herself as "Sam".
What was the point of the book anyway? Feuds don't die? Be careful not to stir up the restless ghosts by dressing up in Civil War uniforms and shooting off weapons of the time? I couldn't figure it out.
It's not a bad book because I think Sharyn McCrumb has a way with words and characterizations. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone though.
MAN OVERBOARD!
You have been shipwrecked on a remote deserted island! Howevevr, you are not the sole survivor. One of your shipmates also made it ashore. You are now stuck with them on this remote island and will not be rescued for decades, if ever.
What is the most annoying habit they could possibly have?
I think what would tick me off the most is if they are a round-the-clock talker. I think even alone on an island I'd want some time to be able to just sit and think.
::Are we there yet?::
Onesome: Are--Are you planning on heading out this Memorial Day? ...or is it a 'stay at home and chill' kind of holiday for you?
We haven't got any plans at the moment. I'm thinking we should 'stay at home and chill' because we also want to watch what we spend right now.
Twosome: we-- ....and who is "we" when you go traveling? Any preferences that you can state here in blogland
'We' would be my #1 choice, TB, and maybe the kids too
Threesome: there yet?-- ...and when you get there, what are you going to do? ...or if you're staying in, what's on the menu? Are you cooking out or just opening a can of tuna?
The next place I can think of I might be going to is Troy, NY with my son in July. We'll be staying at the university and I guess we'll have what's on the menu.
A book a read that was kinda like that but very different (if that meaks sense) is "the long engagment." WW1 setting. Very interesting, not my favorite book but a good one.
Posted by: Jaws at May 12, 2005 05:51 PM