Sunday, December 20, 2015

THE BIG HOUSE ON ADAMS STREET by Alberta Sparks

Fritz, a child born because of a horrific act, finds himself seeking a different kind of life for himself as an adult, rather than the one that was planned for him.  Leaving Germany on a quest to find family and build a different kind of family, Fritz builds a special house upon arriving in America.  Gathering people from here and there, those often considered "undesirables," a new kind of family does emerge.  The house becomes a kind of utopia - filled with happy people willing to contribute for the good of all.

Although the premise of the book was promising, it was often jumpy and disjointed.  Fritz, the main character in the book, is the only character truly fleshed out. The other characters left the reader with vague impressions and full of questions.  Perhaps, with fewer characters or more chapters, it would have been more of what I was looking for after reading the title. 

It is a good book - a good story - but, perhaps, a good edit or partial rewrite could make it a great book!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015