The Hiding Place
Trezza Azzopardi
2002
288 pages
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Bonjour, FTC: I bought it, much to my dismay. Can you hook me up with a refund?
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Set in Cardiff, Wales in the 1960s, The Hiding Place is the story of the Gauci family. Frank Gauci is a Maltese immigrant with a gambling problem. On the day of his youngest daughter’s birth, Frank gambles away his restaurant to a local mobster. It is this youngest daughter, Dolores, who narrates the story.
Dolores begins the story with her return to her childhood home, where she awaits the arrival of her sisters. Dolores then goes back in time to tell the story of her family, full of hardship and abuse and emotional problems. Frank is a heartless father, selling off his daughters to cover debts and obtain advantageous business relationships. His wife, Mary, is at times an emotionally absent mother as she deals with her own problems. Their daughters grow up wild and troubled and abused.
Dolores claims to remember everything, including the circumstances of the house fire which caused her to be badly burned when she was a month old. Yet as the novel progresses it becomes evident that her observations may be shaded by a child’s interpretation of events. At this point in the novel, I became hopelessly confused (it all has to do with rabbits, and who did what to the bunnies) and I’ll admit to slogging through the last quarter of the book. I was hoping that it would all resolve itself, but by the end of the book I was just glad it was over. I had lost any sympathy I once had for Dolores, and the fate of each of the sisters really came as no surprise.
Of course, a more careful reader would probably pick up on some of the rabbit clues, but I just kept waiting for life to get better for the Gaucis. It never did.
Guess I’ll give this one a pass….
.-= JoAnn´s last blog ..TSS: A New Favorite Bookstore =-.
I’ve had this one for a while (unread) still. I do want to read it but it is not a top priority. orry it did not WOW you.
.-= diane´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday =-.
Well darn, the book looks and sounds so promising. Sorry it wasn’t so hot.
I thought it would be wonderful and was going to comment on such a lovely and homely cover, but if it wasn’t very good, perhaps I best be quiet. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
.-= vivienne´s last blog ..A bit of everything. =-.
Ooooooookaaaaaaaaay. I think I’ll give this one pass.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Beth Fish Laces =-.
Oh I hate it when I loose sympathy for those I am expected to feel sympathy for in books.
.-= Louise´s last blog ..The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld =-.
I love when your FTC disclaimer can really serve as your review of the book!
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..Show Me 5 Saturday: "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell =-.
Were the rabbits supposed to be symbols for something? I hate when that happens – an author uses SYMBOLS and they make absolutely no sense.
.-= EL Fay´s last blog ..Another Published Review! =-.
Im pretty sure I’ve read this one. And seeing that my mind isn’t that bad yet, I figure it wasn’t all that great otherwise wouldn’t I remember it more :S
Hmmm….so this is the one I won, huh
Well I am interested to see what I think! Thanks for the giveaway I am excited to see my take!
Also it was so wonderful to get to meet you in person this weekend!
.-= Amused´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday – Apr. 19 – Apr. 24, 2010 =-.
I’ve had this one for a while (unread) still. I do want to read it but it is not a top priority. orry it did not WOW you.
.-= diane´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday =-.
I fear what they might have done to the rabbits!