Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters - REVIEW

Book Summary:

Ghellow Road is a literary diary of a young girl's journey through the tangled labyrinth that is her life. Theresa's story begins in a large midwestern city where she is born to loving parents in 1965. For a brief moment in time, her life is full, as is her heart, and the world is hers to receive without consequence. As time passes and Theresa grows, supernatural forces begin to shape her existence, no matter how carefully her father colors the empty spaces of her world. After a series of tragic events, Theresa and her family seek refuge in a small Minnesota town nestled near the shores of Rainy Lake. She creates a new life for herself there, sharing adventures with friends and riding the ups and downs of adolescence. Yet through it all, her mother remains forever lost in the prison of her own mind and forever lost to Theresa. The young girl feels as though she is leading a double life, one that no one else could possibly understand. She begins to peer at the world as if looking through a thick, black veil, never certain which pieces are illusion and which are not. Through the kindness and support of the townspeople, She eventually summons the strength to survive. This is a story of tragedy and triumph. This is the story of my life.

My Thoughts:

Wow, what a book! I am truly sorry to have had to put this one down. What a truly compelling story, from beginning to end.

The author, I infer, is telling the story of her childhood and it is one filled with sadness, loneliness, and hardship - but she eventually rises above it all. This is a story that you fall into from the very beginning in their small modest house in what ended up being the most normal part of Theresa's childhood. You end with her entering the world after ten years of uncertainty and instability.

I cannot even imagine how it must have felt to feel so unwanted and to be juggled about with no inclination where you might end up next, and in the most formative years of a person's life.

The author has a really great writing style and even though the book jumped around in time, it was easy to follow and doesn't leave gaps for readers. I simply couldn't put it down and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would become of someone who was given so many opportunities to be a failure...and didn't.

The characters were all painted perfectly and you really gain a clear picture of how this family became so disjointed.

I heartily recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.