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SERENA
by Rash, Ron
- Used
- near fine
- Paperback
- Condition
- Near Fine
- ISBN 10
- 1782110984
- ISBN 13
- 9781782110989
- Seller
-
Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
United Kingdom: Canongate Books. Near Fine. 2014. Paperback. 1782110984 . A Near Fine film tie-in paperback, with light reading crease to spine, else Fine. Carefully packaged and despatched within 48 hours from our wee bookshop in Scotland. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 384 pages .
Reviews
On Nov 11 2014, CloggieDownunder said:
“…the work bell rang. The men left so quickly their cast-down forks and spoons seemed to retain a slight vibration, like pond water rippling after a splash”
Serena is the fourth novel by American author, Ron Rash. The mountains of North Carolina in the early 1930s were the scene of competing land grabs: timber getters like George Pemberton who were determined to make their fortunes clear-felling the slopes; miners like Harris who stripped the denuded land of its minerals; and the government, funded by wealthy patrons like Rockerfeller and Vanderbilt, committed to creating National Parks. Logging in this remote wilderness presented many hazards but the Depression ensured that labour was cheap and plentiful.
It is against this background that Rash sets the story of Serena, newly wed to Pemberton and intent on proving herself equal to any worker in this dangerous place. From the first she shows herself to be extremely capable, but also single-minded, calculating, fiercely possessive and completely ruthless. When she perceives a threat to her business or her marriage, she acts without hesitation, fear or favour. The story is told from three perspectives: George Pemberton, thoroughly enthralled by Serena; sixteen-year-old Rachel Harmon, mother of a son to Pemberton; and foreman Snipes, gauging the mood of his crew of sawyers and offering perceptive comments on their suspicions & superstitions.
Rash gives the reader an original plot, a story that ticks along steadily, eliciting occasional gasps at Serena’s despicable actions, until it builds to a gripping climax. His characters are multi-faceted; he includes many interesting historical facts and his love of the North Carolina landscape and the mountain dwellers is apparent in the wonderful descriptive prose: “The land’s angle became more severe, the light waning, streaked as if cut with scissors and braided to the ridge piece by piece” and “… the land increasingly mountainous, less inhabited, the occasional slant of pasture like green felt woven to a rougher fabric” are two examples.
Rash gives his young mother some insightful observations: “…what made losing someone you loved bearable was not remembering but forgetting. Forgetting the small things first, the smell of soap her mother had bathed with…the sound of her mother’s voice….the color of her hair……everything you forgot made that person less alive inside you until you could finally endure it” and “It struck her how eating was a comfort during a hard time because it reminded you that there had been other days, good days, when you’d eaten the same thing. Reminded you there were good days in life, when precious little else did”
Rash has once again produced a brilliant novel, and his fans will not be disappointed. It will be interesting to see what Hollywood does with this riveting tale.
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Details
- Bookseller
- The Old Bookshelf (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 58735
- Title
- SERENA
- Author
- Rash, Ron
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- ISBN 10
- 1782110984
- ISBN 13
- 9781782110989
- Publisher
- Canongate Books
- Place of Publication
- United Kingdom
- Date Published
- 2014
- Keywords
- 1782110984, Film and Television tie-in, General Fiction
Terms of Sale
The Old Bookshelf
We work hard to make sure that every book is carefully examined and the condition is individually and accurately described. Each of our books is very carefully packaged to ensure that it arrives at its new home in the condition that it left the shop. In the event of a problem please contact us within 14 days of receipt to discuss how we can best rectify the situation.
About the Seller
The Old Bookshelf
Biblio member since 2005
Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute
About The Old Bookshelf
Welcome to the home of The Old Bookshelf, situated in Campbeltown on the West Coast of Scotland. Our wee bookshop holds over 15,000 New, Antiquarian, Out of Print and Used titles available for immediate despatch. We maintain a wide general stock, specialising in local, Scottish, maritime and military. Out of print and new titles are catalogued every day.Scottish Independent Retail Awards Regional Finalist: 2011 and 2015. Winner 2016
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