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Title:
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Border Street |
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Authors:
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Leal, Suzanne |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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314 |
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Year:
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2006 |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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When Kate and Cameron rent a house on Border Street, Kate forges a bond with Frank, their elderly Czech-Australian landlord who lives with his wife, Vera, next door. The more time Kate spends with Frank, the more she wants to find out about his earlier life. As Frank gradually opens up to Kate, she is compelled to understand a dark European history that she'd never known or cared about - and is forever changed by the encounter.
Comments from Groups: Much discussion on the relationships and the subjugation of the Jewish community. The characters were beautifully drawn. Very well written - gripping - a fantastic first book. Gisborne 005 A beautiful story within a story...We liked the characters. Auckland 133 Discussion was lively about the characters, which were thoughtfully drawn with a great deal of empathy. Morrinsville 001 A very well crafted story. Enjoyed by all of us to various degrees. Rotorua 006 Easy to read, thought-provoking. Not everyone enjoyed the writer's style though. Wellington 116
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Categories:
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Fiction, War theme, Relationships, Australia |
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Reviews
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By: WHAKA 002
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2020-03-31 12:07:23 |
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Mixed reviews. Some really enjoyed it, while others found it a bit "contrived" and didn't enjoy it. |
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By: LOWER 004
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2020-03-31 12:06:03 |
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Many of our group found it a slow start for this book. It was only when Frank began to tell of his memories of the German occupation and the war, that interest picked up. It's interesting that little is known of Czechoslovakia during World War II. It also led to discussion about boundaries in relationships. |
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By: ARIA 001
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2020-03-31 11:53:01 |
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Everyone enjoyed this book. Well-written, with two or three stories being told at once. |
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By: COROM 003
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2020-03-31 11:50:01 |
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This book was well received, with good debate on various topics raised!! |
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By: AUCK 050
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2020-03-31 11:47:23 |
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Animated discussion on an interesting subject. The border theme throughout was of interest. Writing could have been tightened; characters rang true but not some of the dialogue. |
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By: KATIK 002
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2020-03-31 11:45:20 |
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We all thought that 'Border Street' was a very well crafted novel. A really clever detailed account of the realities of genocide as they are experienced by two of its survivors. Excellent insight to the lonely plight of those who lost their families and friends in the 1940s in Europe, and how they tried to rebuild their lives with lasting effects. We thought that the friendship (while unlikely with 40 years, and continents between them) between Kate and Frank was handled so well. |
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By: DANNE 004
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2020-03-31 11:38:41 |
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We all thoroughly enjoyed this book and found that it told the story of Jewish persecution at a much deeper, and more emotional level than many others, and how that experience affected every aspect of life from then on. |
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By: AUCK 071
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2020-03-31 11:36:18 |
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Good meeting - everyone enjoyed the book but some thought it took a while to get interested. The second half was more interesting, all about Frank's life. Also, everyone thought the relationship between Frank and Kate was really nice, he was like a grandfather to her. |
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By: CHCH 009
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2020-03-31 11:33:41 |
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Very interesting and easy to read. Memorable characters, but aspects of the plot not easily believable, eg. Kate and Cam's reluctance to move on from an environment where they had no privacy. Good discussion! |
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By: COROM 002
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2020-03-31 11:31:25 |
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Interesting. Quite a powerful read, covering several very discussable issues. |
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