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Title:
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Blue Asylum |
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Authors:
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Hepinstall, Kathy |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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271 |
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Year:
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2012 |
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Publisher:
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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Taking exception to her husband's cruel and inhumane treatment of his slaves results in Iris Dunleavy's banishment to a Florida island following a judge's verdict that she is insane. For all of the lush beauty that surrounds Sanibel Asylum it is most definitely not paradise and Iris intends to escape, taking with her Ambrose Weller, a confederate soldier haunted by his experience of the American Civil War.
From its sublime setting to its beguiling characters, this is a fascinating story encompassing a wide breadth of human experience.
Comments from Groups: Found it an easy read and created a good discussion. The characters were well written and the story gave an amazing insight into sanity/lunacy and love plus lives in isolation. Masterton 010 Well crafted and developed with great use of language. It evoked wonderful images. Cooks Beach 001 It generated a lot of discussion on mental health and changes in attitudes since the period in which the book was written. We would read more by this author. Auckland 050 A well-paced story with interesting characters and a few unexpected twists. Enjoyed by all. Tauranga 015 Great insight into the injustice of the times. Christchurch 240
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Categories:
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Fiction, Feminism, Grief/loss, Historical, Human Rights, Love story, Medical/Health, Relationships, Social commentary/perspectives, America |
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Reviews
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By: DUNED 009
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2022-03-28 16:19:12 |
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We all enjoyed the book. Thank you. |
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By: BLENH 003
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2019-03-27 13:56:15 |
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Mixed feelings about this book. Some found it very depressing, others unrealistic - some really enjoyed reading it. |
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By: TAKA 003
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2019-03-27 13:55:02 |
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We all thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially its great language (especially metaphors, and economy of words when describing things and people). Our discussion was wide ranging, from the historical to mental health issues. |
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By: PUTAR 001
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2019-03-27 13:50:12 |
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An easily read book that contained beautifully worded descriptive passages and left us all thinking. Much discussion about what constituted 'madness', and how mental health treatment has developed since the 19th century, especially in NZ. |
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By: QUEEN 010
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2019-03-27 13:46:41 |
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We all unanimously loved this book, and it was rated the best one we've had so far this year. We really enjoyed the themes which came up in it - being a prisoner, the colour blue, the need to escape and the role of women. It really struck a chord with us and we all related to Iris and the other characters. It provoked a lot of discussion on madness, mental health, the role of doctors, the effects of war, the role of women, male dominance and what is considered 'normal' in society. We adored the characters and found them deep and meaningful. |
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By: TIMAR 007
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2019-03-27 13:40:06 |
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We found the book interesting, and we had a good discussion about early psychiatric treatment of patients. We did not like the word 'lunatic'. |
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By: MATAM 006
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2019-03-27 13:38:26 |
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All our group enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other groups. Although sad at times, it was not heavy. It was well-written and 'period correct'. Easy to read and flowed well, and generated a lot of discussion on insanity, PTSS, women's rights and slavery etc. |
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By: MARLB 001
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2019-03-27 13:33:29 |
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Enjoyed - an example of the times and women's powerlessness against the male establishment. |
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By: AUCK 196
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2019-03-27 13:31:56 |
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Some thought the story somewhat false and unbelievable,others really enjoyed the writing and found the main character's problem solving and actions interesting, leading to a good ending. |
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By: WELL 144
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2019-03-27 13:22:19 |
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A good read! |
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By: LOWER 008
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2019-03-27 13:21:44 |
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An excellent read - the opinion of the group was that it was a book that couldn't be put down. Complex characters. We felt it was beautifully and skilfully written. |
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By: CHCH 092
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2018-11-12 17:37:53 |
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The group loved this book and found it easy to read. It generated a lot of mental health discussion as well as the terrible power some people have over others and the lack of human rights. |
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