4 out of 4 stars
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Burnt Edges by Dana Leipold is a book in the fiction genre. It is the first book in the series, tracing Laurel’s journey from a child to an adult.
The story is set in Southern California during the 1960’s. Laurel Lee Page is the second child and the only daughter of her parents. She and her brothers have been exposed to violence courtesy the drinking habits of their father, but Laurel has suffered far more than her brothers. Guilt, shame and fear have been Laurel’s constant companions since the age of six. Life doesn’t get any easier for Laurel as she grows up, but she is determined to escape the oppressive environment of her family and lead an independent life. However, as fate would have it, history is about to repeat itself. Will Laurel succumb to her family’s history of hate and violence or will she have the courage to do what is right, no matter the what consequences?
The author’s writing style is flawless. She introduces various serious issues in the story in a delicate yet effective way. The author has not given an excessive description of certain events in the story but referred to them in a subtle and intelligent manner. This has ensured that the prose is not so ugly to make it unbearable to read. There aren’t many surprises for the reader in this story but the author’s storytelling is beautiful and almost hypnotizes the reader to continue.
The characterization is pretty good too. The author has sketched a dystopian family in this story and the worst part is that we know that such characters exist in real life as well. The author has given the reader a depersonalized set of parents in this story, who have no kind feelings, except the father’s guilt. The author has expressed the classic cycle of a perpetrator of domestic abuse through Bob’s (Laurel’s father) character. He would commit an act of abuse, then feel guilty and try to make up for it. Laurel’s mother on the other hand is a shallow woman who suffers internally for her past wrongs and projects her anger for the same on the innocent Laurel. The author’s portrayal of Laurel’s character is heart wrenching, from her confusion to her shame and self-infliction of pain. Laurel’s plea for help is unanswered and she finds solace only with her grandpa, who seems to understand what is going on but is unable to help her. The author’s depiction of the damage inflicted on the psyche of the three children in this story is quite acute and it leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable.
The book touched upon various other issues like the turbulent times brought on by the Vietnam War and evolving views on sex and propriety prevailing in the 60’s decade. The author touches briefly upon how the Vietnam War has affected that generation and the torn many families apart. This war affects Laurel’s life in more than one way.
Ultimately, the story is about repeating the same mistakes as your parents or breaking the line of violence which has corrupted the family. Our heroine, Laurel, is not the quintessential rebellious female. Her childhood browbeats her into a submissive individual, but eventually all the sufferings mold her into a person who discovers immense inner strength within her. Like her grandpa said, “But God doesn’t give us more than we can handle He’ll put us through the fire a few times, so we get a little burnt around the edges, but all in all, we come out fine.”
Readers who like stories which are dark and takes them into an emotional overdrive should try this one. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
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Burnt Edges
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