Review of Colored Edges
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[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Colored Edges" by Sharon Skolnick-Bagnoli.][/i] [rwc=id404487-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]Colored Edges: The Healing Quest of a Lifetime, authored by Sharon Skolnick-Bagnoli, is a fictional memoir. The protagonist, Aarona Iris Miller, is hospitalized and feels that “her 2036 mind cartwheeled over the years and back again.” The time shifts to the past, and we follow her meandering thoughts and memories. Using the third person, the author uses Iris’s stream of consciousness to frame this eclectic narrative.
In the 1990s, Iris was an educated and unmarried journalist living in San Francisco, working as an editor and art director in a magazine (Eco Planet). She was in a dysfunctional romance with a narcissistic, ambitious man named Jefferson Stetson, Chief Councilman of San Rafael. Talking to her friend Bettina, she realizes she has wasted time hanging around guys like him, and now she has no kids.
The protagonist’s obsession with men forms the core of the story. Among others, she narrates her relationships with Jim Pal (her college teacher), Robb Mast (a radio personality), Nathan Paniolo (a Hawaiian-Chinese), Jefferson Stetson (a politician), and Ephraim Kiever (a psychologist). I could certainly relate to Ephraim’s question: “Why do you talk about your old boyfriends so much?”
Besides her love life, Iris also explores aspects of her Jewish heritage, and she often worries about the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Inspired by an American Indian ceremony in California, she writes an award-winning story about finding peace in the Middle East. I liked the author’s exploration of the Native American culture and how Iris felt that the Hebrew and American Indian supplications flow together well.
The book’s structure was a noteworthy positive point. It was creative and aesthetically pleasing, which I appreciated. The color motif permeates the whole book. Each of the forty-one chapters has the name of a color; cerise, tangerine, ochre, khaki, jade, and lilac are a few lovely examples. The edges of the pages in each chapter also have the color of the chapter's title. The author provides a wealth of information about color healing at the end of the book. Also, there are poems throughout the story (Iris has literary ambitions and writes poetry), which I enjoyed.
Unfortunately, the book needs another round of editing. The numerous errors (misspelled words, verb agreement mistakes, hyphenation issues) were distracting and detracted from the reading experience. For this reason, I’m taking a star away from the rating. Thus, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I believe it will appeal to readers who value alternative healing practices, especially chromotherapy. If you enjoy discussing religion and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you might like it, too. Readers who dislike unconventional, nonlinear narratives should probably steer clear of it. ****** [i]Colored Edges [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=404487]on Bookshelves[/url]
In the 1990s, Iris was an educated and unmarried journalist living in San Francisco, working as an editor and art director in a magazine (Eco Planet). She was in a dysfunctional romance with a narcissistic, ambitious man named Jefferson Stetson, Chief Councilman of San Rafael. Talking to her friend Bettina, she realizes she has wasted time hanging around guys like him, and now she has no kids.
The protagonist’s obsession with men forms the core of the story. Among others, she narrates her relationships with Jim Pal (her college teacher), Robb Mast (a radio personality), Nathan Paniolo (a Hawaiian-Chinese), Jefferson Stetson (a politician), and Ephraim Kiever (a psychologist). I could certainly relate to Ephraim’s question: “Why do you talk about your old boyfriends so much?”
Besides her love life, Iris also explores aspects of her Jewish heritage, and she often worries about the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Inspired by an American Indian ceremony in California, she writes an award-winning story about finding peace in the Middle East. I liked the author’s exploration of the Native American culture and how Iris felt that the Hebrew and American Indian supplications flow together well.
The book’s structure was a noteworthy positive point. It was creative and aesthetically pleasing, which I appreciated. The color motif permeates the whole book. Each of the forty-one chapters has the name of a color; cerise, tangerine, ochre, khaki, jade, and lilac are a few lovely examples. The edges of the pages in each chapter also have the color of the chapter's title. The author provides a wealth of information about color healing at the end of the book. Also, there are poems throughout the story (Iris has literary ambitions and writes poetry), which I enjoyed.
Unfortunately, the book needs another round of editing. The numerous errors (misspelled words, verb agreement mistakes, hyphenation issues) were distracting and detracted from the reading experience. For this reason, I’m taking a star away from the rating. Thus, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I believe it will appeal to readers who value alternative healing practices, especially chromotherapy. If you enjoy discussing religion and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you might like it, too. Readers who dislike unconventional, nonlinear narratives should probably steer clear of it. ****** [i]Colored Edges [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=404487]on Bookshelves[/url]
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