To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.
My Thoughts:
As a mother, this book was incredibly difficult to read. I so admire the strength of Ma and how well she took care of her little boy in the horrible conditions she was forced into. And Jack as the narrator of the story is sweetly innocent but incredibly intelligent.
When the book first came out, there were comparisons to the story of Jaycee Dugard, the girl who was held for 18 years in California, and there are some similarities, but "Room" is a unique tale in its own right.
I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy intrigue, suspense and tales of courage and hope.
About The Author:
Award-winning Irish writer Emma Donoghue, Publishers Weekly writes, "Has an extraordinary talent for turning exhaustive research into plausible characters and narratives; she presents a vibrant world seething with repressed feeling and class tensions." Her latest novel, Life Mask, delves into the fashion-obsessed world of 18th-century London. Check out her website at http://www.emmadonoghue.com/ for more information about her writing.
I received a copy of "Room" from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. I was not compensated for my opinions.
