"Without love, there is only a great empty space that we fill with whatever's handy."Fierce, endearing, and powerful. Serious southern literary-fiction along a converging vein of: Harper Lee, Hemingway, and Eudora Welty - except within the gritty parameters of hardscrabble Appalachia in the early twentieth century. "Sweeping Up Glass" is a novel that evokes a broad range of emotions, as it relates to multifarious complex issues: property rights, family, racial prejudice, economic depression, gender roles, and mental illness - sans adequate diagnosis/treatments.The characters are so vivid and well-developed it seemed they could walk off the page. I felt an eerie kindred sense of empathy for Olivia and her grandson, William, in a surreal kind of transporting way. Her bittersweet childhood and love for her father was infectious, especially in contrast to the lack of maternal love and stability. And the atmosphere of the Kentucky mountains was thick and tangible. I felt a great loss at book's end. Additionally, I was totally captivated by, not only the storyline, but, Wall's sparse yet commanding writing style. However, casual readers who are fond of straightforward linear stories may not agree. Though rich and accomplished, Wall's writing is somewhat akin to walking on a subtly marked trail through a dense forest; directional-shifts, time-shifts, metaphors, symbolism, nuances, and foreshadowing are key factors that guide and add depth to this story. The difficulty is, they are often so subtly woven in and random, they can be easily missed.All in all, this is a novel I won't soon forget. A top pick for me. This book was incredible. The voice of the protagonist was so engaging I was sucked right in and had a hard time putting it down. There were some instances in the book that were so intense I kept thinking to myself, 'Oh God, make it stop!', but in a good way. It left me with some questions about Ida's motivations and the extent of what she knew about the secret. Beautifully and hauntingly written, I can't recommend this book enough!
What do You think about Gebroken Glas (2008)?
A good fast read...liked her writing style, very well develpoed characters, felt like I knew them.
—AvailableName
My friend Sandy recommended this book and said it reminded her of To Kill a Mocking Bird.
—Susan
Absolutely loved this book! Captivating voice! Wall is an outstanding writer.
—Ashley
Couldn't put this book down. Interesting relationships and great plot.
—andyrocken
This book has many twists and turns and not many that you expect.
—cmbeswick
