Sunday, January 24, 2010

Eva Moves the Furniture

Mother dies in childbirth. Child feels alone. Outcast. Boom. Other world ghosts defend her from bullies, a sexual attack, and a bombing in WW2 London?

It's out there, but Margot Livesey makes it work in Eva Moves the Furniture.

Eva McEwen is the coming of age heroine in this novel of the real and the unreal. When her mother dies after giving birth, Eva's dad, broken by his young wife's death, and her mother's aunt raise Eva on a farm in Troon, Scotland.

One afternoon, two strangers show up in the McEwen's garden, a child of about eight and a woman. Over the years, the two, who can only been seen by Eva, make appearances in Eva's life --- their deeds, at first, seem helpful -- they clean her room or get the eggs -- then ambiguous -- the young girl throws rocks at a local girl who asked Eva over for tea. Eva, desperate for friends, is not sure she understands these mysterious beings' intentions toward her at all.

Are they protectors of her or imps of evil?

Never far from her, the companions, as Eva refers to them, even travel to Glasgow, where Eva trains to be a nurse, whose timely choice leads her to tending to the many injured soldiers of WW2. In Glasgow, Eva meets a surgeon, talented in the new medicine of plastic surgery, with whom she falls in love.

The story of Eva is a story of loss, rescue, and recovery.... Livesey writes flawlessy as she lets the reader uncover the fine line between the magic and the real and the living and the dead.

ETA: This is my second Livesey novel -- the first was The House on Fortune Street. Add her to your reading list. :)

8 comments:

  1. Harriet... i miss you more than i can imgaine. i honestly forgot about your blog...but now i'm back :) what have you been doing? haha talk to ya soon-
    Jamie Thomas
    (your favorite student.)

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  2. its me agian. i;m going to need years for all my blog catching up to do... haha i'll just give you a litle update...
    Softball- busy busy busy. i'm starting to send out letters to colleges.. i know scary
    Kara- CRAZIER THAN EVER. you would be proud. she is still exceding in school (scoffs) haha :) and chasing after those boys ..... hahahhahahhahaha ..
    Emilee- well Emilee.. she does what she wants (including putting fake snow on her posters)

    Well thats all.. i'm in cooking class and bored. So how do i know that you read all this?
    hmmm well this is my education.... reading my retired teachers blog. :) love it

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  3. LOL -- you nut. You and the psycho twins owe me a lunch ....

    You do have my email, don't you, Jamie?

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  4. You always find the most interesting books to post about. I am actually possibly, thinking about joining a book club, I know don't fall out of your chair but the book they are about to discuss on Wed (which of course I just found out about) is Sara's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay and it sounded right up your alley. Of course I have no doubt you have probably already read it, but I took a stab in the dark that you hadn't. If I do join I will most certainly be using your recommendations for a book to read. Because you know what I read and it ain't for book clubs ;)

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  6. Jules, there are book clubs for EVERY genre, LOL.

    G., you're gonna have to make me a reading list. But start small, maybe 20 or 30, keep the 300 for yourself. LOL

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  7. Hey Gillham I am definitely going to read this book partially because I do judge books by its cover.
    Also I just realized that the blog changed today so now I am going to "follow" your blog. I know I'm slow but that is okay.
    Anyways now I have something to look forward to. I will comment soon but till then,
    Steffiny

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