Room

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin in 1969.  Emma is an award winning writer and is currently living in Canada with her family.  To visit her web site please click  HERE.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It's where he was born and where he and his Ma eat and play and learn. At night, Ma puts him safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes.


Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it's the prison where Old Nick has kept her for seven years, since she was nineteen. Through ingenuity and determination, Ma has created a life for herself and her son, but she knows it's not enough for either of them. Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma's desperation -- and Room can't contain either of them for much longer...

Told entirely in the inventive, often funny voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of the resilient bond between parent and child, and a brilliantly executed novel about a journey from one world to another.

MY THOUGHTS

When this book was first being talked about, prior to it being available for purchase, there was quite a hype and everyone was chomping at the bit for it to be released.  I'm usually one of those people but something was holding me back.  What?, you ask.  I'm not really sure.  Then the reviews started pouring onto the net and I was intrigued.  I purchased the book but had to wait to read it, I had another book on the go and a couple in the to be read pile.

I started the book close to the end of my Christmas vacation and was pleased to have a page turner in my hands.

This story is told through the voice of a young boy named Jack who lives in "Room".  He knows nothing of his hardships because his Ma has spent five years protecting him from the reality of their lives.  After Jack's fifth birthday we start to learn the circumstances surrounding their situation as his mother's need to leave "Room" increases for both their sakes.  Unbeknownst to our young story teller there is a whole world outside of "Room", which has become a comfortable cocoon like environment for him with routine, structure and the protection of four very close walls.  It takes a special person like Ma to keep the horror of her life in "Room" from her young son for 5 years until she realizes that he may be her only hope.

This was an exceptionally well told story.  Many times throughout this book I found myself saying that Jack doesn't need to know so much from his mother, that he was treated more like a friend and confidant, not a five year old boy.  I've tried to imagine myself in her shoes and I suppose I wouldn't have treated my child any differently in the situation that unfolds in this story.

I definitely recommend this book.

Signing off till next time
L.