Week 8 Annotation: Category Women's Lives and Relationships

Author: Gail Godwin

Title: Flora

Genre: Women's Lives and Relationships

Publication Date: 2013

Number of Pages: 278

Geographical Setting: North Carolina

Time Period: 1945 mostly

Series: No

Plot Summary: This story is told through the eyes of elderly Helen who is looking back on her younger self. She is put under the care of Flora, her mother's 22 year old cousin while her father goes off to work on research during the war. There is great loss for Helen as she loses her mother, grandparents and everyone around her in the aftermath of WWII 1945, and then finally loses her father as well. She is forced to live with Flora and at such a young age and deal with all of the loss, against a backdrop of War.

Subject Headings: Self-discovery, children during WWII, loss of parent

Appeal: Currency of issues, newly listed book by award-winning author

3 terms that best describe this book:women's problems, women, women's lives

My Summary:
I thought I would like this book, but I did not. It was hard to finish. I did not have much empathy for the protaganist Helen, but I thought I would because both she and I have lost mothers. Helen reflects back on a period of time in her youth when she was coming of age, and identifies it with a very dark time. I did not like the darkness and depression associated with her life's events. I found the book very depressing, and felt as if it showed some insight into the author's own depression. Therefore, I will not be reading anymore books by this author. Not recommended, unless you're in a Grand Funk and want to remain there.

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