Book Jacket

 

rank 5456
word count 72987
date submitted 24.01.2009
date updated 11.02.2009
genres: Fiction, Travel
classification: moderate
complete

Sing Me to Sleep

KBP

Two sisters reunite in their father's home where they grew up suffering the abuse of their depressed, singer mother.

 

Sing Me to Sleep examines the residual effect of a neurotic mother's suicide on her two teenage daughters. It includes teachings from Kabbalah using the backdrop of holy cities in Israel and Boston. Rebecca Bloom, the youngest, a former musician, meets, marries and almost immediately leaves the newly orthodox, troublemaker Jules in Jerusalem whom she met during travels. Ruth, a holocaust survivor with a mysterious affair in her past which is somehow connected to Rebecca's new husband, takes Rebecca in after the breakup. Anna Bloom, older sister and painter working with real blood, lives in Massachusetts, close to where she and Rebecca grew up with their psychologist-hypnotist father, Izzy. The sisters move back in with Izzy after Anna's husband is killed in a crash and they begin to relive their dead mother's abuse, understanding how it has affected their development and their choices. Jules follows Rebecca to the States and connects with Anna’s grieving son while Anna stumbles (literally) onto a man who will enter her life as lover. Ruth appears at the end and bonds with the sisters' father.

 
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tags

family, holocaust, poetry, psychology, religion

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7 comments

 

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Eunice Attwood wrote 566 days ago

This is beautifully written, and I like the story line. Engaging characters. A well thought out plot.I give 5 stars and a spot on my shelf. Eunice - The Temple Dancer.

Eunice Attwood wrote 626 days ago

Great pitch. It grabbed me immediately. Well written and enjoyable. Eunice - The Temple Dancer.

Laith Doory wrote 657 days ago

Love the scene with the psychic.

Got to chapter 4. The introductory chunk of speech comes across as something out of a textbook, as it just appears in a void. You need to be a little more subtle than that. Might be a good idea to establish the place and orator first. Overall, C4 doesn't have the same intensity or sense of realism as the previous chapters.

Laith

Laith Doory wrote 661 days ago

I read chapter 1 and liked it very much. The images conjured up are very vivid. This could be a great novel. However, it doesn't get off to a good start. It would appear that the author is inviting a rather negative attitude from the reader toward the local Arab inhabitants of Jerusalem. Whether or not this is intentional, given the sensitivities of the region, this does not bode well for the rest of the novel.

sophiec wrote 906 days ago

KBP,

I have not read very far into the story yet but I am really enjoying it. You capture the setting beautifully and in a way that utterly draws the reader into the world of your protagonist. I really enjoy the sense of mystery and spirituality that you have created with your personal style of writing. The characters are very engaging and the way in which you write about them is original and engaging. The opening of the story is an effective 'hook' for the reader- well done!

Sophie.

kbp wrote 1201 days ago

Susan, thanks for pointing out the matter with Rebecca and the note. Editors and agents have read the book and none have mentioned the discrepancy. I agree with you completely. I will fix the chapter mess and look more deeply into the sentence structure you mentioned.


Appreciated,
kbp

SBCrispell wrote 1201 days ago

KBP,
First, I've only read the first two chapters and I tried to go on to Chp. 3, but you have Chp. 23 in its place. Now on to the comments. The first two chapters are a wonderful introduction into the setting of the book. I love that you explain the hebrew phrases that flow easily into the story. It makes the situaion seem much more real. You get right to the action and set up tension from the beginnning, which draws the reader in.

The sentences are very clean when it comes to grammar and spelling, but some of your descriptions are oddly phrased ie: “She stuffed the note back into her pocket, in complete emotional disarray which made her head start knocking, once again, from the inside and produced a slight tremble in her hands.” This sentence could be chopped into 2 or 3 shorts sentenses that have a stronger impact.

I don't understand why the only thing Rebecca's mom would put in the note is about Rebecca. It may be explained later on, but it seems too forced. I think it would have more impact if the mom wrote one prayer for her husband and both daughters, even if she hated all of them (I don't know enough yet to know if she loved or hated them). Then when Rebecca reads the note she can discect her mom's wishes for the other two and then realize how much impact the prayer has on her life. -Susan

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