How to Stop a Heart from Beating
Ballantyne, JackieThe year 1961 is a pivotal one for nine-year-old Solly McKeen. She is a loner in a family of twins, and seen as a bit of an oddity by everyone in her dairy-farming community in South Otago. On learning about the unnamed paupers' graves in the local cemetery, she promises to people them, imagining characters, names and causes of death for each. While Solly unravels death and fills in the blanks on the gravestones, she unwittingly uncovers family secrets. NZ Interest.
Comments from Groups
Our readers were perturbed by the setting of the story, centred on the cemetery and the arranging of funerals by a 9 year old girl. The story was intriguing and told through the adventures of Solly. Nelson 031 Unanimous! It doesn't happen often, but everyone enjoyed this book very much.... Tekapo 001 This book was universally enjoyed. Much of the appeal lay in the way the author didn't spell everything out, but credited the reader with enough intelligence to reach their own conclusions - these were different for each member. Tauranga 019 This book was well received by us all. A delightful narrative from the world of a 9 year old in small town NZ 1961 - which some of us related to nicely. Palmerston North 006 An intriguing story that kept us reading to find out the family mystery. Lots to talk about in discussion. Cambridge 005 The various descriptions of this book were: enjoyable, imaginative, challenging, well constructed, strange, intriguing, clever and depressing. As you can imagine, the discussion flowed with verve re the characters, plot and construction. Recommended for those seeking a challenging novel. Taupo 005
Pages
302
302
Year
2007
2007
Reviews
27-08-2021
Nice, easy read. Not a huge plot line, probably due to the protagonist's age.
19-06-2019
Our club loved this book, so typically Kiwi. Interwoven with sadness, humour and enmity. We would recommend this book.
19-06-2019
Most people enjoyed the book. The vigorous discussion persuaded the others to try reading the book again.
19-06-2019
A disturbing but interesting book - it built up, leaving a lot for the reader to think about. We had a good discussion and liked the way it was written - we didn't think it could happen today! Some dark humour!
19-06-2019
It took a while to 'get into' this read, but in the end we all really enjoyed it. We appreciated the perspective of a child and could relate to her odd quirks.
19-06-2019
Mixed reviews, but the majority found it a good read. The author portrayed the 60's era so well. The characters were well drawn, the layers of story covered dysfunction, homophobia, infidelity, small town gossip - and we all felt the author gave a great insight into the mind of a 9 year old amazingly well.
19-06-2019
The author was amazing to be able to get into a 9 year old's head. Cleverly crafted. The mystery around Mr McMahon's life was built up so well.