The Moment: A Novel by Douglas Kennedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Everybody has a ‘moment.’ Can many people string it out into a whole book? Probably not. But Douglas Kennedy does just that…
This book made me do three things that I’ve never done before as the direct impact of reading a novel.
1) Cry
2) Become emotionally involved
3) Enjoy reading long pages of one narrative
Douglas Kennedy, where have you been all my reading life? This novel was absolutely breath-taking from start to finish. At first I detested Kennedy’s attention to detail, the way he delved into setting a scene with the utmost clarity and flamboyant wording. But I found when the story really got going, I craved that detail. Kennedy crafted it so that you couldn’t help but be drawn in, every step of the way.
Emotional involvement in a book is often hard to achieve. There are some recent literary greats that do manage it. But this book went one step further. I was hooked by the love story between the two main characters, Thomas and Petra. I was torn by the betrayals brought against them. I was astounded and shocked by Petra’s plight. I felt the hurt that was described in minute detail, when major things happened (no spoilers). As for enjoying the long pages of narrative – wow. That’s never happened. I usually hate when authors prolong their stories by drawing out pages and pages of one person narrating to another. But it was a story within a story – within a story.
Germany and it’s History has always fascinated me. I have my own tumultuous past during a brief visit to the country a few years ago – completely unrelated to the topics in this book. But the book provoked painful memories and also highlighted a few things that weren’t obvious to me before. I understand the History better now – an emotional involvement to a great romance, a historical insight, this book offers so much.
It was a love story, but it’s also historically important. It’s fiction, but it’s also completely feasible. Read this book. It will, honestly, change your life.
Kathryn Dawson Photography 