All Saints

by Karen Palmer

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156947138X
• ISBN13: 9781569471388
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Soho Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

incredible characters & a plot so subtle it is hard to find

Now, this woman can really write--turn a phrase--find the right word--pull us in with her language--so much so that she is worth reading just for the rhythum of her words. Her characrters are extremely well developed--especially the Cajun, ex-con 'girl boy' Harlan and the young single mother, red-diaper-baby, nurse Glory. But there are others, many others, major and minor--who pop off the pages as living breathing people that never feel contrived. The location of this story, New Orleans in the 50's, is also developed as a living character, important to the story and part of this book's accomplishment. Likewise, American Culture--and our knowledge of the events that are just around the cornor, the history that is about to unfold and our characters will have to encounter and deal with are palpable --esp. racism and to a lesser extent sexism, homophobia and even the rise of the New Left appear. Then there is the action--?? what action?? yes-each character is struggling with issues--real, serious, issues of the moment and issues of the spirit--so the title tells it all--"All Saints" -- everyone is, in fact, and in deed, worthy of sainthood, even when life is confusing--which it generally is. (Also--this story takes place on, and close to, All Saint's Day in New Orleans--so there is another inference to the living mass as Saints--crowds in parades where our characters find themselves--and all the saints that came before and are now dead, ie: why we celebrate all Saints Day--which is a nice touch). But still, while the characters and their struggles are moving, insightful and shows off the authors talents there isn't much happening. It is testament that the book is so very readable that it doesn't matter too much that there isn't much happening to pull us along. But there would be a lot more readers for this book if the story itself had half the depth that the characters do. Still --read this book--it is good, real good, maybe near great--but not quite.

The best book in it's genre I've ever read^-^

I thought this was a great book to read. It had excitement, romance, and great characters. I especially like Gloria and Baby Raymond. Anyone who has read it and didn't think it was good is a loonatic.

Terrific sense of place and character

Karen Palmer's "All Saints" is a wonderfully paced debut. Her sense of place and atmosphere is so detailed and sumptuous, the reader can almost feel the soggy Louisiana heat. Her characters all ring true, especially the Cajun convict Harlan Desonnier and Glory Wiltz, the nurse unable to tend to her own spiritual disease. But Palmer has an ability to create unforgettable minor characters as well - Telford Gaudin, Louis Chopin and Lonnie Dee not only support the major characters but are interesting in their own right. Palmer has an eye for the telling detail and an unsurpassed ear for dialogue. BUY THIS BOOK!

Wonderful New Writer!!

Karen Palmer's intelligent study of three people pushed to the wall by their own mistakes is a real find among the hoards of trash on the bookshelf. All Saints stacks up well against the novels of Annie Proux and Jane Smiley for storytelling but far exceeds either of these Pulitzer Prize winners in pure writing talent. Palmer's writing is deeply sensual and loaded with startling portrayals of character, absolutely gives off sparks. No author writing today stays as intimate with her characters, allowing the reader to experience their internal struggle while pulled along by an ever-thickening plotline. The narrative comes with three points of view, each identified with a lead character: Harlan Desonnier, a Cajun and recently released prisoner having served time for accidentally killing his wife; Glory Wiltz, a nurse with a baby from a mixed marriage; and Frank Doyle, a fallen priest. One might suppose Harlan, Glory and Father Frank represent the trinity of the human spirit (heart, intellect and soul) under trial. But what really characterizes this novel is that it is about something. Most novels today are action-packed little ditties full of sensational plotlines and superficial, stereotypical characters in cliched situations. Palmer's novel is full of real characters, who encounter themselves in the consequences of their own actions. Rarely even in a good novel do you get a good ending, but in All Saints, Palmer accomplishes the miraculous: three terrific endings! Each of her characters reaches a separate fate, each realizing something about themselves we as readers can identify with in our own circumstances. I heartily recommend this novel to anyone interested in a reading experience that goes beyond entertainment.