Earthquake

by Susan Barnes

Three bright, punchy snapshots from poet and painter Barnes, first published in a limited edition in 1990, track a family's unconventional approach to divorce. The opening, The Boat, finds the intact family in Alaska, where the young, female narrator lives with her veterinarian father; her dark, elusive mother; and her three sisters. The unnamed girl finds escape and contentment on a leaky boat out on the nearby river, leading to conflict with her protective father. In Earthquake, the parents get a divorce, dividing the four girls up by ages. The narrator and her older sister, Linda, are sent to live with their father and grandparents in Waltham, Mass.--with predictable new-kid results. Calling Home records the later years in the eclipse of the narrator's liberty, signified by restrictions put on the girls as they attempt to skip school, join a church and explore the countryside around their house. What makes it work, beautifully, is Barnes's simple declarative style: He cleaned up my hand in the kitchen sink. He didn't say anything. In these arresting vignettes, Barnes vividly portrays a youthful yearning for freedom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933527110
• ISBN13: 9781933527116
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Turtle Point Press
• Length: 76 Pages
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Great quick read

You feel like you are looking at film clips of Susan's life growing up. She is able to create vivid imagery with her words. There is an innocence which is permeated by a wry sense of humor as she recounts moments from her life growing up. The only fault is that it is too short!

The best book ever printed

This is a must-read from possibly the greatest unknown author of our time. Brilliant!