Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon. Today's pick is a book that's been on my Kindle for about a year. I was reminded of it by JoAnn @ Gulfside Musing who recently blogged about it. It definitely sounds like a book I might like.
Margreete's Harbor; Eleanor Morse
St. Martin's Press - 2021
Part 1
1
Burnt Harbor, Maine
1955
Margreete walked barefoot down the hallway to the stairs as the floorboards muttered. "Move," she said to the cat. Downstairs in the kitchen, she rummaged around in the refrigerator for his food and spooned some bacon drippings into a frying pan to fortify the bread crusts she'd saved for the crows.
As the flames licked around the edges of the pan, she went back upstairs and shuffled into her slippers. On the landing was a mouse that Romeo had partially eaten in the night. She bent over the headless body, the gory truncated neck, the tiny pink feet shriveled up like dried weeds. The cat joined her and nudged the carcass with a paw. "Why did you kill it?" she said. "It just wanted to live its life."
What do you think read more or pass?
I was intrigued enough to look it up on Goodreads and it sounds like a really interesting book. And 'Maine'! And such a gorgeous cover! If I owned it I would probably read on.
ReplyDeleteI love Maine settings as well and that cover really did draw me in as well.
DeleteI hope you enjoy this, too, Diane! A Maine setting is always a draw for me and I liked how the 60s and Vietnam were in the background here as well. A lovely, tender family story.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you blogged about it, it sounds like a story I'd like right now.
DeleteGreat excerpts, although I didn't want to read the part about the gory mouse, LOL.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
So true but, it brings back memories of a female cat we once had who was the best hunter.
DeleteLovely setting and cover. I'd keep reading for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt was the cover and setting that appealed to me; hope to start it soon.
DeleteIt looks really good, except for the mouse part :) I love the cover and the setting. I would keep reading.
ReplyDeleteYes, the mouse was off putting but, us cat people know it is also realistic LOL
DeleteAfter reading about this on JoAnn's blog, I'm very interested. Yes, I would keep reading!
ReplyDeleteI was embarrassed that I had forgotten I had it on my Kindle until I saw JoAnn's post.
DeleteYeah go for it. A Maine story with a cat in it ... what else do we need?
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteI'd read more! That Maine setting is always a draw for me. :)
ReplyDeleteMe too! Same for Vermont, Cape Cod and Nantucket.
DeleteNope, sounds pretty disgusting.
ReplyDeleteWell, can't expect everyone to like the same books - I'm pretty sure that is the first and last we see of a mouse in the story.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think I'd pass. I am not immediately taken with the main character.
ReplyDeleteNot sure on this one though I did love the descriptiveness. I'll be curious to see what your thoughts on it are.
ReplyDelete