- Paperback: 200 pages
- Publisher: Coffee House Press; 1 edition (Sep 1 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1566891345
- ISBN-13: 978-1566891349
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.7 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 286 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,614,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Quirky characters spend much of their time thinking disjointed thoughts and acting on scattered ideas in Cooney's likable but unfocused fourth novel (after The Old Ballerina). Tara Barlow is a young Massachusetts woman who has every aspect of her life planned down to the slightest detail, including her upcoming wedding. But when her chosen site for the nuptials burns to the ground four months before the big day, Tara calmly hops into her Mustang and takes off for parts unknown (" 'I'll go west,' she decided. 'I'll go west like the setting sun' "), leaving behind no clue to her whereabouts. She doesn't get much farther than the next town over before the book's viewpoint switches to that of Guida Santucci, the local psychic who is hired to track Tara down ("I was Italian, and I was Catholic, and I was fat. And one day, it was raining," begins Guida's narrative about her discovery of her oracular powers). Guida does manage to find Tara, although it is through old-fashioned detective work rather than third-eye divination. To the amazement of both the 53-year-old Guida and the 24-year-old Tara, a strong mutual attraction immediately develops. The novel is marred by Cooney's tendency to wander off the subject as the characters slip into frequent flashbacks. Though not everyone will go for Cooney's stylized cast of eccentrics, the affair between Guida and Tara is sweetly rendered and their dizzy interior lives possess a whimsical charm. (Sept.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Tara, who calls herself "TB--like the disease," is about to have her dream wedding, complete with roast beef, emerald high heels, "slutty" silver-glitter eye shadow, and red pantyhose and bra beneath a thin, white bridal gown. But the beautiful old White Cliffs restaurant, her cherished venue for the event, burns to the ground. Shattered, she leaves town with a note to her parents to tell her fiance, Tommy, that she is calling the whole thing off, which isn't a bad idea, since it has already crossed her mind that what she really wanted was a wedding, not a marriage. Meanwhile, the local psychic, Signora Guida Santucci, equally devastated by the fire (why hadn't she foreseen it?), refuses job offers thereafter yet agrees to help Tara's parents locate her. Following her instinct that Tara is still in Massachusetts, Guida finds her, and both women are surprised by their mutual attraction. But can they find true love and happiness? Many will want to find out from a novel this fresh and engaging. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ellen Coony Brings Unique Style To A Beautiul Tale,
By amy newman (CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The White Palazzo (Paperback)
I love this book! I wish that I could call Tara on the telephone and talk to her. I fell in love with her instantly. This is a beautiful book! Ellen Cooney's style has an almost poetic rhythm. The stoy is like a fairy tale, but the characters are extremely real! When I finished the book I wanted to know them! This is a great book!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Thing,
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Palazzo (Paperback)
I know the author so I need to be anonymous; the author was my teacher in a workshop and I was nervous about reading her stuff as I was afraid to be let down, as she is a great teacher who doesn't do an ego thing, but is truly into creativity and art. I came across some of her stories and was impressed and then read THE WHITE PALAZZO and all I can say is, compared to something like 90 percent of what passes for novels these days, this is a genuine thing; this is the real thing. The characterization is first rate. The descriptions of inner thoughts is the key here which is a rare thing in contemporary writing. "Inner is where real life is" is what's happening. I agree with the comments made elsewhere that it is too short, though. But overall it is loaded with life, a real example of how the craft of writing is far from dead.
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Burst of Novel Energy,
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Palazzo (Paperback)
Just when I thought I knew a lot about how novels are put together, i.e., turning my hand to write one myself, along comes a book that, you get completely engrossed like it's a page-turner, and it hasn't got any of the aspects you think a novel has to have. There are two central characters but lots of minor characters, most of who, you never even actually see, they're background stories. But it's all such a vivid novel; you get so caught up in the plain sheer energy and power of the author's voice, which is amazingly unique. It gives me so much inspiration for what you can do with novels. I LOVE this book. I want to read the author's other works. Tara Barlow, the main character is unlike anyone I ever met in a book before, and so is Guida, her new girlfriend. Great!
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