Flora is a well-written book, but I found it very difficult to feel empathy for the main character, Helen, even though she was a ten-year old while the basic story was taking place. Helen’s negative stance, and especially her condescending attitude toward her cousin Flora who took care of her was unsavory, despite the fact that Helen had painful past experiences. I feel, if a main character is unlikable, a novel leaves much to be desired and enjoyed.

The novel is written from Helen’s point of view as an older woman looking back. The story takes place during the summer just before the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. After being motherless, Helen loses her grandmother, too, and after her father leaves on a secret mission, to work on the bomb, a cousin Flora arrives to take care of Helen.

The novel touches the other ills of the era, drunkenness, polio, intricate family problems, etc. The summer ends in tragedy for Flora though not for Helen. The story’s underlying theme is guilt and remorse.

The author’s style is masterful and the book is skillfully written. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the book due to its protagonist’s egocentricity and revolting character.

reading if you like the literary genre and do not mind an unlikable protagonist.

the author's use of the language

the main character.

is Gail Godwin, an American writer who has written one non-fiction work, two collections of short stories, thirteen novels, three of them finalists for the National Book Award.

I neither recommend nor not recommend this book. Although I finished reading it, the main character threw me off; however, it is a very well written book.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Flora: A Novel   from Amazon.Com!

Created Mar 19, 2014 at 8:02pm • Submit your own review...