The Crooked Branch

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Die Geschichte erschien zunächst als “The Ghost in the Garden Room" zu Weihnachten 1859 in "The Haunted House" und wurde später unter dem Titel „The crooked Branch“ erneut veröffentlicht. Latinx Critics Speak Out Against 'American Dirt'; Jeanine Cummins Responds". NPR.org . Retrieved 2020-01-25. Majella has recently given birth to her first child and is upset to find she is not a natural at the whole mothering thing. She has always been the best at everything so assumed this would be true for parenting as well. Instead she feels isolated and insecure. She overhears her husband tell his brother that everything is pretty much the same except now there's a baby. No lost sleep, no C-section incision, no loss of identity. Claire Kirch. "Oprah, Macmillan Promise 'To Do Better' to Amplify Latinx Voices". www.publishersweekly.com . Retrieved 2021-01-24. Ginny’s story grabbed me from the start, but I could identify with Majella so it made her story compelling too.

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After the birth of her daughter, Emma, first-time mother Majella finds herself feeling extremely strange - almost like she has somehow become separated or disconnected from herself and her family. The usually resilient and self-deprecating young woman suddenly feels isolated and exhausted - feelings which she slowly comes to realize reach far beyond simply being overwhelmed by her recent introduction to new motherhood. Trying to better understand her extraordinary feelings of 'differential otherness', Majella understands that no matter how much they may love her, her family just can't help her in this particular situation; so she seeks out professional help. I only persisted with this book as I had been recommended it and the Irish Historical genealogy theme is an interest. I found the early chapters, heavy in dialogue very hard going. Reading it actually made me cringe. Felt very inauthentic. One of the best…but who knows? When I make my list at the end of the year, it could come out on top. 😉 The last time I felt this way about a past-present story line was reading The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy. I hope you get a chance to read this one!Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a fan of alternating timelines or viewpoints, but this book is the exception that proves the rule. The friendship that evolves between Ginny and Seán is a source of strength and comfort to her. He is integral in saving her children. Does their friendship ever feel improper or disloyal, given Ginny’s marital status? When they first meet at Springhill House, are Seán’s flirtations harmless, or does he really have romantic motives toward Ginny? Does Ginny respond to his flirtation appropriately? Majella wonders if perhaps she is a bad mother because of this Ginny, that maybe she is genetically programmed to fail at motherhood. After all, Majella and her mother don’t have a great relationship, so maybe she is she destined to have the same with Emma. But as Majella continues to unravel the mystery that is Ginny and her Irish family, she forms a new connection with her mother, forges a possible friendship with another new mother, and starts to regain some of her sanity. a b Hampton, Rachelle (2020-01-21). "Why Everyone's Angry About American Dirt". Slate Magazine . Retrieved 2020-01-25.

The Crooked Branch by Jeanine Cummins: 9780451239242

I was totally absorbed by the plight of Ginny Doyle who desperately tried to feed her family during the horrendous Irish potato famine of 1846-7, and equally by the daunting struggle faced by Majella in present day NY as she tried to come to terms with her radically altered life after having a baby. Mancusi, Nicholas (2020-01-16). "Review: Jeanine Cummins' 'American Dirt' Is a Harrowing Tale of Immigration, Family and Memory". Time . Retrieved 2020-01-25. Wonderful review, Anna! This almost sounds like required reading for mothers. Of course, this story is unique, but I’m certain mothers could relate to the intense emotions of motherhood.

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My favorite part of this book was Ginny’s story. If this book had been just about Ginny and her children then this would have been a perfect book and I would have given it 5 stars. However, I still enjoyed this book. Why I liked Ginny’s story so much better was because of her strong determination and love for her children. Also, she had a great story to tell. I was enriched in history. Also, I admit that I have always been fascinated with stories of Ireland. I hope to go there someday for a visit. Lois the Witch and Other Tales is an 1861 collection of five stories by Elizabeth Gaskell. The book was published by Bernhard Tauchnitz in Leipzig. Majella eavesdrops on her neighbors using her baby monitor. Is this an unethical behavior, either immediately or eventually? If so, when does it cross the line?

Book Review: The Crooked Branch by Jeanine Cummins Book Review: The Crooked Branch by Jeanine Cummins

DignidadLiteraria calls meeting with 'American Dirt' publisher 'a victory' ". NBC News . Retrieved 2020-10-27. Cummins weaves an exploration of the fierce, primal love of motherhood that connects us all through generations.”— Margaret Dilloway, author of How to Be an American HousewifeEventually, Dr. Zimmer suggests a prescription to help ease Majella’s anxiety. Should she take those pills? Why or why not?

The Crooked Branch – Jeanine Cummins

With the famine upon her, Ginny Doyle fled from Ireland to America, but not all of her family made it. What happened during those harrowing years, and why does Ginny call herself a killer? Is Majella genetically fated to be a bad mother, despite the fierce tenderness she feels for her baby? Die einzige Stütze der beiden Bauersleut ist die Tochter einer Schwester, die sie bei sich aufgenommen haben. Eigentlich, damit sie irgendwann Benjamin heiratet, schließlich sind die beiden Kinder miteinander aufgewachsen. Maunder, Andrew (2007). "Lois the Witch". The Facts on File Companion to the British Short Story. pp.248–249. Ein typisches, viktorianisches morality tale. Wer seine Kinder zu sehr verwöhnt, muss damit rechnen, dass sie auf die schiefe Bahn geraten. Niemand sollte danach streben, sich über seinen Stand zu erheben. Vorhersehbar, irgendwie ein wenig an den Haaren herbeigezogen, denn wirklich klar wird nie gemacht, warum Benjamin so missraten konnte, auf einem abgelegenen Bauernhof. Möglicherweise führte zu viele Bildung über seinen Stand hinaus zu dieser charakterlichen Missbildung.Like many historical novels, this has a dual narrative and I really enjoyed both equally and cared about what happened to both protagonists. Anna: I’m halfway through this book and am upset when “life” gets in the way and I have to put it down. I can’t wait to find out what happens to each of these mothers, but I’m also torn because I want to savor the words–Cummins writes with such emotion and brings in all of the senses. Her previous novel, “The Outside Boy” is one of my all-time favorites books (in case you’re looking for another title as part of your Ireland Reading Challenge.) Thanks for a great review–no spoilers–just more incentive to keep reading! Cheers! BCC Majella has just become a new mother. She is going through more then just postpartum depression. She is having dreams about her new born daughter being dead. She worries as mental illness does run in her family heritage. She especially worries when she find a diary in the attic from one of her relatives, Ginny. Despite the centuries that separate them, Majella is heartened to learn that her ancestor Ginny was in so many ways a woman just like herself - just a mother struggling to find a way to raise and protect her young children. Ginny's battles may have been more fundamental than Majella's - as she struggled to keep her young family alive during the time of Ireland's Great Hunger - yet Majella can't deny the strong connection that she still feels towards Ginny. However, does the fierce tenderness that Majella begins to feel towards her newborn daughter outweigh everything else - or is she actually genetically fated to be a bad mother? Determined to understand the truth of her heritage as well as her own identity, Majella seeks to learn more about Ginny Doyle's personal history - and discovers surprising new truths about her family and, ultimately, about herself. Majella’s relationship with her own mother is hardly a model one. Her mother is so far removed from anything that’s real, rambling on and on about random things and never stopping to listen to her daughter, who is falling apart at the seams. When Majella finds a diary written by an ancestor who survived the famine in Ireland, there’s one passage that makes her believe she is genetically programmed to fail at motherhood.