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Title: confusing
Review: There are two story lines - one present, one past. Shreve alternates between the two without any warning, and it is very irritating to the reader. If you can't sit down and read this book in one sitting, don't even bother trying. You'll never find your place. (My book club agrees.) If the stories were related in some way, it would be justified, even intriquing, but one has to really stretch to find a relationship. Both involve a storm, isolation, innocence...it's a stretch. The best parts are the description of the Norwegian immigrant experience. The worst part is the jumbled organization, especially since one can find no justification for it.
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