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Title: Depressing, dreary read with very little payoff
Review: I am always skeptical when a writer creates characters of other ethnic groups than her own: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Annie Proulx clearly did her research on this one, but while the stories seem factually plausible, none of her cast of immigrant characters ever really rises above the level of stereotype. It is as though the writer understands the facts behind them, but not the feelings. The result is like a lite, sixth-grade-social-studies trip through the history of immigration in America, with the accordion (and the unrelenting bad luck that goes with it) as a flimsy plot device.I loved Proulx's first novel, The Shipping News. But I wish I hadn't bought this book or spent the time it took to read it. My advice: save your money.
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