House Arrest [NOOK Book]

A surprising read!

This is an unusual and surprising read that slowly heats to a boil; by the last third, I was having trouble putting it down! Meeropol's characters are well-drawn and sympathetic; she creates psychological complexity and back-story in precise, elegant strokes, while never losing sight of her plot. Nicely paced and nuanced. A satisfying and thought-provoking story that allows us to examine the ways in which we judge each other and ourselves, and the circumstances under which true compassion can be possible

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A truly original novel by a wonderful new author

This truly original and compelling novel is full of courage and complexity. First-time author Ellen Meeropol gives us a diverse cast of sensitive characters with rich, storied lives that are unfurled slowly, almost delicately, as the novel progresses.

Emily Klein, an agency nurse in Springfield, Massachusetts, provides care to home-bound patients, who help fill the painful void left by Emily's parents. When the novel opens, Emily has been assigned a new patient, Pippa Glenning, a young runaway from the South in her second pregnancy who is under house arrest, awaiting trial for the tragic and mysterious death of her first baby. Pippa is the youngest member of the House of Isis, a spiritual family group that worships the goddess Isis.

Despite their differences, Pippa and Emily reluctantly become friends, and Pippa dares to ask Emily for help. Because she is pregnant, it is Pippa's responsibility to dance in an upcoming ritual - the same ritual during which, one year earlier, Pippa's first child accidentally died. But the house arrest monitor makes Pippa's participation in this midnight ritual impossible. While Pippa is beginning to question the ties of the House of Isis family group, which is breaking down under the strain of the recent tragedy, she is nonetheless dedicated to her goddess, Isis, and determined to dance. Will Emily help Pippa, risking her own job in the process?

Meeropol is a skilled, subtle writer. Each of her characters, even minor ones like Gina, Emily's friend and co-worker, and Sam, the ex-husband of Emily's cousin and roommate, is so well-drawn, so human, they come to life vividly on the page. The home-care visits and Emily's interactions with her patients sing with authenticity.

Meeropol describes the various settings of the story in a masterful way. From the snowy rhododendron grove where the Isis ritual is held to Emily's bleak childhood home in Maine, rich sensory detail conveys haunting emotions, in language that manages to be both elegant and economical.

Political intrigue is woven in delicious bits throughout the story: the mystery of Emily's parents and her estrangement from her family in Maine, why Pippa left her family in Georgia, the prejudice and violence against the House of Isis. But the story is not so much a political thriller as a tale about loneliness, challenging notions of family and friendship and belief. The struggles of Emily and Pippa, and what they mean in the modern world, will stay with you long after the final page.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Faith

U mother f*cker ur lying to me

High expectations

I was intrigued by the topic and I had high expectations for this book...I heard/read many book reviews online that this was a great first novel by Ellen Meeropol. Thus, I convinced my friends to choose this book for my book club. Although we tried, this book just didn't live up to the reviews for me or other book club members. There were so many themes to explore here - cult/religion, race, abandonment - that the author touched on, but just didn't go deep enough. Perhaps there was too much to explore. I would have preferred to delve into less than not do everything presented justice. Oh, and I haven't read a book with a more predictable ending in a while. I did like the way the book was written from the main characters' POV in each chapter but the writing itself wasn't the best, imo.

Great Read

A very interesting book with great characters. The way the author is able to tie in everyone and make them relate to each other is phenomenal. The book was a easy read and always kept me interested on what was next. Great book and highly recommended.

Great Read about Strong Single Women

The intense, complex characters in House Arrest come alive, especially Emily, a visiting nurse, who has loving relationships with her diverse patients and with her cousin's child, Zoe, an elementary school girl suffering from Spina Bifida, The story focuses on moral quandaries of young adults who have suffered from the political actions (left and right) of their parents. These young women attempt to find alternative family relationships when those of their origins have failed them.
Especially effective are the alternating voices with which Meeropol frames the story, and the suspense created by the evolving bond between Emily and Pippa, a pregnant member of a religious cult who is under house arrest charged with the death of her daughter during a winter solstice ceremony. Despite their very different political backgrounds, we come to understand Emily's motivation in deciding to help Pippa with an illegal act.
I appreciate Meeropol's nonjudgmental stance toward a cult, but I had a hard time emphasizing with Pippa and I couldn't understand why Emily and her friends found her so appealing. Still, this didn't stop me from getting caught up in the book, which I couldn't put down.
Meeropol (married to the same man since her college days) describes a number of strong single women creating interdependent lives with friends and extended family rather than with a partner and nuclear family. No one couples in this novel of fulfilling alternative lives. Read House Arrest for pleasure and its personal politics.

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