Title: Angels in America
Author: Tony Kushner
First published May 1, 1993
304 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9781559362313 (ISBN10: 1559362316)
Rating: 4.28
Overview
In Angels in America, Tony Kushner weaves a powerful tale of love, loss, and political turmoil. Follow the lives of Prior, a man living with AIDS, his ex-lover Louis, and the conservative couple Joe and Harper as they try to navigate their way through a rapidly changing world.
Meanwhile, the infamous Roy Cohn struggles to reconcile his conservative beliefs with his own personal demons. Through two full-length plays, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, Kushner explores the struggles of these characters as they search for hope and redemption in a world that seems determined to tear them apart.
About the Author
Tony Kushner is an accomplished American playwright who is best known for his masterpiece, Angels in America, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film Munich with Eric Roth, and the movie was directed by Steven Spielberg.
This work earned Kushner and Roth an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Editoral Review
In her novel, Two Rivers, T. Greenwood paints a vivid portrait of a small town on the brink of change, where the past collides with the present, and the characters are forced to confront the secrets and lies that have been buried beneath the surface for far too long.
Set in Vermont during the summer of 1935, the novel follows the story of Harper Montgomery, a young girl who is sent to live with her estranged grandmother in the wake of her mother’s tragic death. As Harper struggles to come to terms with her loss, she also wrestles with the mysteries of her grandmother’s past, which seem to be intertwined with the disappearance of a young girl many years ago.
Greenwood’s writing is lush and evocative, her prose imbued with a sense of nostalgia and longing that is perfectly suited to the time and place in which the story is set. She captures the idyllic beauty of the countryside, as well as the tensions and conflicts that lie just beneath the surface.
The characters in Two Rivers are complex and well-drawn, each with their own motivations and desires, and each impacted by the events of the past in different ways. Harper is a compelling protagonist, a young girl trying to navigate through the emotional turmoil of grief and loss, and the unraveling of family secrets.
Alongside her are a cast of characters that are equally vivid and multi-dimensional, from her stern and jaded grandmother, to the enigmatic stranger who comes to town with his own hidden agenda. Despite its historical setting, Two Rivers has a timeless quality to it, as the themes of family, love, and loss are universal and enduring.
The novel touches on issues of race, class, and gender, highlighting the inequalities and injustices that permeate even seemingly idyllic communities. At its core, however, the story is one of hope and redemption, as the characters come to terms with their past and look towards a brighter future.
While there are moments in the novel that feel a bit slow or meandering, overall the pacing is well-balanced, with enough suspense and tension to keep the reader engaged. Greenwood’s careful attention to detail and richly imagined world-building create a sense of immersion that draws the reader in from the very first page.
For fans of historical fiction, family sagas, or coming-of-age stories, Two Rivers is a must-read. Greenwood’s talent for crafting compelling characters and intricate plots shines through in this beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel.
4.5 stars out of 5.
