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Reviewed by Valerie Rouse for Readers' Favorite
The Beadmaker is generally a fast paced novel cataloging the effect of incest in Georgie’s life. Georgie, or Georgina, returns to the UK after many years. She is reunited with her dysfunctional family when she attends her grandfather’s funeral. According to Ms. Hemingway, she is confronted with the fact that her illegitimate son has tracked her down under the guise of a job proposal. Georgie is overcome with the remembrance of painful memories of the incessant sexual assault by her late grandfather, the willy-nilly beatings she suffered at the hands of her father, and also the lack of emotional support in her childhood years from her mother and siblings. Through the encouragement of her long-lost son, they both reveal the news of his true heritage and the circumstances that caused her to run away from the family home in her younger days.
The pace of The Beadmaker is a bit slow at first, but as the dynamics of the family interaction step up, I did not want to put down this book! Ms. Hemingway’s book is very enthralling. I got caught up in the emotion of what the main character was experiencing. The issues of incest and illegitimacy are tastefully developed. The story is not overly dramatic but simply presented in a pleasant descriptive manner. I felt thoroughly enveloped in the episodes as though I was Georgie. The marriage of the past and present lives of the personae is very effective in representing the humanity of the characters, especially Georgie. This juxtaposition in essence gives The Beadmaker a realistic quality. The Beadmaker is an enjoyable work with a serious message. It should open your eyes especially in relation to how we raise our children as well as the environments they are exposed to.
