Book Review: "Room" by Emma Donoghue

Today, Jack turned five. He likes the number five much better then the number four. His mother is making his birthday cake. He hopes he will find five candles on the cake. When Ma places the cake in front of him, he is disappointed to see there are no candles. When he asks his mother, she says, he did not bring any candles for them. Jack knows that "he" is the man he calls "Old Nick". "Old Nick" comes at night when he is alseep in wardrobe. Wardrobe is across from Bed, which sits against Bed Wall, one of four walls in Room, the only place Jack has ever known. So this is how "Room" begins. It is the story of Jack and his mother who has been kept imprisoned in one room for eight years. Room depicts the struggle she must face to raise her son and to ultimately live again.


I loved this book. It was so interesting to delve inside the mind of this young boy. The reader has the opportunity to understand the way this child thinks and understands the world and his circumstances in life. His mother is a devoted caretaker doing everything she can to ensure he is healthy, happy and educated in the most restricted of environments. Donoghue writes in a simple style which conveys her message about love . I recommend this novel for anyone looking for both a beautiful story and fascinating study into what it means to be a prisoner and a parent.

Coming Soon: Book Review of"How to Make Love to a Negro without Getting Tired" by Dany Laferriere.