RaveThe New York Journal of BooksPatchett flashes back and forward throughout the book, mirroring Danny’s feelings of suspension, which is an effective and brilliant device ... By the end, as with all good novels, we don’t view the Dutch house in quite the same way because the characters don’t view the house the same, which is both heartbreaking and satisfying ... All these rich ideas require a vibrant voice, and Danny’s resonates ... This finely textured novel is made up of many such small, intimate moments, yet the effect is sweeping, grand, and lavish—and all deeply moving.
Dave Eggers
PositiveNew York Journal of Books\"... suspenseful ... lose yourself in the sensory precision of this world, as offbeat Nine might advise, which is ironic, since every passage is rendered through Four’s eyes ... The Parade is a deeply felt book that defies easy labels. This is a book you can finish in a single sitting. And you will.\
Kenneth Womack
PositiveNew York Journal of BooksDoes the world need another book about The Beatles? If you have to ask, then Kenneth Womack’s spirited, new book on Beatles producer George Martin, or any other book about the four Liverpool lads, is not for you. For the rest of us, the story never gets old. While Martin gets top billing, The Beatles take center stage for much of the time, which, even Martin would agree, seems fitting ... The writing here may not be as lyrical as Bob Spitz’s fine book on the Beatles. But there are many gems...and the book is not as emotionally stirring as Cynthia Lennon’s book on John. Yet Womack captures quite well the joy and exhilaration and challenges of working at Abbey Road. Given the constraints of that studio, with its strict, lab coat regimes and its four-track recording equipment, it’s all the more remarkable what four young lads from Liverpool and one regal gentleman were able to create in under a decade.
Jean Thompson
PositiveThe New York Journal of BooksWho doesn’t know that frustration?—the need to flee—that highlights the remarkable achievement of the novel. While the conflicts this family endures may not have any similarities with the conflicts in your own family, the conflicts feel familiar. They may even offer insights into, say, why your father was frequently paranoid or why your sister would never listen to you. Or you’ll find yourself thinking, I used to say that to my mother, to my daughter ... There are many [passages] that will give you pause. And there’s a beauty in the sentiment, along with subtle warning.
Catherine Lacey
RaveThe New York Journal of Books\"These are not-Raymond-Carver stories, though they’re filled with desperate characters, who live messy lives, often literally. These are not-Alice-Munro stories, though they share the same psychological acuity, particularly with the way we ascribe meaning to possessions and places. These are Catherine Lacey stories, tender and heartbreaking, whimsical and moving—all finely crafted. Not a wasted word here.\
