I began this Throwback Thursday meme as a way to share some of my old favorites as well as sharing books that I’m FINALLY getting around to reading that were published over a year ago. You know, the ones waiting patiently on my TBR list while I continue to pile more titles on top of them:)! I like that these older books are usually much easier than new releases to get a hold of at libraries and elsewhere.
If you have your own Throwback Thursday recommendation feel free to jump on board, you’re welcome to use my pic as well. If you’d like to link back to me that’d be great as I really try my best to include everyone who’s participating week by week at the bottom of my post so all my readers can enjoy all the awesome Throwback picks!
My Pick This week is….
Published March 4th, 2014
The enchanted place is an ancient stone prison, viewed through the eyes of a death row inmate who finds escape in his books and in re-imagining life around him, weaving a fantastical story of the people he observes and the world he inhabits. Fearful and reclusive, he senses what others cannot.
Two outsiders venture here: a fallen priest, and the Lady, an investigator who searches for buried information from prisoners’ pasts that can save those soon-to-be-executed. Digging into the background of a killer named York, she uncovers wrenching truths that challenge familiar notions of victim and criminal, innocence and guilt, honor and corruption-ultimately revealing shocking secrets of her own.
******
After reading (and loving) The Child Finder a couple weeks ago, I hightailed it to my library and grabbed The Enchanted, that’s how much I enjoyed Rene Denfeld’s writing! All I knew before starting this was that it involved death row and prison…two buzzwords that will always grab my attention…so I dived right in immediately. If I could only use one word to describe this book it would be haunting.
The story is narrated in the third person omniscient by one of the inmates on death row and this was the PERFECT way to tell this story. We also do get to hear from the lady, the warden and the priest but it’s all from an outside looking in perspective. The lady is there to investigate the case of York, an inmate scheduled for execution, but who may get off The Row if she finds enough evidence to convert his sentence.
Throughout the story we get an up close and personal look at life inside a prison and it’s not pretty people. I have a background in criminology and psychology and this book put both those concepts to the test. The author took so many themes…death row, putting children in adult prisons, compassion, vengeance, retribution, imagination…mixed it up and weaved a story that had me thinking and challenging my own views. This is by no means an easy read, on the contrary, it’s quite dark and difficult and at times I wanted to jump ahead because the images were too painful to read about…the white haired boy will forever haunt me…but this is how our criminal justice system operates and I wanted to challenge myself to really think about parts of this book. I absolutely loved the author’s use of books and their ability to transport an inmate to magical places outside of his physical cell as well as the mental cell he lived in. Now, whether he deserved the escape and temporary peace that reading and books brought him…that’s one of the morally gray questions readers are presented with. That and the ending…I was very much left surprised and wondering…”what would I do?”
Rene Denfeld’s writing is so magical and lyrical that I will be first in line for whatever she writes next!
**Sensitivity warning…there are what I call periphery scenes of rape, violence, and execution…meaning the scenes aren’t in your face overly graphic but you know exactly what’s happening**
More Throwback Thursday Picks Around the Blogosphere…
Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe
Deanna at DeesRadReads and Reviews
Amanda at Literary Weaponry
Cathy at Between the Lines
Julie at Novel Thrills and Chills
Susan at Susan Loves Books
Cathy at What Cathy Read Next
Lynne at Fictionophile
Nicki atThe Secret Library Site
Mischenko at Read Rant Rock and Roll
Sam at Clues and Reviews
Bill at Especially Books
Ann Marie at Lit Wit Wine Dine
Amy at NovelGossip
Annie at The Misstery
Stephanie at Stephanie’s Novel Fiction
Like you, death-row and prison are words that would draw me to a book. I really like the sound of this one. Its interesting what you mentioned about books transporting us to different worlds and I can imagine how that would be nice for an inmate. This sounds heavy but its definitely a book that I would love to read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was So heavy Diana but I loved that she challenged me as a reader and a person to think about our justice system as well as mental illness, etc. If you try this, I’d love to discuss it with you!!
LikeLike
[…] Thursday is hosted by Renee@It’s Book Talk and is a way to share some of your old favorites as well as a way to share books that were […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
I started The Enchanted a couple years ago, but it ended up being a DNF for me. That may have been a mistake on my part. (Don’t you wonder sometimes about all the books you don’t finish? How many would I have loved, if I’d just given them 20 more pages?) Glad you loved it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can see that it could be a book that’s not for everyone for sure! I think I loved it because my degree is in criminology and psychology and I’ve always loved books based on those concepts. You have to be in the right mood for this type of read as well because it’s tough! I agree about the DNFs though…I have picked some up at a later time, finished and thought they were amazing so you never know.
LikeLike
Great review, Renee. I’m glad you liked it. Since reading The Child Finder, many of my reading friends on and off the internet have told me what I great book this is. I may have to work it in as a TBT pick myself!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Ann Marie, it was similar to The Child Finder in the way it was written yet completely different in tone and premise which I appreciated even though I still think about the hard moral parts of that book! For me that’s when I know it’s a winner though:) Let me know if you do read it
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Renee at It’s Book Talk […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
How have I never heard of this book before? On to my TBR it goes!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s so good Sam…disturbing, thought provoking..but so good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great review, both this one and The Child Finder are on my list!! I love a ‘haunting’ book, I’ve just signed up for a free trial with Kindle Unlimited, I wonder if I’ll find it there 🤔
LikeLike
Great choice!! I have this on my list and hope to get to it soon 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it, Renee!! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Deanna! It was a book that will haunt me I know
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was one of those surprise books that I ended up loving! Beautifully written with a nice surprise at the end. I had to flip back through to confirm 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wasn’t it great? I agree about the surprise at the end…I thought it was all just excellent!
LikeLike
I have been wanting to read this one for ages! I might have actually picked it up once but somehow never finished it… I’m definitely going to try and remedy that soon now I’ve read your thoughts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you give it a try, it’s just so thought provoking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
An author I need to try, that’s for sure, but I’ll start with The Child Finder first!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good choice!
LikeLike
I really loved this post and your blog!! I love being introduced to new books 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much!!
LikeLike
[…] joining in again with Throwback Thursday which was created by my good friend Renee at It’s Book Talk. She started this weekly feature as a way to highlight old favorites and read books that have […]
LikeLiked by 1 person