The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

In The Map of True Places, Zee is a psychotherapist on the verge of getting married, when the suicide of one of her patients throws her for a loop. It that wasn't enough, she discovers that her father who has Parkingsons disease is a lot sicker than he's been letting on. When she becomes his caretaker, she makes discoveries that not only alter her life, but also allow her to see the past in a whole new light.

I loved this book! It took me a bit to get into it, though. I think it was a rhythm thing. Anyway, after about 50 pages, I was hooked. The book is written in short sections within somewhat short chapters and changes direction often. Great format and style! I loved the way it explained the past and present events alternatively and how it all fit together. Barry is a wonderful story teller.

The book offers lots of facts about different subjects and manages to tie them all to the story in a meaningful and entertaining way. I learned a little about Parkinson's disease (her father disease). therapy and bipolar disorder (her profession), and celestial navigation (an analogy for her new course in life). I love learning new things and I enjoyed these sections, even though they seemed a little more rigid (like a textbook) and less fluid and storytelling-like. They might not be for everyone.

The characters were outstanding, but I didn't feel a connection to Zee or her predicament. Even though she seemingly turned her life around, I had a hard time tying her troubled childhood to her adult life, where she appeared to be still somewhat unstable. Also, I'm not fond of the name "Zee", which didn't help.

The ending was outstanding with some pretty shocking twists. I didn't see any of them coming and at first confused me a bit. I had to reread a few sections to understand what was happening. Loved it!!

I love the blue tones and wonderful adorned sky on the cover.

This is the first book I've read from Brunonia Barry, but it won't be the last. I also have The Lace Reader, but haven't read it yet. I hope to rectify that soon.

Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2010. ISBN 9780061624780(Hardcover), 464p.