All Stories are Love Stories
Elizabeth Percer
book reviews:
· general fiction
· chick lit/romance
· sci-fi/fantasy
· graphic novels
· nonfiction
· audio books

Click here for the curledup.com RSS Feed

· author interviews
· children's books @
   curledupkids.com
· DVD reviews @
   curledupdvd.com

newsletter
win books
buy online
links

home

for authors
& publishers


for reviewers

click here to learn more




Buy *All Stories are Love Stories* by Elizabeth Perceronline

All Stories are Love Stories
Elizabeth Percer
Harper Perennial
Paperback
384 pages
March 2017
rated 4 of 5 possible stars

buy this book now or browse millions of other great products at amazon.com
previous reviewnext review

From the outside looking in, it appears that Elizabeth Percer’s new novel, All Stories are Love Stories, is about two devastating earthquakes that rock San Francisco and cause massive destruction. However, as soon as you open the book and begin reading, you realize that it’s about so much more (hence the title of the book).

Though the earthquakes occur relatively early on in the book, the true stars of the show are the people. There are Vashti and Max, a couple separated by years, unforeseen tragedy, and buried feelings which neither of them have been able to get over. Then there is Gene, the geologist who long ago predicted this cataclysmic event but takes no joy in being right as the quake prevents him from being at his ailing lover’s side. These three incredibly deep and well-drawn characters are joined by a host of others—including a gawky, love-struck teenager, a drag queen turned nun, and Max’s never-seen but ever-present overprotective mother. Together they tell a story that never fails to draw you in.

All of the action takes place within a short time frame, but characters are fleshed out by long flashbacks to explain how they have gotten to this particular place in time and how the relationships they have experienced have made them who they are. Each character struggles with feelings of despair yet finds something deep within themselves when true tragedy strikes.

The book is not only about love stories between people. It’s also a love story about San Francisco and how the city itself affects those living within its limits. Some of the characters grew up in the picturesque town, while others are transplants from different ways of life. But each one of them has something to say about how the city has affected them and how the earthquake has destroyed something much deeper than architecture and landscape.

Fast-paced and incredibly absorbing, Percer’s writing is like getting a glimpse into a private diary. The character’s stories are so touching that some revelations almost cause physical pain. There is a general sense of foreboding about the book, and the reader knows deep down that not everyone is going to make it. This creates an even stronger poignancy with each revelation as we know that some of the characters’ time is growing short.

Though the ending is a bit abrupt for such a masterfully strong buildup, All Stories are Love Stories will stay with you. Not only will you have a new appreciation for the power of love, but you’ll also feel an affinity toward a wholly unique city that is just as strong in character as any of Percer’s other creations.



Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Angela Woltman, 2017

buy *All Stories are Love Stories* online
click here for more info
Click here to learn more about this month's sponsor!


fiction · sf/f · comic books · nonfiction · audio
newsletter · free book contest · buy books online
review index · links · · authors & publishers
reviewers

site by ELBO Computing Resources, Inc.