| Title | : | The Cage-maker |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1611178436 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781611178432 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 248 |
| Publication | : | First published August 15, 2017 |
In 1906 Dr. René Le Monnier is ready to retire after a lengthy career as the New Orleans coroner and physician for the insane asylum. Still mourning his wife’s death, the Civil War veteran wants nothing more than finally to write his account of the Battle of Shiloh. But when a sixteen-year-old girl, Carmelite Kurucar, enlists his aid in saving her brother from a death sentence, the good doctor has to reckon with old ghosts and dusty, long-forgotten files―in particular the case of a patient to whom he may not have given sufficient treatment and consideration.
Le Monnier’s efforts to help Carmelite lead him to Bertrand Saloy, one of the richest men in all New Orleans; to the Le Monnier mansion, which still haunts him; and down a dark family lineage “cursed” by a succession of wealth. Amid the mysteries and suspenseful intrigue, a French birdcage maker’s obsessive love for Madame Saloy emerges at the heart of the story. Based in part on real people and events and featuring illustrations by the author, this engrossing epistolary novel offers fresh twists on the Southern Gothic genre. It reveals much about criminal justice, about early-twentieth-century notions of care for the mentally ill, and, most important, about the many ways in which the weight of history hangs over the present from one generation to the next.
The Cage-maker Reviews
-
After five years of waiting for a new book from Nicole Seitz - the wait will be over on August 15. It's never fun to wait for a new book by one of your favorite authors but when you start reading it and it's fantastic -- well it's time to do a happy dance! I want to thank Story River books for a copy of the arc to read and review. Story River Books keeps continuing to put out fantastic books - I don't usually pay much attention to who publishes books but I am always on the lookout for books from Story River.
The Cage Maker is the story that stretches from the late 1800 to present day. It tells the story of an artist who made bird cages - not just any bird cages but intricately created works of art. It is also the story of Dr. René Le Monnier, a physician who fought in the Civil War and the man who is central to the entire story. He knows the present day Kurucar family and he knew the artist who made cages and he knew Madame Solay. Dr. LeMonnier is the person who starts looking into the belief of a family curse and tries to dispel it. There is an interesting mystery that ties all of these people together and it's told through letters, the doctor's journal entries and newspaper articles.
This is Southern Gothic at its best. To sum it all up, I am going to add part of the information from the publisher because it says it all much better than I can:
It reveals much about criminal justice, about early-twentieth-century notions of care for the mentally ill, and, most important, about the many ways in which the weight of history hangs over the present from one generation to the next. -
12/3/17 update: Enthralling. I loved the epistolary format, the peeling layers of the mystery, the voices evoking questions of insanity, passion, and greed. An unforgettable story.
--
5/24/17: Yay! Can't WAIT for this book--it sounds amazing!! -
An epistolary novel? Yes please.
-
I am genuinely confused.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the way this ended, but I kind of felt like the first 90% of the book was all over the place. There were a few typos, but I was able to overlook them amid my confusion. I feel like there’s a bit of a stretch between the cage maker’s crush on Carmelite Saloy and the gist of the story, but maybe on a second read things will make more sense. As a genealogist myself, I love the closing words of Le Monnier’s letter, and I can relate somewhat. -
Great story line! It was written quite differently than most books but I enjoyed how it was all laid out and still flowed together flawlessly! Interesting that it’s based somewhat on historical Family events.
-
Captivating!
This story flowed even though it is told through letters. A rich family history of love, greed, want, deceit and much more. Wonderful characters that Nicole brings to life in this throughly enthrallIng Southern gothic novel. A must read! -
This was a slow, painful read. I thought I’d love it based on the summary but I really struggled to finish. There were also a lot of editorial errors that were distracting and made it more difficult to read (typos, misspelled words, extra/duplicate words)
-
Great story! Fascinating look into New Orleans history, and even better as it relates to my dear friend’s ancestors and events in her family.
-
This was a good book, and the story was very engaging. I got confused on all of the layers of flashbacks, but it wasn't difficult enough to ruin my enjoyment of the story.
-
Difficult to keep track of characters and hard to follow but good story
-
New Orleans story about a talented craftsman that made bird Cage - makes. Mixed in is an rich family and drama and voodoo.
