You can read my full review here: https://thepickybookworm.com/2021/03/15/two-white-queens-and-the-one-eyed-jack/

First of all, I have to admit I didn’t love this book. Two White Queens had choppy parts, and parts of it confused me. I would be reading about Gareth and Jack as children, then suddenly read about the history of the glass eye, then suddenly realize Gareth and Jack were in high school. This gave the story no continuity, and made it really confusing. It wasn’t horrible, however, and I found parts of it intriguing. The parts of the story with Clara and Blanca, the albino twins, were interesting, because the two girls determined to use their differences to their advantage. Clara and Blanca create the band Bleach, and travel making music that is a combination of rock and opera. It was definitely a type of music I’m interested in listening to.

I wrote this review myself, and all opinions are my own.

2.5 stars for me. For my full review of this book on The Bossy Bookworm, or to receive all of my Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack.

In von Palleske's novel, two young boys share the experience of a tragic accident. When the friends later encounter a set of identical twins with albinism, the life paths of the boys and girls become intertwined as it winds along the shores of Lake Ontario and into gritty Berlin from the 1960s to 1980s.

The book started off a little disjointed for me. I found the strengths to be the detailed explorations into society's judgements of and expectations about visible attributes like albinism and false eyes, forays into the precision and artistry of the making of glass ocular prosthetics, middle-aged characters finding love again, and how characters used their unusual physical attributes, rejected by society, to showcase significant artistic gifts.

Different characters reckon with aging and physical changes, ailments, the end of life rushing toward them--and regrets about avenues they have pursued or avoided, or lies they have told themselves. I found myself wanting even more about the tough female survivors (Esther and Hilda) of atrocities, their feelings of survivor responsibility, and the pressure to live their lives in certain ways in order to honor those who died in order to not squander their precious lives.

The dialogue in Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack is frequently (but not consistently) formal-sounding, often without contractions that naturally occur in speech patterns. The grown men's speech especially felt as though it didn't flow naturally. (And with one notable exception, von Palleske's grown male characters are almost universally and purely weak, shallow, and/or evil, without shades of gray.)

Especially after a point about halfway through the book, abrupt scenes and exchanges, short glimpses of dramatic moments (as at the movies), and spoken zingers that ended brief scenes made the pacing often feel choppy and as though the book were a draft rather than a finished work. The story, its tone, and its characters felt uneven. Conversations seem to often not follow, or else to wrap up unnaturally quickly. Important characters move away and aren’t addressed again. Characters’ unusual career paths (ocularist, opera-punk singer) are laid out by others and then, against all odds, fall perfectly into place.

The focus on albinism and incest seemed presented in an exploitative or fetishistic way.

The author's note mentions that the published book appears almost exactly as she originally wrote it. As there is not a train-of-thought, avant-garde, stream of consciousness or other unusual structure to the text that seems to warrant this, the story seems as though it could have been strengthened by the convention of undergoing drafts, edits, and revisions.

Not every book is the right one for every reader, and this one turned out to not be for me.

I received a prepublication copy courtesy of Dundurn Press and NetGalley.

I first mentioned this book in the Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 3/3/21 Edition.

Fate, destiny, connectedness, secrets, sight vs vision, disabilities, albinism, finding your own way rather than conforming to expectations, sexuality, art, music, mental illness, friendship, relationships, love found and lost, and more, this book covers a lot of ground.

I was intrigued and excited by the book description and thrilled when NetGalley approved my request to receive an advance copy of the book for review. Unfortunately, this read didn't live up to my expectations, and though I'm swimming against the current on this one, I give it an 'okay' rating.

The author notes that she took various events that happened in her life and combined them into this novel. Perhaps it's the randomness of the result that kept me from enjoying this book as much as I had hoped to. There are no chapters or natural breaking points. It flips between characters and time periods with no segue, making it somewhat difficult at times to keep up with the author. The story is told in the third person POV, and comes across a bit dry. I would periodically get pulled into the story, but more often than not, felt disconnected from it. All in all, just not a good fit for me. Hey, it happens!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book which is scheduled to be published 3/9/21. All opinions express here are my own.

Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack takes a look at fate and destiny, set in both Canada and Germany in the 60s-80s. As a child, Jack loses his eye while climbing a tree with his friend Gareth. After, their fates, as well as those of Gareth’s brother, an ocularist, and two albino twins are changed forever. Together their lives merge in a tale of tragedy, self-reflection, and an ultimate overcoming of the past.

I have some really mixed emotions about this book, so I’ll try to break it down as best I can.

To start, the plot was extremely slow for the first half of the book, but the second half I couldn’t put down (I think it took me 4 days for the first 50%, and a day for the second). It was one of those books that you just have to tough out to get to the good part! I thought that the general storyline itself was really interesting, and I was impressed how seamlessly all of the character’s stories end up coming together in the end. It definitely gave an impression of fate that says “everything will work out in the end,” and it was nice to see karmic justice for everyone; the characters who were wronged took their power back in the end. Although it is not a sentiment that I’m sure always happens in real life (unfortunately), it did make for a great read.

I enjoyed the wiring style, and felt that everything flowed very nicely. Often I get bogged down in the detail of scenes, but this book had a nice balance of show versus telling. I do wish there had been more distinction between which characters were being focused on, as the setting would change mid chapter with no warning, but it was relatively easy to follow still.

However, the characters themselves I had a few problems with. I am not sure if it is supposed to be a reflection of the time period the book takes place in, but some of the language surrounding women really bothered me. For example at one point, a character responds to a woman crying by saying “No, it does not bother me. But I am not a sensitive woman." At another point, a different man narrates “he wondered if it was just moody woman-stuff or regrets.” These kind of quips are sprinkled throughout the book, and they really got to me. It didn’t feel like a central point of the book to me was women defying the way they were viewed in society back then, and the fact that these opinions of men were not really addressed didn’t sit right with me. It came off as stereotypical, and at times I felt the women were very objectified. However, I could also note that the most mysoginistic of the male characters did not seem to get happy endings (but that’s not to say every man who does get happily ever after was innocent of these kinds of remarks).

Additionally, I felt like so many of the characters were indistinguishable. I was constantly mixing Gareth, Tristan, and Jack up; it felt like they all had the same personality when being talked about by the other characters. Even if in their own narratives they became individualized, they blended too much when a third perspective was speaking. I also could not keep Esther and Elaine straight for the life of me, and kept forgetting who Mark was. It was like the names developed no connection to the characters themselves, which is something I have never experienced while reading before.

Overall it was pretty good, but I wished the characters had been more distinct, and women had been talked about better. For the plot and writing though I give this a 3.5/5 rounded down to 3/5.

Intended for ages: Adult
Trigger warnings: rape, incest, abuse

Gareth and Jack are two six year old boys who try to see who can climb higher up a tree. It is a hot day in June 1965. When Jack falls and loses his eye on a thorn bush, the accident sets off a series of events that will bind the boys together for the rest of their lives. The world’s best false eye designer is based in Berlin and Jack is taken there by his mother with Gareth for company.

When the best friends meet albino twins Clara and Blanca, a shared fate unfolds. With Gareth and Jack’s help, the twins are able t get their lives back and leave their nightmarish past behind them. This is a gothic story that goes from the shores of Lake Ontario to Berlin and we learn about the art of ovulary that helps Jack make his false eye more attractive. There are hidden secrets, suppressed desires, forgiveness, and love that all work themselves out. This is an enjoyable read but sad in parts.

I can't believe I finished Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack. I was intrigued with the book's description and the plot seemed interesting. But after reading the first few chapters, I just knew I was in for a struggle. For one, the transitions in points of view were choppy in my opinion. I got lost a few times and had to backtrack to regain my bearings. The next item of contention is the transition in time periods. At one point, the characters are mere children, the next moment, they are teenagers. A decade went by, just like that.

I'm sure that I'm of the minority of opinion. But I will say that to those readers that enjoyed Circe (I didn't.) Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack is probably a novel you will enjoy.

Two stars. It was okay if I managed to finish it.

I received a digital ARC from Dundurn Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Heidi von Palleske, and Dundurn Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Eager to sink my teeth into this book, especially after giving the dust jacket blurb a glance, I found myself greatly confused. Heidi von Palleske lays out in her introduction how she had chosen a number of important events and people in her life and crammed them into this story. While that may sound good, using ‘what you know’, it did not work for me. I tried a few times to connect with the characters and the story, but failed to do so.

Others may find something that compels them within these pages, but I could not. I chose to take the high road and let others bask in the story, reviewing it as they wanted. I tried and it did not work for me, so I left it after twice making it close to a third of the way through the piece. I hope to return to it down the road, but for now, I will slide it back onto the shelf.

Kudos, Madam von Palleske, for writing what you know. I just ended up not being someone who could follow the path you laid out before you.

What a great book and I love how the cover cleverly ties in with the story!! If you’re looking for something a little different, a little edgy, somewhat sweet and occasionally heartbreaking this is the book to pick up! It will get you through the last cold days of winter & just might be a great valentines gift for your favorite reader.

Two White Queens and the One Eyed Jack begins with two innocent boys doing what boys do....playing & climbing a tree they’ve been warned not to climb. As Johnny (aka one eyed Jack) climbs the tree his best friend is on the ground goading him to climb ever higher. Johnny falls when the tree limb gives way and he is struck in the eye by a thorn bush. A life changing event for all the characters in the book, whether they know Johnny or not. It’s truly impressive how author Heidi von Palleske weaves these characters lives together and the character development is interesting and somewhat unexpected.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley via Dundurn Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TwoQueensandtheOneEyedJack #HeidivonPalleske

I full on went into this book thinking it was a pirate story (that's my mistake) and was prepared to be disappointed when it wasn't. BUT instead I got this wonderful, beautifully written story about a full cast of characters, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The writing itself played. a large role in my enjoyment of the story, I think it really built up the ethereal/dreamy atmosphere. You feel like you're living and experiencing things with the characters as you go through the book, which made them seem more real and lovely.

There are lots of characters to follow in the book, but it never felt confusing or weird - we got a good insight into each character's brain. I think that helped me keep track of the separate humans. This was another book where I wish I could analyze the symbolism and metaphors in the book in an English class: the eyes, how each character had something unique to them, and then how the history happening around the characters reflected what was going on in their own lives.

In short, it felt like real life - there's not always happy ending, horrible things happen, and people leave. But at the end and through it all, there are bright spots - there's always hope.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Gareth and Jack, compete to see who can climb higher up a tree. When Jack falls and loses his eye on a thorn bush, the accident sets off a series of events that will bind the boys together for the rest of their lives."

This book is all over the place, lots and lots of historical data dumps which were a challenge to muck through. The paragraph breaks are not obvious and when pov changes it makes the story confusing.

1☆

I really loved seeing how the characters grew and overcome the tragedies / mistakes in their life. Kind of reminded me of A Little Life in a way but nowhere near as sad and emotionally draining. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a story about accidents and destiny. How accidental things happen in our lives that perhaps set a course for our future that was possibly predetermined. It has been described as a Gothic novel, but I didn’t find all that much Goth in it. I found a group of individuals whose lives were permanently intertwined by fate.

Jack and Gareth are best friends. They are typical boys roughhousing and outdoor creatures. Until the day that Gareth prods Jack to climb a tree just a bit higher. A bit too high, because Jack falls. The bushes that break his fall, also permanently damage his eye. Which is how he becomes the one-eyed Jack.

As a child, while visiting the optometrist with his older brother Tristan, Gareth spies twins in the waiting room that spark his imagination. They are albino, white hair, white skin, pink eyes like rabbits. He is fascinated by these unusual girls, and they occupy his thoughts for many years to come, even though he never encounters them again.

Gareth doesn’t really ever recover from the accident, believing that if he hadn’t prodded Jack, it wouldn’t have happened. He expresses his guilt in his art. Jack, is fitted with a prosthetic eye, but in America these eyes are made of acrylic, which irritates Jack’s eye socket. His mother, Hilda, remembers a young man who lived in her house when she was young. He was an ocularist, or a person who makes prosthetic eyes out of glass, each one a custom piece for the wearer. Hilda decides to take Jack back to Germany to find this ocularist.

Each of these actions and experiences changes each of the characters in one way or another. Their lives become even more connected and allow them to become the adults they were meant to be. The novel is beautifully written with lyrical prose and vivid descriptions. Not a quick read, but more one to be contemplated. It is a lovely novel.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for this ARC.

I was a little unsure I would like this book based on the description, but found that I enjoyed it more than I thought. I was afraid that it was going to be too dark and too depressing with the characters all miserable all the time. However, in between some very tragic events to all the characters there were hopeful times as well as normalcy.

The characters were all flawed but ended overcoming some horrible events to mostly come out the other side. It was interesting how the characters grew and I liked how we were able to see them progress from childhood to adulthood.

This book was sort of reminiscent of a Little Life, but much more manageable and less overwhelmingly sad.

4.5!

This definitely got added to my favorite books of the year!

Heidi flows seamlessly from one POV to the next, diving deep into character flaws and wants. There wasn’t a single storyline I wasn’t invested in. Which is saying a lot, since its very easy to have POVs that fall weaker than others, especially with the more you add. Each person also had believable flaws; no one was entirely good or evil.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure where we were going most of the time but I didn’t mind at all. The writing style was just lovely and evocative. This is a story about being human and overcoming struggles. Where it may have been easy to caricaturize some aspects like albinism or glass eyes, I felt Heidi didn’t do that.

I enjoyed the German culture aspects and the themes of vision versus sight, courage and calling and “home.” The final image was very powerful and worth the wait for the way it connected to the book’s opening. There are many images and moments within this book that will stick with me for some time. The longevity and uniqueness of this book set it apart. Would definitely pick up another by Heidi.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

Firstly, I want to acknowledge NetGalley, Author Heidi von Palleske and Publisher Dundurn Press for the ARC of the novel.

The narrative of the book is entirely unique and engaging. Never had I discovered such a scenario where the stories of four children are so mingled with each other. The story is wonderfully crafted and has a lyrical narrative that provides the total reading experience a distinct joy altogether. I thought the whole novel was directed by the actors rather than the actual tale itself. Deep buried mysteries are always life-changing.

I believe the writer could produce a little better when it came to jumping the ages. I got a tiny bit confused and had to re-read to get a more solid grip on it. The author attempts to pinpoint the value of self-esteem, self-development, and self-appreciation. Giving up everything for the children and loved ones, in the long run, may simply make one lament in lonely moments. It's an absolute must-read for an extraordinary experience.

This quiet and insidious thriller was intense. I loved the characters and the writing and couldn't put it down.

A well written interesting book with a wide cast of characters that all, somehow fit together. Although not the type of book I would typically read I am glad I did.

Heidi von Palleske’s “cinematic, modern-gothic novel” Two White Queens and The One-Eyed Jack creates a world where vision is explored in every possible sense. The author has skillfully evoked two cultures: a remote Canadian town on the shores of Lake Ontario, and cosmopolitan Berlin, a most unexpected mixture with a vivid, engaging result. Hints of Grimm and Wagner are knit into the tale, as is film lore, plus ocularists, opera, and punk. And eyes, always eyes. Spanning two countries and three decades,this multigenerational novel never loses its footing nor betrays the characters by spinning out of control, as the author is very sure-footed in telling her tale. Histories, personal and national, weave together in a BIldungsroman of striking originality.The “white queens,” albino twins, are enchanters and outcasts, and Jack’s fateful childhood encounter with them is just the first haunting episode in this absorbing novel. Von Palleske first addresses the reader to explain some of her influences, including the deeply personal, concluding that “At a time when walls are being put up all around us, my small way of fighting against this is to illuminate a time, not so long ago, when a global community was the ultimate dream and walls were being removed between people, cultures, and ideologies. This novel is my small way of scratching the surface of complacency with my raspy voice.” I received an advance digital copy from NetGalley.

Two White Queens and the One-Eyed Jack explores a lot of heavy, dark topics. It was a heartbreaking story that is excellently written.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author states that “This novel is my small way of scratching the surface of complacency with my raspy voice.” While Heidi von Palleske may believe that, this novel is spoken with a voice of fluid thought, descriptions, emotions and tremendous lyricism. She hasn’t scratched the surface of complacency, she has ripped it wide open and exposed the underbelly of vile familial situations. She hasn’t omitted many topics, she hasn’t deflected the raw emotions that are part of the territory of love and loss, rape and incest, everyday and otherworldly, loss of sight and gain of wisdom. She speaks through her characters and you feel the gamut of their feelings and experiences. She guides you in the history of oculary making it more interesting than you thought possible. Her transitions between characters and the story are often jarring. The story flows, stops, pivots and I was never sure why but somehow it worked.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn for a copy.