Rating: 
Summary: Just not deep enough...
Review: The Hiding Place took a bit longer to read than I anticipated because I was never fully drawn into the book. It leaves the reader with a lot of questions about the key characters who were never completely developed. You get bits and pieces of them here and there but not enough to complete the puzzle. For instance, the title of this book is never fully drawn out to the reason why it is so significant. The first half of the book depicts the lives of a family in which the shameful, and brutal father creates a kind of personal hell to all that are around him, mainly his wife and six daughters. The second half reveals to a degree the outcome for those mentioned above but left me disappointed that I never received complete definition to the book and the significantly dark events that took place. I was also disappointed that all SIX of the sisters' lives didn't play out. 30 years pass from their childhood in the first half to the present in the second. There is so much more that I would have liked to have known about their lives individually as each grew and became an adult. So, I am left hoping that perhaps a sequal will be written by this author who is off to a good start.
Rating:
Summary: not bad, not great
Review: The Hiding Place was a good book but it could have been better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences or paragraphs over b/c I wasn't sure what was going on.
Rating: 
Summary: A Genuine Masterpiece
Review: THE HIDING PLACE, a book I love so much I just reread, is a real rarity...a debut novel that is a genuine masterpiece. THE HIDING PLACE in set in the Maltese community of Tiger Bay in Cardiff, Wales and centers around the six Gauci sisters and their mother and father. The daughters of a Maltese immigrant, Frankie Gauci, had life as hard as did Frank McCort in ANGELA'S ASHES...maybe even worse. At least ANGELA'S ASHES contained flashes of brilliant humor...THE HIDING PLACE contains none, but then THE HIDING PLACE is fiction, not a memoir. Like McCort's father, though, Frankie Gauci is a sweet-talking man, obsessed with gambling and violence and his obsessions threaten, not only his life, but the lives of his wife and six daughters as well. Frankie also has something against an honest day's work and he prefers joining forces with underworld boss, Joe Medora, instead, something that will have far-reaching effects on his family. The narrator of THE HIDING PLACE is Dolores Gauci, who tells this book's harrowing tale in two sections: the first (and by far the best), as a pre-schooler; the second, as a librarian approaching middle age, who is returning home to Tiger Bay for the funeral of her mother. I don't usually like books that are narrated by children, especially very young ones, and it is to Azzopardi's immense credit as a writer that I did like THE HIDING PLACE. Dolores' (called "Dol" in the book) voice is intense and riveting and her story of growing up a Gauci is harrowing. The things that happen in the Gauci family are truly unspeakable...yet Azzopardi speaks of them, so beautifully and so movingly that she brings tears to the eyes. No child (and no mother) should ever have to endure the ravages that were visited upon the Gauci family. Dolores is burned when her mother steps outside to pay the long overdue rent; Marina is exchanged for cash and sent to Malta to live a life of prostitution; Fran is beaten repeatedly, with terrible consequences; Celesta is actually sold into marriage; and Rose, Lucca and Dol are sent to an orphanage. Frankie Gauci becomes a part of a gangster family and Dol's mother, who is unstable at best, descends further and further into insanity. The characterization in THE HIDING PLACE is, generally, wonderful. Each of the characters is a luminous, fully-realized person, that you truly believe existed in the "real" world and not just in the author's imagination. They are strong-willed people, filled with flaws, but they are people we can forgive because Azzopardi lets us understand them and know them and know the reasons they do the things they do. There is a tremendous amount of symbolism in THE HIDING PLACE, but it was symbolism that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fire is the dominant symbol, with its all-consuming, formless qualities and its ability to rage on and on and on. Fire, as a symbol, enters the book when Dol is burned and loses several fingers as a result. Frankie, who was sure his sixth child would be a boy (to bring him good luck for a change), suffers even more bad luck when the baby turns out to be Dol...his sixth girl. As if to prove Frankie right, Dol is burned and becomes a symbol for the family's bad luck; she is even nicknamed "La Diavola" by her own father. The part of the novel I enjoyed the least (if one can even "enjoy" a novel as bleak as this one) was the last third, in which the sisters, now grown, gather to bury their long suffering mother, Mary. It is in this part of the book, that Azzopardi chooses to explore the way childhood and childhood's experiences shape the adult we become and how little control we really have over our own destiny. The five sisters (Marina is in Malta) have each gone very separate ways in life, but they are ways that, given their childhood and what happened to them, collectively and as individuals, was somewhat predictable. Not that THE HIDING PLACE is a predictable book...it isn't. I didn't like this overly-long denouement because it seemed as though Azzopardi either (1) wasn't content to let Dol tell her story and then be done with it or (2) did not trust her readers to "get it." THE HIDING PLACE is such a powerful and intensely written book, however, that only the most dim-witted reader could fail to "get it." THE HIDING PLACE is a powerful book and it is very evocative. I know very little about Cardiff, but I truly felt as though I were in Tiger Bay. Azzopardi's narrative is rich in detail and she does make use of slang, sometimes even intruding on her narrative in a "gimmicky" way. I hope she stops this...she's far too good a writer to rely on gimmicks of any kind. She is powerful and intense, a writer of tremendous emotional depth; she simply doesn't need to "embroider." (I have read Azzopardi's second novel, REMEMBER ME, and, to her credit, I found no gimmicks in that one.) The metaphors in THE HIDING PLACE are sometimes a bit over the top as well. When Dol is thinking of her burnt hand she compares it to a "work of art," "a closed white tulip," "a cut of creamy marble" and "a church candle." THE HIDING PLACE is a rather fast-paced novel, faster than I thought it would be, given its subject matter. The only problem I have with the book's pace is the overly-long denouement, in which Azzopardi seems to be summing up all that came before. Much of what happens to the Gauci sisters in THE HIDING PLACE is left to the reader to imagine. This, I think, is to Azzopardi's tremendous credit, though I think there will be readers who will want a "neater, tidier" ending but a "neater," "tidier" ending, in my opinion, would have diminished much of this book's power. When I began this review, I intended on awarding THE HIDING PLACE only four stars because of its overly-long, unnecessary denouement and its over the top metaphors. But, as I've been writing, and remembering the sheer intensity and passion and grimness of this book, I really can't justify giving it any less than five stars. It's so, so much better than almost anything you'll find out there, but it is bleak and depressing, it is harrowing and you won't find any "feel good" qualities within its pages. That's all to the good, in this book, though. I would recommend THE HIDING PLACE to any reader looking for an intensely written, wonderful book that epitomizes the term "literary novel." (Also not to be missed by anyone loving literary fiction is Azzopardi's second novel, REMEMBER ME. It is slightly slower paced than is THE HIDING PLACE, but it is more poignant and perhaps, even longer-lasting.)
Rating:
Summary: First novelist hits it big
Review: The novel begins with our narrator, the adult Dolores, telling us about a moment in her childhood when she was 5 looking out of the upstairs window watching for her father to return home from the betting shop. She is supposed to warn her mother when she sees him so that Mary can shepherd her friend and neighbor Eva out the back door. It will not be until the very end of the novel that we learn the special significance of these moments of watching. And it is only then that we will learn the significance of the title. The novel tells a harrowing tale of about 5 years in the life of a Welsh-Maltese family, the Gauci's. The voice of the narrator is obviously an adult's voice but much of the novel is written in the first person tense of a 5 year old. The author is playing tricks here with tense and voice that we will not understand completely until Part Two of the novel. Obviously a 5 year old cannot fashion such lush prose, but we will see that the 5 year old doesn't have to when her older counterpart can reminisce. But the tricks and traps of memory are one of the prime undercurrents in the novel that can be missed due to the compelling narrative flow. Azzopardi cuts back and forth in time creating the illusion of a past that is as present as it is gone. It takes an especially sensitive voice to tell this story of dispair and heartbreak without falling into sentimentality. Azzopardi never gets sentimental and in fact, manages to find moments of sly humor. Never at the expense of her characters, but she finds humor in the way that Shakespeare found a way to say some his profoundest thoughts in his comedies. You would think that with 6 children, a mother and father, a friend and neighbors, enough characters populate this novel. But we are not overwhelmed by the proliferation of characters because each one if given special, if brief, attention. Eva is personified by her ocelot coat. The Jackson woman across the street by her disapproving stare. It is a technique used brilliantly by D.H. Lawrence in his book of short stories, "Twilight in Italy". The narrative drive is compelling and this is a book that you want to read and keep reading. You are transported into a world that is tough but so beautifully rendered you do not want to leave it. Part of sheer joy of reading this novel is the glorious writing. One can find evidence of a fresh perspective on metaphor and image on almost every page. While this novel is not for the faint of heart, nor for the casual reader, it does us the great service of trusting us. Pay careful attention to the details and read the book in as few sittings as possible because you will miss too much if you try to dip into this book at bedtime. Details are important and while the story can be appreciated on many levels, including as a family mystery, its full resonance will only come with careful attention. A remarkable novel made all the more remarkable by its being a first novel. Such assurance and subtly is usually the mark of a more experienced writer. I eagerly await the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Ultra-lurid Oprah stuff
Review: The subject matter of this book is relentingly unpleasant, without any attempt at spiritual "uplift" or a socially redeeming message, or really any message that I could see at all. To me the experience of reading "The Hiding Place" was like watching an extra-long Maltese-Welsh edition of "Jerry Springer" in which the participants are too passive-aggressive to beat up on each other. I guess the purpose of fiction like this is to make middle-class people glad they have enough money not to have to live among people like this, and to reassure them that poor people aren't worth helping because they're stupid, feckless and vice-ridden. As far as literary quality, I thought that the first-person present-tense narration and time-shifting were very poorly managed and made for very rough reading. One more thing: I am awfully tired of reading about Italo-Maltese-Sicilian people whose lives center around organized crime. Could we have a break from this, please?
Rating:
Summary: A captivating novel!
Review: There hasn't been a novel of this sort that doesn't move me or haunt me to my very soul! The Hiding Place, the story of Mary, Frankie and their six daughters, is intense and captivating. A Maltese family living in Wales, they struggle through life just to survive. Frankie loses his family business to gambling, Mary is forced to sell her body in order to feed her children, and Dolores, the youngest of the girls, tells us a disturbing and haunting tale of her infancy -- as well as tell us the secrets that haunts each sister. This is a beautifully told novel that should be read between the lines. The narration alone is worth the read. I recommend it most highly!
Rating:
Summary: Wales, where's that?
Review: There is a secret growing trend in America to look to Britain for bright, gripping new literary talent. The most prolific area being Wales and in particular Cardiff. This book is among the titles to encapsulate this trend. Fast becoming a best seller and with good reason. This book is excellent. After you read this I recommend you go for Peter Gill, John Williams and Dannie Abse.
Rating:
Summary: A FAMILY SHATTERED LIKE A PIECE OF GLASS
Review: There is an amazing amount of pain and emotion compressed into the pages of this novel. The resilience of children in the face of unbelievable cruelty and poverty shines out of it like a beacon -- and it's just about the only light in their lives. The story concerns a family living in Cardiff in the 1950s -- the father has recently immigrated from Malta and married a local girl, and they procede to have child after child in his vain and misguided attempt to produce a son. Six daughters -- indeed, children of ANY gender -- should be seen as a blessing, but Frankie Gauci is increasingly despondent with each new arrival. When the youngest, Dolores (called Dol by her family) is burned in a housefire as a baby, and loses the fingers on one hand as a result of her injuries, Frankie calls her a demon, blaming her for every ounce of his bad luck. Even her sisters taunt and torment her. The problem is that Frankie is a compulsive gambler -- he gambles away their home, the business in which he owns a share, even his eldest daughter. Rarely in literature will you come across a character so lacking in redeeming qualities as this man. As if the gambling were not enough, he's a complete brute to his wife and to his children. Dol narrates the story, looking back from adulthood. By the time of her telling, the family has been completely destroyed and torn apart, the children put into care separately, losing touch with one another as well as with their mother. The pain and longing that Dol feels -- without seeing its sources clearly from her perspective -- build and build until the gates of her memory are opened, and the horrors of her childhood are once again available for her to view. The story is a heart-wrenching one -- but a journey well worth taking. The author's writing -- despite the dark events and subjects -- is aglow with understanding, and beauty found in some of the most unlikely places.
Rating:
Summary: A FAMILY SHATTERED LIKE A PIECE OF GLASS
Review: There is an amazing amount of pain and emotion compressed into the pages of this novel. The resilience of children in the face of unbelievable cruelty and poverty shines out of it like a beacon -- and it's just about the only light in their lives. The story concerns a family living in Cardiff in the 1950s -- the father has recently immigrated from Malta and married a local girl, and they procede to have child after child in his vain and misguided attempt to produce a son. Six daughters -- indeed, children of ANY gender -- should be seen as a blessing, but Frankie Gauci is increasingly despondent with each new arrival. When the youngest, Dolores (called Dol by her family) is burned in a housefire as a baby, and loses the fingers on one hand as a result of her injuries, Frankie calls her a demon, blaming her for every ounce of his bad luck. Even her sisters taunt and torment her. The problem is that Frankie is a compulsive gambler -- he gambles away their home, the business in which he owns a share, even his eldest daughter. Rarely in literature will you come across a character so lacking in redeeming qualities as this man. As if the gambling were not enough, he's a complete brute to his wife and to his children. Dol narrates the story, looking back from adulthood. By the time of her telling, the family has been completely destroyed and torn apart, the children put into care separately, losing touch with one another as well as with their mother. The pain and longing that Dol feels -- without seeing its sources clearly from her perspective -- build and build until the gates of her memory are opened, and the horrors of her childhood are once again available for her to view. The story is a heart-wrenching one -- but a journey well worth taking. The author's writing -- despite the dark events and subjects -- is aglow with understanding, and beauty found in some of the most unlikely places.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful writing...story telling talent all in one!
Review: There is no denying the depth of Trezza Azzopardi's writing talent in this emotionaly powerful book. She tells a story of poverty & abuse endured by a family just hanging by a thread...Looking back from adulthood, Dol (Dolores, the youngest of 6 daughters), narrates the details of devasting years of pain & hearbreak suffered for so long and that she still has to deal with. The horrifying memories of a 5 year old, convey the child's bewilderment faced with such cruelty & at the same time hope of something better. The author's story telling skills just want to make you read on and find out the outcome of this family saga. Will they survive?...or better yet who will survive? When you reach the last pages you realise there could be no better ending and tears might even come to your eyes.
I found this book hard to put down. I enjoyed Ms. Azzopardi's masterful writing & eagerly await her future literary work.
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