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Cargando... Madame Zee (2006)por Pearl Luke
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Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. Based on real people, this is a novel about Madame Zee, mistress and lieutenant to Canada's cult leader, the Brother, XII. The author became intrigued by Madame Zee after seeing a documentary of the Aquarian Cult she led. While the book is well researched, there is little historical information about Madame Zee. The book is well written, and it is interesting to see young Mabel Rowbotham grow from a child in England to a teacher in Saskatchewan, to the wife of a convicted criminal and gambler, and then transform herself into Madame Zee and join a utopian cult. Mable/Madame Zee is a strong character who wants to understand more about her clairvoyant powers. In searching for the meaning of her visions, she sometimes loses sight of who she really is. An interesting read about a part of Canada's history I knew nothing about. This is a highly fictionalized account of the life of "Madame Zee", the mistress of and some would say enforcer for, a cult leader known as the Brother, XII. The author freely admits that very little is known about her subject's life. Accounts of her involvement with the Brother, XII, are sparse as well as contradictory. So, she made it all up. Or almost all of it. And she did a pretty good job of creating a life and backstory for Zee, who was born Mabel Rowbotham in 1890 in England, the child of a fairly prosperous businessman. Very early in her life, Mabel begins to have strange dreams, visions, and clairvoyant episodes. Although she quickly learns that she cannot discuss these experiences with anyone, she does her best to educate herself about psychic phenomenon, Theosophy and reincarnation, seeking some understanding of the mystifying things she "sees". Eventually, after a failed teaching career, a disastrous marriage and several re-locations, Mabel changes her name and realizes her long-held dream of meeting the Brother, XII, and joining his Utopian colony off the coast of British Columbia. The narrative flows well, and Mabel is an intelligent, interesting and sympathetic character who avoids a good many stereotypical pitfalls only to stumble into others even though she sees them looming. It's a decent story of a strong but flawed woman who ultimately finds that she is her own best friend. Occasionally I found her a tad too modern in her speech and thinking for her time and place, and sometimes I felt the author failed to provide us with sufficient motivation for Zee's actions. I can't give it more than 3 stars, but I'm glad I read it. Madame Zee is the fictionalized tale of Mabel Rowbotham, a real life British/Canadian woman who, after a fairly mundane life growing up in England and then becoming a school teacher in Saskachewan, shocked family and friends by becoming mistress to Brother XII, a cult leader in southern BC. Growing up, Mabel always felt out of sorts with those around her. This started with the death of her sister and continued as she grew up and began experiencing psychic episodes (as the author points out, no one is sure how true the psychic part really is). Eventually she gravitated towards to the fringes and became co-leader of this cult. The book is erotic at times (shocking for a well brought up woman at the turn of the century!), intriguing and quite compelling. I really enjoyed how Luke captured the overall attitudes of the time period from the horror of a teacher showing a child magic tricks (poor thing got fired for that stunt) to Zee's struggle with what exactly it meant to be a female at that point in history. The story shows Madame Zee as she changes from Mabel, a naive young woman, to Madame Zee, an somewhat outspoken leader. I loved watching the progression and now. I kind of want to learn more about her. sin reseñas | añadir una reseña
From early childhood, Mabel Rowbotham knows that she is different. She is struck by visions and premonitions that disturb her dreams, haunt her waking hours and stay with her long after she emigrates from England to Canada. Although desperate to understand these powerful episodes, Mabel hides her gift behind a facade of normalcy. But Mabel is not destined to be normal. Her quest for understanding leads her to the Brother, XII--founder of one of Canada's most infamous Utopian colonies. Here, Mabel fully transforms into the complicated and enigmatic figure of Madame Zee and ultimately finds an explanation for the mysterious knowledge that has shaped her life. A popular reading group choice, Pearl Luke's acclaimed and sensitive re-imagining of this enigmatic figure was a Flare and Chatelaine book-club pick. It includes a fascinating P.S. section with information about the real Madame Zee. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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Historical accounts described Madame Zee as cruel and sadistic but Ms Luke decided there had to be more to the woman than that. I found some of the story compelling and some I had to work at. I also found the end a little too abrupt. I could have used more description of the colony and less of Mabel's life in Florida. All in all it was an interesting story about a group that I never even knew existed until I read this book. ( )