Ursula, Under

Years ago, I was so 'affected' by a particular novel, I began a tradition of giving away copies of it. It became a minor obsession; to date, I've introduced more than four dozen friends, family members and virtual strangers to this personal favourite.I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to be compelled to repeat the tradition.Well, my lottery numbers came in with 'Ursula, Under'.And you know, my cash reserves have already begun to dwindle; I hadn't even finished reading it yet and two copies had gone out to friends.From a reader's point of view, 'Ursula, Under' provided me with numerous moments of enjoyment. From a writer's point of view, the same, but more: it reconnected me to the craft, reminding me of just how wonderful writing can be, of the effects someone with just the right skills, imagination and sheer audacity can have when they're in both their element and 'the Zone'. Truly remarkable stuff; I hated to see it end.As Ms Hill has effectively cost me a ton of productive work-time because of the addictive nature of her novel, therefore making me want to get back my own writing ASAP, I'll leave the more lavish reviews to others. But I will say this: my personal 'Quad Gods' of writing heroes may very well now have to be expanded to a quintet.

Reading enjoyment

This book was so inventive! I try and read lots of books set in the north of Michigan, and this one was and wasn't at the same time. It starts and ends in the U.P., but it travels the world through the starting characters' ancestries. Really a fascinating way to think about the past. The writing was great. I will read this one again, for sure.

This is a wonderfully constructed and absorbing novel about a little girl who falls down an abandoned mine shaft. While others attempt her rescue, the novel explores the stories of the men and women whose genetic legacies were passed down through the centuries to this little girl due to desire, chance, and love. Highly recommended for a book club or anyone who has tried to imagine the real lives of the ancestors you've never met. Spoiler alert: the ending is given away in chapter one, so you can relax and enjoy it.

One of my all time favorite books to give as a gift

Our book club read this. If you like unpredictable, interesting characters and plots, take it on. Stick with it and my advice, treat each of Ursula's ancestor's story as a mini-novel. This is a long book but brilliantly written, you will wonder how the author could create such an original novel. This is not a story for people who like "fluff", you really have to pay attention...but it's worth it.

I really enjoyed this book and am surprised that it is not more widely known. The book made me realize how we all have an unknown ancestral history which is critical to anyone's existence. The characters are unusual and the historical contexts of the each one are fascinating!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way it emphasized that little Ursula was a miracle of connection between so many people in the past. It makes you think about all the thousands of people over time it took to come together to make each person and how fate can may such an interesting role.

One of my favourite books! Takes you back in time andgoes through generations of how this little girl came to be! Captivating

'Ursula, Under' should have been an exceptional debut novel. The premise is intriguing - a genetic journey around the world over thousands of years, all ending in a small and very precious girl trapped down a mine shaft in North America, a threading tale of unknown ancestors and genetic dead-ends, from the consort to a Scandinavian princess, through missionaries and miners, ancient Chinese mystics and mute villagers. Yet this mammoth work, both in terms of length and scope simply fails to deliver. The prose is turgid, dull and, quite frankly, difficult to read, constantly distracting one from the flow of the story, making reading a stuttering, detached experience. The many, many characters are nicely drawn but it's hard to see why the reader should be interested in most of them. I kept reading on, waiting for a stronger connection to emerge: it never did. While Hill traces the passage of Ursula's genes down the centuries and round the world, impatience to return to the opening characters is all that keeps the reader going. And the denouncement at the end is ultimately predictable and unsatisfying. There is no element of justice, or even injustice, or salvation or redemption, or even suspense. It's just there, rather like the novel itself.

More wide ranging than one could imagine. A tremendously gripping read.