{"id":2524,"date":"2017-01-30T21:38:38","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T16:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fableandi.com\/?p=2524"},"modified":"2020-03-05T10:09:51","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T04:39:51","slug":"night-virgin-elliott-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/night-virgin-elliott-turner\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: The Night of the Virgin by Elliott Turner"},"content":{"rendered":"
When Emmanuel Hernandez (Manny) turned eighteen, he left with one dream in mind, to become a professional soccer player. His dreams are shattered when he realizes he is not a documented American. With love for the sport in mind, Manny tries to overcome the hurdles in his way. The novel traces his life as a young man to a loving father and shifts back and forth in what made him the man that he is today.<\/p>\n
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The novel is divided into four parts. The first and second contain short chapters that outline the plot. The third deals with a conversation between Manny and his friend, Hector, that forms the crux of the novel and the fourth is made of diary entries. The narrative is not a smooth linear one. The book jumps back and forth in chronological order and sometimes there are vignettes of memory (or diary entries). There were portions where I got a bit confused. I do not mind such a style of story telling and I applaud Turner for having the courage to try out such a style of narration for his debut. I loved the hints of sarcasm at various institutions in society such as the difference in approach by the Catholic and Protestant churches to a new comer.<\/p>\n
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Relationships hold an important place in this book. Manny is an honest narrator and tells the readers his wrongs and rights. He talks about his girls, his Church, his dreams and his adventures. There is a lot of reminiscing about relationships that have fallen apart. This adds a sad tinge to the narration. When Manny says he almost forgot his elder sister, we are struck with the harsh reality of how time fades our memories. Manny tells the story of his father and mother which gives us more insight into his relationship with them. The most important relationship is that between Manny and Hector. Manny documents how his solid friendship with Hector changes over the years and what comes between them<\/p>\n
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