Book: The House Of Six Doors
Author: Patrcia Selbert
Release date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Publishing By The Seas
Pages: 330
Source: Author
Mama takes thirteen-year-old Serena and her sister to the US in search of fortune, leaving behind their multicultural family, stability, and the colors of the Caribbean. After driving from Miami to Hollywood, their money and luck run out and a 1963 Ford Galaxie becomes their first American home. Guided by the memory of her native Curaçao and the words of her wise grandmother, Serena confronts unimagined challenges and grows up quickly. What gifts will this new country bring, and at what price?
The House Of Six Doors is a wonderful story about coming of age in an unknown country. Patricia Selbert managed to incorporate all the insecurities and fears of every teenager but also of someone new to the US and the sense of wonder that they feel.
Serena has no clue what to expect when she arrives in the US with her mother and her sister, Hendrika. All she really knows is that life is going to be different, hopefully better. Things aren’t as easy as expected though and life is difficult. School, family, friends, and first love all throw curveballs Serena’s way and she must learn to face the difficulties head on and learn to stand on her own two feet.
One of the most unique aspects of The House Of Six Doors is the time length it covers. It’s not just months, it’s years. You see Serena as a young teenager at the beginning but by the end she is a young woman. I liked seeing exactly how she changed over the years and how each event shaped who she became.
The plot was good but a bit slow at times. There was a lot going on in the book but some things just seemed to drag. I felt like I would have been okay with a bit less detail at times.
Overall, The House Of Six Doors is a great book. There is some sexual content though so I would recommend this one for older teens. Otherwise I think it’s a wonderful story that I think everyone can relate to.
First line: Mama’s hand fluttered like flags in the island’s trade winds, as they always did when she was nervous.
Rating: B
Cover: C
After reading your review I was curious to read the story for myself. Sometimes I need a slower paced read to slow my own life down a bit!
I went ahead and bought the digital version for my Kindle. You were right. I was blown away by this book, so rich, so full of wisdom, humorous and intense. This is not at all the kind of book that I’d normally read, but I couldn’t put it down, and when I finished I wanted to start all over again.
There was a surprise waiting for me when I bought the Kindle version when I found something that was basically another amazing book, full of stories, recipes, and photographs of Curacao. There was even a Papiamentu phrasebook! There are 60 or so pages of extra content in the digital book! The photos show in black-and-white in my Kindle, but fortunately I can still see them in color in my computer with Amazon software.
I’m so in love with Curaçao now. I want to try all the recipes, and I want to go there! And I may just get to because there’s a contest for a free trip to Curaçao, including hotel on the beach, which I entered when I bought the book through a secret page in the book’s website: http://thehouseofsixdoors.com/promo/
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, since I’m reducing my chances of winning, but it’s an offer to good to pass up (and there are plenty of prizes to go around). I believe it ends on March 30th.
Check out the book’s website for more information!