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Liked It “The Turtle Catcher is a story of family and vengeance. The book begins in 1920 New Germany, Minnesota, where the three Richter brothers take justice into their own hands when their sister Liesl cries out against Lester keeping the secret she carries in her body from being discovered. An...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Didn't actually finish the book. I wanted to, because the writing was beautiful. However, the topics were too dark and graphic for me. I was paralyzed by the first chapter...like I said, excellent writing, but the content was just more than I can handle.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Didn't actually finish the book. I wanted to, because the writing was beautiful. However, the topics were too dark and graphic for me. I was paralyzed by the first chapter...like I said, excellent writing, but the content was just more than I can handle.”
Tracy wrote this review Friday, November 4, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Couldn't get into it. Dark and sad.”
Red L wrote this review Tuesday, July 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Intriguing stories and a nice mix of history plus the search for love and a place to belong.”
Jen M wrote this review Monday, June 27, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The Turtle Catcher is a story of family and vengeance. The book begins in 1920 New Germany, Minnesota, where the three Richter brothers take justice into their own hands when their sister Liesl cries out against Lester keeping the secret she carries in her body from being discovered. An outcast due to her hidden deformity, Liesl and the brain-damaged Lester Sutter had formed a closeness that overcame their loneliness. From this one brutal moment, Nicole Helget looks back in time to all the events that led to this terrible crime.
Brookings Public Library wrote this review Monday, October 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Turtle Catcher looks at a small town made up mostly of German immigrants just before World War I and inside a family with many secrets. . In the end, Nicole Helget paints a complex portrayal of all the moments that lead up to the initial scene at Spider Lake. This novel may not be for everyone because of some of the violent scenes, but Helget writes so beautifully and tells a story so well, it will haunt you forever.
FICTION HELGET”
“Very graphic regarding killing.”
Nancy H wrote this review Saturday, October 23, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Some reviews of this novel give the impression that the Turtle Catcher is a work of historical fiction, exploring the conflict that arises between Germans immigrants and other ethnic groups following America's entry into World War I. There isn't much history in this novel however. The Turtle Catcher is better described as a story about two dysfunctional families, who do live in an immigrant community during the early 1900s, but whose conflicts and problems are timeless and probably universal. Despair, lonliness, and violence permeate the pages of this novel. The various characters suffer from neglect, abuse, incest, alcoholism and promiscuity. One of the characters lives in constant shame because of a sexual abnormality. Though I don't generally like to read novels on topics like this, l found myself unable to stop reading this one because Helget does write powerfully about her subject. In the end though, the experience of reading this novel made me feel like I was gawking at the scene of a horrible accident. ”
LYNNETTE T wrote this review Tuesday, October 19, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Set mostly in rural South Minnesota during the early 20th century, this story focuses on one German-American family, the Richters, where they come from, how they got to Minnesota, how the succeed and fail at work and in life while struggling with WWI, with love and hate, and with their own shortcomings. What I found most interesting was the way the story was told in a non-linear fashion, letting me see more clearly what to focus on.”
Wiebke K wrote this review Saturday, July 17, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Moving, moving book. Really caught my imagination.”
Kris N wrote this review Friday, June 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Don't know what it was about this book, but I couldn't put it down. Read it in two days (and I'm a slow reader). It's rather dark, odd characters, but also contains interesting historical fiction. Made me want to visit New Germany, MN. Never really thought about the German immigrants in the US after WWl and how they felt being Americans and then their own sons going off to fight the Germans (their own family) in their home country in WWll.”
Marie B wrote this review Wednesday, June 2, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This family saga starts in Germany before WWI and moves to New Germany, MN. A German farmer determined to provide for his growing family is killed by less industrious, envious Swede and Norwegian neighbors as war in Germany heats up. His daughter, marked from birth, also meets her end in un-neighborly disaster. Her brother must learn what "right" really means.”
Gretchen S wrote this review Monday, May 31, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
