How Long to Read Heart of a Family

How Long Does it Take to Read Heart of a Family?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 52 minutes to read Heart of a Family by Douglas Finn

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

“I got a damn hip musician, a poet, and . . . well, a spoiled kid, I guess.” Jesse Landow, while recovering from a heart attack, describes his three sons in this quote. This sentence from this moving novel indicates that members of the Landow family see each other in categories. But as the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that the thrust of the action is toward working around those categories—divisions of attitude towards patriotism, status, education, and lifestyle that have kept apart the older, conservative father and his sons struggling toward manhood in separate ways. Marty the eldest, seeks to use his music as a way to dodge the actual combat of the hated war in Vietnam. The adolescent David comes to maturity as a writer through the encouragement of his Aunt Roe and begins to share his writings with a father who starts to accept him. Gary, the youngest, struggles with his obsessions, his fears, and his physical cowardice as he begins to find his own bravery and courage in the face of attack. While Jesse’s heart attack is central to his confrontations with his sons and their values, it also occasions a long overdue working on his relationship with his wife Mary. The victim of a miscarriage and a woman bitter for years about Jesse’s affairs, she gains a fresh appreciation of him as he confronts death, and she begins to think of absence from him as a crashing emptiness. In this context, the book’s title refers not only to the attack itself, but to the rushing of blood, to the urge toward resolution that affects all members of the family. Heart of a Family was awarded First Place in the Associated Writing Programs Award Series in the Novel Competition for 1983. Ted Solotaroff, final judge of the contest and senior editor at Harper and Row cited the novel’s “narrative interest” and “artistic maturity.” He said: “The novel is distinguished by an unusual ability to portray each of the five members of the family accurately, sensitively, and movingly. I seldom see novels. . . with as much grasp of and respect for the family life of middle America. Moving steadily and with increasing depth from one member to another, Mr. Finn. . . creates a novel with interest and light.”

How long is Heart of a Family?

Heart of a Family by Douglas Finn is 286 pages long, and a total of 73,216 words.

This makes it 97% the length of the average book. It also has 89% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Heart of a Family Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours and 40 minutes to read Heart of a Family aloud.

What Reading Level is Heart of a Family?

Heart of a Family is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Heart of a Family?

Heart of a Family by Douglas Finn is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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