Did anyone read Diamond Dust- the book?

kalsee

Sun, Dec 22 2013, 4:35 am

Every time I read a novel that has been serialized, I am surprised again by how good it is, how much it flows and makes so much more sense than reading it over a year+ as a serial.
I especially liked her disclaimer at the end about Henny's IF.

Bonus chapter was a little hard to read (emotionally)

What did you think?

Cookies n Cream

Sun, Dec 22 2013, 8:29 am

I read it and enjoyed it very much.
I did feel that the ending was a little overdone but she said she did it for the people that like a certain type of ending.

seeker

Sun, Dec 22 2013, 1:45 pm

Were there any significant differences between the book and the serial? I read it once already as a serial, wondering if it's worth another go. It was pretty good the first time around, but now I already know what happens...

malkacooks

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 12:09 pm

what happend in the bonus chapters? I bought the book then foolishly lent it out before reading the bonus material (I had already read it the first time in the magazine).

I just realized there was a bonus chapter.... I just thought I was rereading the story and filling int he blanks when I missed the begining

amother

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 1:48 pm

yes I'd love to know what the bonus chapters are about... I cant find the book in my bookstore im oot (amother b\c I dont want to out myself)

I cant wait for split ends to become a book.... I just started a subscription to mispacha and missed the whole begining

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 2:09 pm

malkacooks wrote:

Bonus chapters:
• Additional ending for those who wanted a stronger confrontation between Yalli and Deenie

• Interview with a mother of a child with a cleft lip

• Some IF information

The book was a great read! Riva Pomerantz' characters are vivid and real. Very enjoyable. You can buy Diamond Dust online: Diamond Dust on Amazon

mimsf

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 2:14 pm

I loved the book, so I don't mind knowing how was the end in the mishpacha, I don't understand how u can read it in a year time, I love to start a book and finish it in the same day or few days, can't wait for her next book to come out!

Raisin

Sun, Aug 03 2014, 8:40 am

I don't subscribe to any magazines but I just read this book. I thought it was pretty well written. A little overwritten - big words that don't necessarily mean what she thinks they mean, but otherwise fairly good.

Just curious - has anyone ever experienced, or seen, this level of bullying going on in a frum BY type school? eg no one attending a birthday party? While I am sure Deenie type characters exist, I am pretty sure teachers can see through them.

seeker

Tue, Aug 05 2014, 10:18 pm

I hope that awareness has risen and teachers are better equipped to identify and eliminate bullying, but my past experience has been that it is pretty easy for this behavior to fly under the radar. I don't know about the exact actions described in this story, but I have definitely seen bully behavior in BY schools. It can be very subtle and teachers can be very naive.

climbing613

Tue, Aug 05 2014, 11:32 pm

I haven't seen the level of bullying described, but I have seen where no one attended a birthday party or extreme sarcasm. Unfortunately. Especially if the bully is nice to authority figures and/or most of the other people in the class

malkacooks

Wed, Aug 06 2014, 10:53 am

when I was a kid one girl tried to convince everyone not to attend a birthday party b\c the food wasnt kosher enough... I dont remember what happend. I didnt go to the party not b\c of that but because we were away at a simcha

amother

Wed, Aug 06 2014, 11:16 am

My older sister was bullied. In a very right-wing BY type school. She is 5 years older than I, and I even remember the girls making snide, horrible remarks to 4-year-old-kingergarten me. My parents switched us out to a different school. They felt the parents' holier than though attitude helped foster the bullying. The school did NOTHING to help.

She once made a Shabbos Party for her class, and like 3 girls came. It was "in" then - girls would rotate making Shabbos Party for the whole class, and lots of girls came at other girls rota.

My sis is B"H a happily married mother and grandmother today....but some time ago, she got a call from a former classmate who told her that one of the lead bullies, who is still single, wants to ask her mechillah. My generous, kind sister barely remembered the bullying, and said she forgives her, but she doubts it has anything to do with her since she never bore a grudge.

amother

Wed, Aug 06 2014, 11:28 am

amother wrote:

...but some time ago, she got a call from a former classmate who told her that one of the lead bullies, who is still single, wants to ask her mechillah. My generous, kind sister barely remembered the bullying, and said she forgives her, but she doubts it has anything to do with her since she never bore a grudge.

I was bullied severely in elementary school. I was not able to forgive my tormentor for many years. She never even thought I carried hate towards her for ruining my life. After all I was popular in high school, had friends and seemingly had confidence. She had robbed me of my childhood in such painful ways that I had nightmares from it until I was an adult. It took a long time for forgiveness to come.

amother

Wed, Aug 06 2014, 12:52 pm

climbing613 wrote:

I am previous poster. I was probably bullied way more than is described in Diamond Dust. I was literally physically hurt and made to feel like garbage at every opportunity. Oh, and the teachers somehow ignored what was happening. A lot of my resentment over the years was at authority figures in my life and my difficulty in yielding to authority was based off this trauma.