my take: Gads! I read this in gulps … couldn’t put it down. Voyeuristic is the word coming to mind … looking in on these people’s misery as they are held captive in a single room. The story is told by 5 year old Jack, born in Room to Ma (kidnapped by Old Nick 7 years earlier).

At first I thought his voice would be annoying, but I soon fell into the cadence of the little boy who uses a thing’s name as it’s Name and has lived in 11 square feet his entire life. The book answers the questions that come out of such a headline story: what happens before, during and after such a horrific event.

my source: I’d heard the author interviewed on Diane Rehm and hubby gave it to me for 12 days of Christmas … available on a first come, first served basis (after hubby gets a crack at it).

my verdict: good discussion read for book clubs,