Day: A Novel
by Michael Cunningham
Day a Novel(10/25/2023)
Day is about family and the complications that come when living closely and interconnectedly. The characters, including, maybe especially, are well drawn easy to envision. The author brings them to life with all their quirks and fallibility. It's short book easily read in a few days but I came to care about them and think about them when I wasn't reading.
A good read I would definitely recommend.
Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood
by Tanya Frank
A mother's story(2/28/2023)
Zig Zag Boy is the author's moving account of her son's severe mental illness journey. Zach grows up as a sensitive, intelligent younger brother. For unexplained reasons he begins to have paranoid thoughts and starts hearing voices. She describes their entry into the diagnosis and medical treatment phase of his illness. This is the beginning of a frightening and exhausting journey. There are moments of hope but mostly it is sad and very lonely. Her life becomes consumed with taking care of, as best as she can, her adult son. The book highlights the struggles and challenges of caring for someone with severe mental illness. It clearly illustrates how unequipped our society continues to be to give adequate care. It shows the strain on families and other relationships. This is not a book that gives false hope. This is an honest portrait of her experience in dealing with a sick son in a very difficult environment. It is short and very readable. I finished in two days. I recommend to anyone interested in family drama and mental illness.
Margot: A Novel
by Wendell Steavenson
Oh Margot!(12/21/2022)
Margot is tall and smart and awkward and her Mom is not happy about that. In the rarefied world of wealthy Long Island and NYC Margot does not fit in.
It was so interesting watching her learn to love herself and make her way in the world through the turbulent 1960s. Allowing herself to feel smart and desirable, to make some true friends and to make some big mistakes along the way. We are introduced to her childhood friends and college comrades. We see her find her place in the science department where she feels most at home. And we are left with her taking a big leap with lots of unknowns and we are left wanting more.
I thoroughly enjoyed Margot. I recommend it to any woman who has ever felt not enough, who has struggled to find her way with all that life has thrown her way!
This story of an unlikely friendship between a troubled young adult and an octogenarian with secrets is told with honesty and wit. Both were believable and in their own way, quirky but likable.
As an aging reader myself I am always thrilled to read about a woman in the latter part of her life with real feelings and desires. I highly recommend this book.
Sweeping story of family love, secrets and survival. This would be a great book for book clubs with so many themes to discuss. It's a story of sisters who are unknown to each other because of distance, language and culture. They are brought together as teenagers and come to have a beautiful, loving relationship. It's a story of multigenerational families and the influence of war and struggle over time. There is first love, friendship and the closeness of loving relatives. I enjoyed and was touched by the book and highly recommend.
Interesting title with a concept which comes to light half way through the book. A marriage in trouble, not particularly interesting problems. Beautiful people with money and education. Poor communication skills, Issue which dooms many marriage. Husband cheats but wants to preserve the family and willing to do the work to make that happen. I liked that. But in general, wouldn't really recommend.
The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams
Good summer read(5/19/2018)
Well crafted story of old New England monied mixing with the people who work for them. Most of the story is wrapped around the life and loves of Miranda, Isobel, Joseph and Clay. Young adults full of passion maturing into adults with all complications that life can bring. There are secrets hidden by the adults around them that influence their lives. I definitely recommend this as a good summer read for anyone into romantic historical fiction with a dash of mystery thrown in!
So enjoyed this book! Each of the main female characters (and this is definitely a book for and about women!) had their turn in moving the story along. Their voices were unique and interesting. I especially enjoyed Ruby and her relationship with her mother, Aviva. She is a child who has trouble fitting in but is like every other thirteen year old when it comes to judging her mother. Aviva has become a successful adult with a full life even though she was taken advantage of and shamed as an young impressionable college student. They come to understand and appreciate each other as they begin to truly know each other. This is a contemporary light read full of humor with fully drawn characters. I definitely recommend.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons, mostly because I am familiar with Nantucket and that part of the island. I could easily picture the shingled homes and beautiful summer gardens. The strong female characters and their story lines kept me reading. There were enough twist and turns and historical details to move the story forward. This is definitely a beach read which I would highly recommend.
An engaging read about family, divorce, book clubs and how books can shape our lives with a side of mystery!
Ava is a likable, complicated woman whose life is at the center of the novel. She has suffered a terrible loss/tragedy as a young child. She goes on to create an apparently full and stable life that comes crashing down when her husband suddenly asks for a divorce. She is reeling from this when her good friend asks her to join her book club. Along with the books and new friends she makes here we are drawn into the story of her marriage, children and parents. There is lots going on here! Ann Hood manages to tie it all together and keep us interested along the way.
An enjoyable read...its not perfect. The story of her daughter in Paris is a bit over the top especially considering most parents would be on a plane immediately! but that aside it definitely moves the story along and kept me reading until the end wondering how this would all play out.
Definitely recommend to anyone interested in stories about family, friends and books!
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