Play Book Tag discussion

Lucy Barton, during a lengthy hospital stay and a visit from her estranged mother, begins a serious reflection over her life, although the character tells the story years later. She did not have a happy childhood, but we don't really know the depth of it until things seep out a little here and there.

The writing is strong as is the voice, but I really didn't find myself looking forward to getting back to this book, nor did I particularly like it. It gets three stars because the writing is just too good and there are too many good things about it to give it less than a like. Perhaps I've read too many tales of women who grew up in dysfunctional families struggling inside despite external changes for the better, even though this is a fresh voice and some of the problems are new versions of old ones (AIDS rather that TB, not that the character has either). I really hoped I'd like it better. However, if you love literary fiction and this sort of story, it's well written. Or if you didn't bite your literary teeth on Canadian lit while in high school in the 1970s (not that this is Canadian lit, because it is very much American lit through and through) and you haven't grown into a totally different reading phase of your life you might enjoy this.