An engrossing book for the most part, a sad story of a boy taking care of his mother. I enjoyed it for the most part, and we could have done without the couple of political jabs. I'm not sure why authors of novels think we want to hear their own political views. Ruined the second half of the book for me.
I love Richard Russo's novels. I thought it might be nice to delve into HIS life for a different viewpoint and exploration into the life of an author. He has really done a fine job of writing about himself without seeming like he's writing about himself. Now I understand how he so easily develops his novel characters. This book is a joy to read: enlightening, entertaining, bittersweet and full of family issues that are dealt with realistically and not without guilt. Definitely recommend this book -- it's a quick read and hard to put down.
Excellent memoir; beautifully written. I especially enjoyed it since I am from Gloversville,NY and I could relate to the pathos and mentality of it's residents. I left at age 18 and never wanted to go back. But quite a tale of the relationship between a son and his mentally ill mother.
