Lori M. (lormac) reviewed on 4/3/2011 + 120 more book reviews

Well, this one was a page turner. At first, I couldn't put it down because I knew there was a family tragedy, and the voyeur in me wanted to get to it.(Is that sick? Well, then, Quindlen sets the reader up for that.) Once I got to the tragedy, I kept wondering what else the author had to tell me because she pretty much hands you all of the horror in one dose, so I couldn't figure out what else there was to give me, plot-wise. The narrator sort of has to go on afterwards, so what else could there be? Was there something we were not seeing? I suspected some twist or hidden mystery, but nothing much develops. The author does have one little detail up her sleeve that gets disclosed, but frankly, it seemed a little pathetic to browbeat the narrator with her one slip-up, especially after all she has gone through. It's like Quindlen wanted us to have a excuse for the tragedy when there really isn't one, and that may be the saddest thing of all.

Still, I think this book has a lot to recemmend it. Good characterizations, realistic dialogue, and, although I hope I never have any such experioence, the reactions of the characters seem completely genuine.

Anyway, my book club has slated this for the spring, and I am looking forward to the discussion. My contribution will be the following question: Wouldn't this have been a more interesting book if written from the point of view of Deborah?

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