This was like going back in time, and not all the way back to the 40s and 50s of the story, but even just to my own childhood where my mother wore a cocktail dress in the afternoon and my father mixed martinis. This book brought back so many memories--like the days of local society pages that talked about people in one's own city who "seen about town" or "vacationed with the family" in some exotic place like Aspen. A time when boys got into "scuffles" instead of drive-bys. Connell managed to portray the good of that era while laying bare its sexism and racism. Mrs. Bridge is a sympathetic character despite herself. Also, I liked the vignette format. It was fresh.
