Julia Glass really crammed a lot into this book: same-sex marriage, immigration, eco-terrorism, cancer, and health insurance being just a few. For the most part it works, but this book also feels ready to burst at the seams with so many themes.
Percy Glass is a recently retired university librarian with some old-fashioned ideals and a razor-sharp wit. (Although this book is populated almost entirely by American characters, Percy has a decidedly British air.) His wife died tragically when their daughters were fairly young. Since then, they've grown into completely different women: one flighty and irresponsible, the other serious and a bit cold. (Having recently watched an episode of Modern Family where Claire and Phil see an older version of their own family, I couldn't help but think how much Clover and Trudy are like older versions of Hailey and Alex.) There is definitely some sibling rivalry going on here, which seems to be a favorite theme of Glass's.
Percy has agreed to rent his old barn, formerly his wife's dance studio, to the local preschool, and thus, the quiet retirement he'd planned becomes something else entirely. This story, as the title indicates, is primarily Percy's, with alternating chapters being told from his first-person p.o.v. The other chapters are told in third-person omniscient, focusing on three younger men.
Ira, a teacher at the aforementioned preschool, was "let go" from his last position because of his homosexuality. So, he's understandably reluctant to open up to his new co-workers and his students' parents. I found him to be a likeable character, although the first mentions of him were a little off-putting.
Celestino is an illegal immigrant who works as a gardener in Percy's upscale little town. His back story is a bit unusual; an attempt to show another side to immigration issues. I felt like he dropped out of the story for a while and popped back up when it was convenient, but he also was a likeable character.
Robert is Percy's oldest grandchild, the son of the uptight daughter. He's a college student, but Glass's attempts at writing young adult dialogue made me cringe at times. Robert is young and stupid. He makes a lot of dumb choices, but he does learn from them and definitely has some redeeming qualities.
Glass orchestrates a world in which these very different characters' lives intersect repeatedly. There's also a large supporting cast: Percy's son-in-law and former son-in-law, a snobby divorcee next door, a single mom whose son attends the preschool, a famous French architect whose wife runs the preschool, Ira's partner who is known as a vicious divorce lawyer, Celestino's obnoxious boss, Robert's girlfriend, and his roommate (quite a piece of work). I didn't really warm to any of these characters, some of whom play much more substantial roles in the story than others, but all of whom are crucial to Glass's intricate plot.
My previous experience with Glass's writing was Three Junes. In comparison, I'd say this one has better plotting, but lacks some of the character warmth.
Percy Glass is a recently retired university librarian with some old-fashioned ideals and a razor-sharp wit. (Although this book is populated almost entirely by American characters, Percy has a decidedly British air.) His wife died tragically when their daughters were fairly young. Since then, they've grown into completely different women: one flighty and irresponsible, the other serious and a bit cold. (Having recently watched an episode of Modern Family where Claire and Phil see an older version of their own family, I couldn't help but think how much Clover and Trudy are like older versions of Hailey and Alex.) There is definitely some sibling rivalry going on here, which seems to be a favorite theme of Glass's.
Percy has agreed to rent his old barn, formerly his wife's dance studio, to the local preschool, and thus, the quiet retirement he'd planned becomes something else entirely. This story, as the title indicates, is primarily Percy's, with alternating chapters being told from his first-person p.o.v. The other chapters are told in third-person omniscient, focusing on three younger men.
Ira, a teacher at the aforementioned preschool, was "let go" from his last position because of his homosexuality. So, he's understandably reluctant to open up to his new co-workers and his students' parents. I found him to be a likeable character, although the first mentions of him were a little off-putting.
Celestino is an illegal immigrant who works as a gardener in Percy's upscale little town. His back story is a bit unusual; an attempt to show another side to immigration issues. I felt like he dropped out of the story for a while and popped back up when it was convenient, but he also was a likeable character.
Robert is Percy's oldest grandchild, the son of the uptight daughter. He's a college student, but Glass's attempts at writing young adult dialogue made me cringe at times. Robert is young and stupid. He makes a lot of dumb choices, but he does learn from them and definitely has some redeeming qualities.
Glass orchestrates a world in which these very different characters' lives intersect repeatedly. There's also a large supporting cast: Percy's son-in-law and former son-in-law, a snobby divorcee next door, a single mom whose son attends the preschool, a famous French architect whose wife runs the preschool, Ira's partner who is known as a vicious divorce lawyer, Celestino's obnoxious boss, Robert's girlfriend, and his roommate (quite a piece of work). I didn't really warm to any of these characters, some of whom play much more substantial roles in the story than others, but all of whom are crucial to Glass's intricate plot.
My previous experience with Glass's writing was Three Junes. In comparison, I'd say this one has better plotting, but lacks some of the character warmth.
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