Suzanne
Rating:
Review
This story of widowhood reminds me of that old TV show "The Waltons" more than anything else. It flows and meanders along pleasantly enough, grounded in the four seasons and rural Vermont's natural environment. There are many passages about the satisfaction of hours spent preparing food, so people who enjoy vegetable gardening and cooking will probably enjoy this aspect of the writing. When the story opens, Sarah is seventy-five, spending her retirement in contentment with her husband Charles on their sprawling farmhouse estate when Charles dies. Although she misses Charles terribly, her subsequent life without him actually becomes more full of people than it used to be. First her teenaged granddaughter Lottie moves in with her for the rest of the summer. Then she lets some of Lottie's friends move in, and then even more people from nearby who need temporary assistance. It seemed a bit unlikely to me that someone used to her privacy for so many decades would suddenly start taking in not just one relative but so many other people, too. What seemed more believable was how Sarah rediscovers little things about herself after her husband is gone, unconsciously and gradually shedding little parts of her lifestyle that were defined by living with Charles. It's a nice enough story, but it's not a page-turner.
Best Line:
"I would like to be a leaf, turning toward sunlight without the least intention, so easily." (pg. 206)
Kim
Rating:
Review
This book was not even close to what I was expecting. For half of the story, main character and narrator Sarah vacillates between her marriage to Charles up until now, and the immediate events leading to his untimely death. We are then left with Sarah in present day, and how she fills her time, and her Vermont farmhouse since her husband's death. Sarah seems happy and content in her life and marriage, but when Charles dies, things change for Sarah, unfortunately, and not just in the obvious ways. I enjoyed the back story about Charles and Sarah's relationship, and how lovingly she spoke of him. I did not like how everyone and their brother moved into her house though, as it wasn't believable to this reader and it changed the story completely. Sarah was interesting enough to carry the story, but once all the other characters were introduced, Sarah became one-dimensional and boring. Too bad, because I like Ms. Maloy's style of writing, even if there were plenty of things I found implausible in this story.
Best Line:
"But it took her a long time to heal and forgive, to see that Charles was not repulsed by her outward changes, but by her unkind self-perceptions and the bile with which they laced her spirit."
