Author: Fran Littlewood
Publication Information: Henry Holt and Co. 2023. 272 pages.
ISBN: 1250857015 / 978-1250857019
Book Source: I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★★★
Opening Sentence: "Grace is hot."
Favorite Quote: "She speaks five languages yet she could not find the vocabulary to articulate her heartsickness, to negotiate their grief."
Middle age? Perimenopause? Teenage child? Midlife crisis? Comfortable but uncertain marriage? Lost career? Lost dreams? Is it any one of these things or is it all of these things that cause Grace Adams to unravel and go over the edge?
This book is the story of Grace Adam's very bad, horrible day. However, it is also the story of Grace Adam's life - her decisions, her choices, and her circumstances - that lead her to this existential crisis and breakdown.
The concept is perhaps a relatable and understandable one. The idea of a family situation leading to the loss of a job is unfortunately a realistic one. The idea of a middle aged person - particularly a woman - wondering how life ended up here is one heard often in real life.
The telling of the story is, however, a challenge. The "present" day story is of Grace trying to get a birthday cake to her estranged teenage daughter in an effort to reconcile with her. Grace'e mental trajectory travels from present day to many other times in her life - when she starts her career, when she meets her husband, at points in her marriage, and a few days before the present. It follows her thought process as to how she is where she is. Unfortunately, this makes the story confusing at times and makes it difficult to invest in the emotion of the moment. Because the book starts in the present and goes back, it is also hard to invest in the emotions of the past as you know how it all turns out. I do wish the story had not been circular.
In her present, Grace makes a lot of questionable choices. The language of the book - particularly the frequent cursing - does not help. I want to root for Grace, but, somehow, as relatable as her story is, Grace does not develop into a character I cheer for. The story goes in too many different directions and pulls in too many themes for me to settle in with one.
The books ends up about where I expect it will. Unfortunately, that means there is not necessarily the payoff of a lesson or of closure after wading through a couple of hundred pages of Grace's crisis. Rather than a touching story or a humorous story as the description indicates, this ends up being somewhat sad and depressing.
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