PRMS hardcover 320 pages
genre: realistic fiction, relationships
I read this book a few weeks ago and we discussed it at book club on 2/18/14. Sadly, I pulled out some of my post-it notes while we discussed and I'm too lazy to figure out what I tagged. I'm tired, too, so these are random notes and observations.
Characters:
Jim Burgess - high profile lawyer, a jerk
Helen - his wife, loves her kids, a bit of a snob
Bob Burgess - also a lawyer, but does pro bono work and has a different life philosophy than Jim
Susan - Bob's twin, kind of a sad sack
Zach - Susan's son, threw a pig's head into a Muslim place of worship
Abdikarim - Somali elder who is angry, frightened, and then compassionate
Bob's ex-wife who is still his friend
Some of the people in Litwits 2013 panned this book, saying it was too slow. It definitely wouldn't be called "fast-paced," but there's enough going on to keep it interesting. Strout is known for her characters and she delivers! These characters are well-developed and interesting. New York City and Maine are important characters, too.
page 283 - Margaret Estaver (Episcopalian ? pastor) is talking with Haweeya (Abdi's niece?) and the sense of entitlement that American kids feel. Haweeya is concerned about her own children becoming this way - rude to their elders, saying what they think, and the adults allowing it as self-expression. Interesting, too, that Margaret says that this isn't entirely true of American families.
page 290 - Bob is thinking about Jim's rejection of him. "But Bob was not a young man, and he knew about loss." This scene is poignant; to me, it signifies a shift in Bob's character from being pathetic and needy to standing up for himself.
page 311 - Jim has finally broken down and is sharing his fears with Bob. When he says he has no family, Bob replies, "You have a family. You have a wife who hates you. Kids who are furious with you. A brother and sister who make you insane. And a nephew who used to be kind of a drip but apparently is not so much of a drip now. That's called family."
page 318 - The siblings have just sent Jim to apologize to Helen. "He understood they would probably never again discuss the death of their father. The facts didn't matter. Their stories mattered, and each of their stories belonged to each of them alone."
Another part I noted earlier was when Susan told Bob that Zach was mad at him for not being more of a part of his life. Bob asked how Zach felt about his own dad removing himself from Zach's life for so many years. Good for you, Bob!
Worthwhile book to read and discuss. The family relationships are haunting and believable.
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