Book review by Jane
This book is about a rather common (if there is such a thing) love affair that ends up with two people separated and then the husband coming back with his lover to be cared for while she is dying. It is strange, but it seems natural for the wife to do because of her personality. I liked the way this author seemed to take what really happens with people and explain it to the reader in a nonchalant way. I couldn’t get past the name of the husband’s lover, Deary; I kept thinking it was Dreary, which matched in my view. As for the characters, I felt as a reader I had to reach in and take out more about each character, as each was written as if ordinary and mundane—open, maybe; but there was a certain depth to them. Often there was an insight into why people do things. What I mean, is that the writing is short, but often profound. The characters are what they are, but they are a little more. That reaches into the human condition.

This book may be boring to some readers who enjoy action stories. I would recommend this kind of book for a discussion group, though, because a lot could be fleshed out in a discussion about what was going on with each character and what makes people do the things they do.

The author won a Pulitzer Prize for Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Harper Perrennial Modern Classics).

Jane.