The title is brilliant.
The plot line is....tragic, comic, and a bit never-ending.
STORY SUMMARY
Liam Pennywell is 60 years old and has just been "let go" from his job as a 5th grade teacher in a private Catholic school. He's not certified to teach as his degree is in Philosophy so he cannot apply to any of the Baltimore, Maryland public schools. He's thinking of taking an early retirement.
He's been a widower (his first wife died when his oldest daughter Xanthe was a baby) and his 2nd wife Barbara and him have been divorced for years. He has two daughters with Barbara: Louise is married to Dougall and they have a preschool-aged boy named Jonah. They are fundamentalist Christians. And Liam's youngest daughter, Kitty, is about to be a senior in high school. She has a boyfriend named Damian whom everyone thinks is a loser.
Liam has just moved into his new condo on the outskirts of the city and during his first night there, he is attacked by a burglar and wakes up in the hospital with absolutely no memory of the attack!
He now decides that enough is enough! He needs to get his life back....but how?
He needs someone who can do some remembering for him......
.....and that someone might be a woman in her late 30's named Eunice.
And what happens after they meet, really changes things up for Liam.
MY THOUGHTS
I wasn't a huge fan of this story. It was so depressing to me!
I understand the themes the author is trying to point out (direction in life, a life not wasted, weaknesses vs strengths, the intimate bonds of family...as well as friendships......
but the book just plodded along for me. I did finish it because I wanted to see what was going to happen with Liam and Eunice. I'm glad it ended the way it did and I'm glad it wasn't a predictable ending.
The character development, however, is what really makes this book shine. It has some amazing quirky characters but I found my self getting frustrated with every single one of them except Liam's dad. (I won't reveal details!).
But overall, this is NOT my fave book by this author. (I've read two others of hers).
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 7.
1 comment:
A 7 is still a good rating for a book you didn't enjoy so much. I got in a bit of a reading slump the last while and have had trouble getting back into my usual pace of reading.
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