I read this book becuase the author came to the library to speak. It's a Southern Gothic type of novel. The author has a beautiful way with words. But I did not like the characters and felt the story was disjointed and unresolved. ( )

Woman tries to cope with her dysfunctional family, her baby hunger, and her struggling marriage. The quintessential literary novel. Excellent writing, vivid and beautifully rendered. Strange characters that ring true. The weirdest Christmas and New Year’s I have ever heard of, in life or fiction. Little to no plot, and minimal resolution. But that is what I have come to expect from a literary novel.

I also read her The Summer After June and I actually liked this novel better. The more I think about the protagonist of “June” the less I like her. Of course, there are some characters in this novel that are not very likable either, but I was more moved by this novel.

www.samfsmith.com ( )