Up Island

I have read and enjoyed many of Anne Rivers Siddons novels but this story of what happens to Molly Redwine after her mother dies suddenly and her husband leaves her for an awful younger woman is one of her best. She has such a gift for describing places - in this case, Martha's Vineyard - that you can practically see and smell and sense what it is like, even if you've never been there.

Molly goes to the island to stay with a friend while she recovers from the shock and pain of the terrible events in her life. An odd group of characters, including two surly swans, become Molly's surrogate family as she tries to figure out what to do next. I loved this book so much that I actually contemplated taking a sick day from work so I could finish it.

I liked the premise of a women in her late forties reassessing her life. Reflecting in lonesome northern settings is up my alley.

I noticed, though, that Molly goes from taking care of everyone (husband, kids, charity organizations, parental expectations) in Atlanta to taking care of everyone (man next door, sick lady landlords, grieving father) in Martha's Vineyard. So... does she really change or grow in the course of the book? She just keeps pushing down her feelings to keep taking care of people. She has a few realizations (rich Yankees dress casually, friends can feel like family), but at the end of the story, she's still in the early stages of processing her trauma. Almost nothing is resolved.

When it comes to Siddons' books, I either love 'em or hate 'em. This one was a nice surprise and an enjoyable read. Molly Redwine is living the good life in Atlanta with her loving husband who has a big-shot job at Coke. Their daughter is grown and has a husband of her own and a new baby. Their teen-age son is headed off to college. They have lots of friends and a beautiful home. Then the "loving husband" decides to take his love elsewhere. Then Molly's mother dies. All of this trauma and drama is too much for Molly, and she ends up in Martha's Vineyard. Over one long winter, she discovers some special people, including herself. Siddons has created Interesting characters, including some of the animal variety. A good read.

Interesting story, but unlike many of Siddon's characters, Molly never changes much. Ten pages from the end of the book, she still has all the baggage and issues that she started with.

Molly Bell Redwine has had the mantra 'family means everything' instilled in her from early childhood by her charismatic, demanding mother. But in what seems like a single instant, Molly's world is tilted on its axis and she is shaken to her very core by the aftermath. When her husband of more than twenty years leaves her for a much younger woman, Molly's world crumbles around her. She is devastated to learn that the "Other Woman" has stepped in to Molly's life and essentially replaced her - moving into Molly's house, taking over her social position and earning the affection of Molly's son.

With the death of her domineering mother, Molly is truly set adrift in the world. Seeking refuge with a friend in Martha's Vineyard, Molly begins to show more search for her own identity. When her friend departs, she decides to stay in Martha's Vineyard by herself. Molly rents a small cottage, assuming the duties of caretaker for two cantankerous elderly women who share a haunting secret, the gravely ill and estranged son of one of those women, and a pair of territorial swans.

As Molly's stay on Martha's Vineyard widens the distance between her and her old life in Atlanta, she learns to let go of her outdated notions of family and becomes part of a different - but still very real - new family. As winter closes in on Martha's Vineyard, Molly struggles to nurture them and looks forward to a more hopeful future.

I really enjoyed reading Up Island. In my opinion, Anne Rivers Siddons is a truly great author - she really draws the reader into the story, and they are captured by a desire to know what happens next. I vaguely remember reading this book before several years ago, but I couldn't really remember most of the plot, so it was like reading an entirely new book for me. I give Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons an A+! and will place it on my keeper shelf to read again. show less

Anne Rivers Siddons' name seems to come up reasonably often when I use Literature Map ( http://www.literature-map.com/ ) to identify authors whose writing is similar to the authors I like. I therefore decided to give her a try. I'm slightly disappointed as this book is really too 'romantic' for my liking. My main objection to romance is that it is an unrealistic perspective on relationships. Couples who start off in conflict tend to fall in love in a moment of crisis, and people tend to end up living happily ever after. Further, social class seems to play an excessively important role in determining the way people relate to each other. All these romantic attributes seem to be present in "Up Island". I suspect her other books are show more similar. I therefore won't be adding Siddons to my favourite authors list. show less

This is the best Anne Rivers Siddons book I've read so far (I've read 3 others). This didn't have all of the set-up and background in the beginning that I usually find so tiresome. I found it easy to relate to the characters, and their stories were engaging. Definite thumbs up here. If you're a Siddons fan and haven't read this one, you must pick it up immediately.