The Art of Mending

I was immediately captivated by this short book about a family suddenly grappling with secrets. The normal, warm, happy life of the narrator and her family is disrupted by an unexpected loss, and in the midst of ther grief, the secrets are revealed, denied, and revealed again. The style flows easily, and it was hard to put down - had I not had work the next day, I would have finished it in on session in the wee hours. My only quibble is that the road toward reconciliation seems to be found too easily.

One thing that puzzled me is the interview with Berg at the end of the book. She and the interviewer agree that the characters are unsympathetic, even unlikeable. I didn't feel that way about the narrator or her immediate family at all. In show more fact, I found myself comfortably identifying with her. show less

It's been a few days since I finished reading this book. I usually try to do the book review when the book is fresh in my memory but, you know, life has a way of getting out of hand at times.

I loved the writing in this book. I loved this passage from page 210:
When I was in grade school, I, along with the other girls, wrote boys' names on my notebook paper, wrote myself as Mrs. a hundred times in a dreamy script. But I did that in the same way that I wore whatever clothes were in style--I had no real belief that I would ever meet in the middle with someone. And indeed it did take a long time for me to find someone I wanted to marry. But I'm so glad I waited. What I know about Pete and me is that the flame will never go out. I do not show more look up from tossing the salad and think, Oh, God how the hell did I ever get here? I do not look at the back of his head and think, I don't know you at all. I wake up with my pal, and go to sleep with my lover. He still thrills me, not only sexually but because of the way he regards the life that unfolds around him. I am interested in what he says about me and the children and our respective jobs, but I am also interested in what he says about the Middle East and the migratory patterns of monarchs and the amount of nutmeg that should be grated into the mashed potatoes and the impact that being a thwarted artist had on the life of Hitler. I believe Pete is a truly honest and awake and kind individual. If we live more than once, I want to find him again.

That is so exactly how I feel about my marriage that I felt like she had been peering into my thought processes. And there were many instances of the writing being so bang on I had to stop and appreciate it instead of barging on through to get to the end.

That said, I felt let down at the end of the book. I couldn't quite believe that the emotional scene between mother and daughter could just end with brownies and a shopping trip.

In yet another one of those instances of synchronicity that seem to happen with BookCrossing, last night I attended a production of Arthur Miller's play, The Price. It is the story of two brothers who haven't spoken in 18 years because the elder pursued his dream of becoming a doctor while the younger gave up his promising scientific career to become a cop and look after his father who was ruined in the crash of 1929. When they have their encounter there are recriminations and attempted rapprochements but finally the elder stomps out. The younger one realizes that after all these years of wanting to have it out with his brother he is comfortable with the choices he made and what his brother did or does in the future doesn't matter to him. Now that seemed much more satisfying (and likely) an ending than the facile way this author chose to end this book.

However, the journey to the end was well worth it and I would be interested to read more by Elizabeth Berg. show less

At a family reunion, quilt-maker Laura Bartone discovers a horrible family secret from her odd and difficult younger sister Caroline. Although this novel had moments of emotional resonance, there were far too many moments that felt like simply padding, arbitrary and irrelevant to the story. For instance, the details about a dog quilt that Laura is making for a client who is not even named or seen in the novel seemed entirely superfluous, as did the discussion about the hypochondria of a friend's partner who similarly never makes an appearance. Some offhand observations, such as how Laura's fabric collection, like a hardware store, is satisfying in its completeness, "because everything is there," would have been nicer if they had more show more relevance to the story.

Although some of Laura's relationships were lifelike and realistic, the pastiche of Laura's life never meshed into an organic whole. Laura seems to be on the one hand a good person, a good wife and mother, leading an idyllic life, and on the other a seriously flawed and emotionally inadequate sister. How did she get from point A to point B? This story from sister Caroline's point of view would have made a much more interesting novel.

Most annoying to me were old-fashioned, sexist assumptions about men's and women's natures and gender roles, which turned everyone into a caricature: men who can't talk about their emotions, the really good woman friend who you can share everything with, the ebullient and effusive gay man who runs the fabric store and is going on vacation to—where else?—San Francisco. It's almost as if Elizabeth Berg only had the time or resources to flesh out the relationships central to the plot and everyone else was just a stand-in. Such cheap stereotypes kept me from becoming involved in what was a plot that should have struck very close to home. show less

One of the best novels for women who grew up in dysfunctional families. Growing up with a damaged mother is not an easy thing, and this book takes you through the emotional storm involved with dealing with such relationships, to the beginning of healing.I've been the "child who wasn't believed" in a dysfunctional family and this book is absolutely true in its depiction of family dynamics.

Book on CD read by Joyce Bean
3.5***

An annual family reunion at the Minnesota State Fair begins a journey of reckoning with the past for Laura and her siblings, Caroline and Steve, when her sister makes a shocking allegation.

I love how Berg writes about family dynamics. Her characters are adults and, for the most part, they act like it. They ponder, discuss, act, react, and find ways to cope with whatever life throughs at them. There are scenes of great tenderness and scenes that are difficult to witness. I sometimes felt as off-kilter as Laura when confronted with an unspeakable truth.

Ultimately the siblings will join together to confront their shared past and work to move forward, with reckoning, forgiveness and love.

Joyce Bean show more does a wonderful job of narrating the audiobook. She brings Berg’s words to life. show less

Laura Bartone, a 50-something married mother of two, returns to her hometown for an annual family gathering with her parents, brother, and sister. When Laura's younger sister Caroline asks for a meeting with Laura and their brother Steve, the reunion begins to take on a different tone from past events. Caroline surfaces emotional events from their childhood, which differ greatly from Laura and Steve's experiences.

The Art of Mending explores family relationships; specifically, how children's views of past events affect their journey to adulthood, and the nature of adult parent-child relationships. Its title is a metaphor for healing, taken from a passage discussing the domestic pleasures of ironing and mending:
...there's an art to show more mending: If you're careful, the repair can actually add to the beauty of the thing, because it is testimony to its worth (p. 14)

Berg writes lovely descriptive prose. Yet while this book held promise, it did not live up to my expectations. The characters lacked depth, and none were particularly likeable. The plot was formulaic and predictable. Worst of all, this book was manipulative, blatantly tugging at the reader's heartstrings. I can do without that ... show less

I really enjoyed this story and the authenticity of humanity inside the chapters. The author did a great job of portraying grief and mess that comes along with it.

When I finished the last chapter, however, I was left confused at the lack of conclusion. In fact, the first thing I did when I finished the sentence was say "What? That's it?". Oh well, I guess it was left up to the imagination.