A satisfying romp through a New England enclave that’s not nearly as idyllic as it seems.
After relocating to Maine for her husband’s job, a young woman must learn to navigate her new social scene while trying to save her deteriorating marriage.
When Charlie’s husband, Dev, takes a job in the wealthy town of Rumford, Maine, she’s hopeful the new gig will mean a more relaxed lifestyle and more time to work on the growing schism that has crept into their once-blissful relationship. As they settle into their new home, Charlie is surprised not only by the level of opulence in Rumford, but also by the fact that Dev is working harder than ever. He’s never around, leaving Charlie alone with their young twins as she tries to figure out life in the high society where they’ve landed. It’s not long before she meets a few of Rumford’s young moms, who quickly take her under their very preppy wings. They invite her to join parties at the country club, sailing trips, book club meetings, and more, gradually revealing that none of their lives are quite as perfect as they seem. As relations between Charlie and Dev grow increasingly strained, Charlie finds herself becoming too friendly with a handsome, flirtatious local man. Struggling to understand why Dev keeps pulling further away, she wonders if she’s going to become one more scandal in this deceptively perfect town. Told entirely in the first person from Charlie’s perspective, this plot-driven novel pokes fun at cliquey young families in fancy coastal towns while also tackling deeper issues like marital struggles, financial strain, and the pressure to fit in. Though the story is engaging, much of it rests on the constant miscommunication between Charlie and Dev, which begins to feel unrealistic as weeks pass without Charlie simply asking him about his puzzling behavior. Similarly, as Charlie struggles to keep up with her new friends, the slapstick nature of her repeated mistakes begins to feel contrived. Even so, the character development, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and nuanced examination of social dynamics are strong enough that readers will find much to enjoy in this perceptive novel.
A satisfying romp through a New England enclave that’s not nearly as idyllic as it seems.Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781662514852
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Little A
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
Briskly written soap with down-to-earth types, mostly without the lachrymose contrivances of Hannah’s previous titles...
Sisters in and out of love.
Meghann Dontess is a high-powered matrimonial lawyer in Seattle who prefers sex with strangers to emotional intimacy: a strategy bound to backfire sooner or later, warns her tough-talking shrink. It’s advice Meghann decides to ignore, along with the memories of her difficult childhood, neglectful mother, and younger sister. Though she managed to reunite Claire with Sam Cavenaugh (her father but not Meghann’s) when her mother abandoned both girls long ago, Meghann still feels guilty that her sister’s life doesn’t measure up, at least on her terms. Never married, Claire ekes out a living running a country campground with her dad and is raising her six-year-old daughter on her own. When she falls in love for the first time with an up-and-coming country musician, Meghann is appalled: Bobby Austin is a three-time loser at marriage—how on earth can Claire be so blind? Bobby’s blunt explanation doesn’t exactly satisfy the concerned big sister, who busies herself planning Claire’s dream wedding anyway. And, to relieve the stress, she beds various guys she picks up in bars, including Dr. Joe Wyatt, a neurosurgeon turned homeless drifter after the demise of his beloved wife Diane (whom he euthanized). When Claire’s awful headache turns out to be a kind of brain tumor known among neurologists as a “terminator,” Joe rallies. Turns out that Claire had befriended his wife on her deathbed, and now in turn he must try to save her. Is it too late? Will Meghann find true love at last?
Briskly written soap with down-to-earth types, mostly without the lachrymose contrivances of Hannah’s previous titles (Distant Shores, 2002, etc.). Kudos for skipping the snifflefest this time around.Pub Date: May 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-345-45073-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2003
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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