Fiction
1997 Ballantine Books (first published in 1991)
Read in January 1999
Rating: 3/5 (Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
It is the 1960s, in suburban New York City, and twelve-year-old Maggie Scanlan begins to sense that despite the calm surface of her peaceful life, everything is going strangely wrong.
When her all-powerful grandfather is struck down by a stroke, the reverberations affect Maggie's entire family. Her normally dispassionate father breaks down, her mother becomes distant and unavailable, and matters only get worse when her cousin and her best friend start doing things to each other that leave Maggie confused about sex and terrified of sin.
With all of this upheaval, how can she be sure that what she wants is even worth having?
My Original Notes (1999):
Good, but not great. Kind of depressing. I do like Quindlen's style, however and plan to read more of her novels.
My Current Thoughts:
Turns out this was Quindlen's first published novel. She has certainly evolved over the past 25 years as a fiction writer.
I have only read Quindlen maybe once but I certainly would like to give her another chance. I can't even remember which book I read! Might look for another of her books to try first.
ReplyDeleteIliana, I really enjoy her writing, both fiction and nonfiction. One True Thing and Every Last One are two of my favorites.
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