Looking Back - Five Fortunes

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon
Fiction
1998 Cliff Street Books
Read in June 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Witty, wise, and hope-filled, Five Fortunes is a large-hearted tale of five vivid and unforgettable women who know where they've been but have no idea where they're going. A lively octogenarian, a private investigator, a mother and daughter with an unresolved past, and a recently widowed politician's wife share little else except a thirst for new dreams, but after a week at the luxurious health spa known as "Fat Chance" their lives will be intertwined in ways they couldn't have imagined. At a place where doctors, lawyers, spoiled housewives, movie stars, and captains of industry are stripped of the social markers that keep them from really seeing one another, unexpected friendships emerge, reminding us of the close links between the rich and the poor, fortune and misfortune, and the magic of chance.

My Original Notes (1999):

Wonderful book. Reminded me a little bit of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I was disappointed with the ending, which fell flat with lots of loose ends. Overall a very good "fluff" read. Not great literature, but fun.

My Current Thoughts:

I read this back when books that centered around women's friendships were very popular. I remember how much I loved this one, but I wonder if it would still appeal to me now. I own a copy, so it may wind up on my re-read stack this summer.