Break out the tool kit
Family issues as a theme doesn't usually entice me to pick up a book and read it. I don't know why, but it either doesn't interest me or intimidates me. Part of it may have to do with the fact that I don't know how to talk (review) it properly. Realistically, of course, such long-standing issues can't be resolved in 300+ pages, so that factors into it as well. I picked this book up to attempt to break that habit, and also because I wanted to check out a more recent novel (it was published this decade, that counts, right?).
To say that Delilah and her mother don't get along would be a massive understatement. Her mother has been paying more attention to her demanding job than to Delilah, who's been sneaking out with a careless rebel and quietly seething at Mom's absence. But then Grandma Hannaford - the one they haven't contacted in eight years, for reasons unknown to Delilah - dies, and they have to get the old Vermont lake house ready for selling. At first Delilah doesn't like the change of scenery, as Mom and Aunt Rachel hardly get along, but then she meets her old friend Patrick and a new friend, Emily. And then, by means of a lost diary, she gets acquainted with the aunt she never met: Stephanie, the baby sister who died at age 19. For a girl who can't get her mother to talk about her dead father, this insight into a Hannaford family member is a treasure. But family history has layers of complications, and Delilah can't sort it out by herself. When a devastating truth is confessed, it threatens to pull Delilah away from her mother, Patrick, and the desire to mend things for good.
We'll start with the first thing I noticed about this book: the voice of Delilah is funny, strong, and engaging. How she describes her mother's apparent coldness is pretty affecting and wins the reader's sympathy. Even though we hear her mother lecture her about her semi-unsavory activities (sneaking out at night, making out with some dude, general sassin'), it's pretty obvious that Mom hasn't been all that involved in the first place. Ockler's observations of this family's tense dynamics - and how they developed - makes for a gripping read, especially once the above-mentioned truth is revealed. And she really puts Delilah - and the reader - through the wringer by having her go through a handful of emotional confrontations and face her fears. Not only do we respect her in the end, but we also respect Mom for revealing her own vulnerable side(s).
By comparison, the relationship between Delilah and Patrick feels lackluster. It's telegraphed from the second they meet (again) how things will develop between them. This would be fine if there were any surprises to be had in their relationship. Instead, Patrick's devotion to her leaves the reader no doubt as to how things will end for them. I'd rather Ockler had taken more time to develop Emily, whose friendship with Delilah is taken for granted by the story. There's simply no tension there because very few risks are taken.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good read as it looks at the women of a family who has suffered multiple tragedies. Are things tied up in a pretty bow at the end? Yeah, more or less. But after all Delilah has been through, it was a nice relief. Rating: 3.5 tarot cards out of 5.
We'll start with the first thing I noticed about this book: the voice of Delilah is funny, strong, and engaging. How she describes her mother's apparent coldness is pretty affecting and wins the reader's sympathy. Even though we hear her mother lecture her about her semi-unsavory activities (sneaking out at night, making out with some dude, general sassin'), it's pretty obvious that Mom hasn't been all that involved in the first place. Ockler's observations of this family's tense dynamics - and how they developed - makes for a gripping read, especially once the above-mentioned truth is revealed. And she really puts Delilah - and the reader - through the wringer by having her go through a handful of emotional confrontations and face her fears. Not only do we respect her in the end, but we also respect Mom for revealing her own vulnerable side(s).
By comparison, the relationship between Delilah and Patrick feels lackluster. It's telegraphed from the second they meet (again) how things will develop between them. This would be fine if there were any surprises to be had in their relationship. Instead, Patrick's devotion to her leaves the reader no doubt as to how things will end for them. I'd rather Ockler had taken more time to develop Emily, whose friendship with Delilah is taken for granted by the story. There's simply no tension there because very few risks are taken.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good read as it looks at the women of a family who has suffered multiple tragedies. Are things tied up in a pretty bow at the end? Yeah, more or less. But after all Delilah has been through, it was a nice relief. Rating: 3.5 tarot cards out of 5.
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