Meg Waite Clayton gives us a look into the lives of five very different women who share their lives and their literary ambitions while they meet once a week in the park. On the surface, Linda, Frankie, Brett, Kath, and Ally have little in common. But when they decide to meet and share their attempts at writing, they begin to develop a strong bond. At first, they are afraid to say what they really think - everyone's work is "nice". As they are able to start being honest with each other, about their writing and their lives, they are each changed by the friendships that they forge.
Clayton is able to give each character her own voice, even though the book is narrated by Frankie. I felt like I knew each of the women by the time the book came to an end, and cared for them all. By setting the book in the late 60's she was able to tackle issues such as the burgeoning feminist movement, racism and the Vietnam war, and give insight from a perspective that would be much like that of my own family members. Clayton's writing style was warm and engaging, and I found myself quickly drawn into the lives of these 5 women. I hope to read more by this author in the future!
Finished: 5/23/08
Rating: 7/10
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers program
2 comments:
SEVEN out of 10? Oh my god, I'm loving this book and I'm half way through so unless it takes a horrible turn I'd probably rate it a 9.9 on your scale. Maybe even a 10. I thought about writing to the author before I've finished it, but then decided that was a bit premature.
Great review, I'll def be picking this one up.
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