The Condition: A Novel

By Jennifer Haigh

When the McKotch family gathers at their summer house on Cape Cod for their annual vacation in 1976, they are expecting a fun week at the beach with their extended family. What they don't know is that this is the last time they'll spend together at The Captain's House, and soon their lives will be forever changed. In the very near future, Paulette and Frank's marriage will reach its bitter end, and daughter Gwen will be diagnosed with Turner's syndrome, a rare genetic condition that prevents her body from growing or maturing like a normal person. Gwen's diagnosis and the McKotch's divorce will also have ramifications for Paulette and Frank's two sons, Billy and Scott.
In this novel, author Jennifer Haigh takes the readers through the next twenty years of this dysfunctional family's lives, detailing each one's struggle for love and happiness. Although I think Baker Towers is still her best work, the story of the McKotch family is quite compelling. Haigh's characters are well drawn as usual and while the plot seems to move a bit slowly at times, the ending is satisfying as the main characters come full circle.

The Divorce Party: A Novel

By Laura Dave

Every once in a while, you discover an author who truly speaks to you. Something about the words they choose and the characters they create, move you and captivate you and make you wish the book would never end. If you're very lucky, your favorite new author might be prolific as well as talented, and have written a bunch of books for you to devour. Or she may have written just two novels so far, so you'll have to savor them while you wait for her next one.

I fell in love with Laura Dave's 2006 debut, London is the Best City in America and her latest book, The Divorce Party, is just as good. When you read her simple, eloquent prose, you can't help but stop every few pages to marvel at her finely honed writing skills. Dave possesses an amazing talent for penning dead on descriptions, unpredictable plot twists, multifaceted, extremely likeable characters, and beautiful, realistic relationships and romances. The Divorce Party is my favorite book of the year.

Dave's latest novel is set in Montauk, a beautiful coastal town. Located on the farthest end of the Hamptons and Long Island, it feels like the end of the world. While Montauk has been a popular tourist destination for many years, the town is also inhabited by some locals who reside there year round. This weekend, one of Montauk's oldest and wealthiest families is throwing a divorce party, the polar opposite of a wedding. Gwynn and Thomas Huntington shared the ideal marriage for thirty-five great years, but will end their relationship by throwing a beautiful party to celebrate with family and friends.

If you're assuming that The Divorce Party is another one of those fluffy, predictable novels about the glitter and glitz of a summer in the Hamptons, you couldn't be more wrong. It is a book about relationships, how they end and how they begin. It about secrets, keeping them, revealing them and forgiving them. But it's mostly a love story, two love stories, actually. It is Thomas and Gwynn's love story, as well as their son Nate and his fiance Maggie's love story. Nate and Maggie are about to open their own restaurant in Brooklyn as they prepare to attend the Huntington divorce party. Maggie is nervous because she's never met her future in-laws face to face. Then Nate reveals that he hasn't been completely honest with her about his parents' financial situation; it turns out that this family has lots and lots of money. And lots of secrets as well, many of which are about to be revealed this weekend in Montauk.
I know I'm gushing now but I simply cannot say enough good things about this amazing book, which also gave me a new appreciation for one of my favorite songs, Van Morrison's Sweet Thing from Astral Weeks. I never really paid close attention to the beautiful lyrics until I read them in the final pages of The Divorce Party. Just another reason to love this smart, stunning novel.

And I will stroll the merry way

And jump the hedges first

And I will drink the clear

Clean water for to quench my thirst

And I shall watch the ferry-boats

And they'll get high

On a bluer ocean

Against tomorrow's sky

And I will never grow so old again

And I will walk and talk

In gardens all wet with rain

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing

My, my, my, my, my sweet thing

And I shall drive my chariot

Down your streets and cry

hey, its me, I'm dynamite

And I don't know why

And you shall take me strongly

In your arms again

And I will not remember

That I even felt the pain.

We shall walk and talk

In gardens all misty and wet with rain

And I will never, never, never

Grow so old again.

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing

My, my, my, my, my sweet thing

And I will raise my hand up

Into the night time sky

And count the stars

That's shining in your eye

Just to dig it all and not to wonder

That's just fineAnd I'll be satisfied

Not to read in between the lines

And I will walk and talk

In gardens all wet with rain

And I will never, ever, ever, ever

Grow so old again.

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing

Sugar-baby with your champagne eyes

And your saint-like smile....

Comfort: A Journey Through Grief

By Ann Hood

In this heartbreaking memoir, Ann Hood writes about the loss of her beloved five year old daughter Grace, who died suddenly after contracting a rare strep virus that attacked her organs. Ann (a novelist), her husband Lorne and their son Sam are completely devastated as family members and friends offer love, support, food and advice. Sentiments like, "Time heals", "She's in a better place"' and "Write this down," do little to comfort the family or heal Hood's utterly broken heart. Grace was a vivacious, loving, creative, intelligent little girl who loved art, the Beatles, her big brother, and anything girly. Desperate for something to ease her pain, Ann seeks solace in knitting, writing, God, her family, and eventually, she slowly begins to recover.

Hood's recent novel, The Knitting Circle, was inspired by her personal experiences dealing with Grace's death, but she states on her website that Comfort was the most difficult thing she's ever written. Her pain is undeniably evident on every page. Years later, Ann and her family finally begin to feel a bit of hope when they adopt a baby girl from China, not to replace the irreplaceable Gracie, but to bring some joy back into their lives.

Comfort is a well written, heartfelt memoir, a loving tribute to little Grace. I especially appreciate Chapter 7, titled "Staying", which recounts Hood's tendency to leave when things get difficult or boring: jobs, homes, friendships, etc. She writes, "...I leave things. Even things I love. Even things I promise never to leave...The thing about marriage is, you're not supposed to leave. You stand up in front of a hundred of your best friends and closest family members and promise them and the person you're marrying that you will stick it out. No matter what." Although many marriages are unable to survive the loss of a child, Ann and her husband grow even closer, forever bonded by their wonderful memories of Grace. I think many people seeking comfort after enduring an unimaginable loss like Ann's, will find reassurance and hope in this remarkable book.