There was universal appreciation for the book, most notably the writing style. We all seemed to feel that Shields had a fantastic ability to transform ordinary events into something interesting. She captured a moment or an event really very beautifully. Wonderful descriptions like the train journey, the moment when Charlene meets the police at home, etc. While we acknowledged both books did in fact have two plots which moved forward (beginning…middle…end), we did kind of felt as though the backdrop of Canadian stability gave the reader the impression that nothing much was happening, when in fact, there were real events taking place in both novels. The plot twist in the first novel was interesting: there was a novel published based on her stolen plot, and the author from whom she stole it actually finally managed to publish a novel which turned out to be about her and her family staying in his home. The author’s point about there not really being any original stories anymore was also appreciated.
Indeed it was two separate novels, with two sisters driving the stories, and each sister referenced by the other. In fact, we even got to see Judith’s children in a more mature light in the second novel, which took place approximately two years after the first one ended. The son was over his heartbreak from the English letters, and the daughter was now 18 and a young lady. While the novels were originally published separately, they worked very well together. Judith seemed far more in control of her life, while Charlene seemed less in control and more affected by their relationship with their mother. We also discussed “degrees of craziness” between the two, and also between all the characters in the second novel. (The ex-husband, the friend who kidnaps the son, etc.) We could not agree whether the mother’s character needed to be developed more, or if the stereotype was a good enough way to give the reader an idea about her. That is, the stereotype of a mother of that era, overlaid with a decorating obsession. She was quite a contrast from the parents of Judith’s husband, who seemed to be the epitome of loving, supportive parents.
Cynthia
