This was the September selection for the Contemporary Book Club. I got a used hard-cover, library copy of the book from Amazon and received it on Tu 9/1/16.
Finished Mo 9/26/16
An easy read, yet a tragic/comic story. The story is told through the eyes of a 78 year old woman, but the story is written by a young man.
I was surprised to learn that this author wrote the novel THE REVISED FUNDAMENTALS OF CAREGIVING. This was made into a film by Netflix and I saw it a few months ago- starred Paul Rudd and Selena Comes. The highlight of the film is when the caregiver facilitates his client to be able to piss standing up (his client has multiple sclerosis).
Harriet is the hero; Skip and Caroline are her adult children
Bernard is Harriet's dead husband and current 'ghost'.
Mildred is Harriet's friend. This woman had a decades long affair with Bernard. Harriet learns of this while she is on an Alaskan cruise that Bernard won before he died. Mildred confesses in a letter that she gives to Harriet.
Dwight is Mildred's adult son. Takes Harriet to meet the boat: Cowboy hat/smokes pot on the drive.
"I'm not a terrorist....I'm an Episcopalian"!!
CTO Carmichael This is an angel who tries to keep Bernard from visiting Harriet from the afterlife, although 'nothing' will happen. Chief Technology Officer of Heaven????
Throughout the novel Harriet chastises Mildred Honeycutt's 'weak coffee' and 'unshaved legs'.
Novel is set in Sequim, WA. Near Seattle and in the Banana Belt. Olympic Rain Shadow. Pop. 29,000.
Sunny Acres is the nice nursing home where Mildred lives and Sherwood Arms is the not so nice place where Bernard ends up.
Charlie Fitzsimmons molests Harriet when she was nine and years later, rapes her when Harriet works for him as a legal assistant. Caroline is the result of this sexual encounter. Both secrets are kept by Harriet until the end of her life.
"Welcome to the sexual revolution, Harriet Chance, you won't be staying long"!
I really liked the novel and have his first book, ALL ABOUT LULU on reserve at the library. Most of the group enjoyed the book, but Becky didn't like the 'this is your life' format.
A review of the book-
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-jonathan-evison-20150913-story.html
Author's page at wikipedia-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Evison
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