Anna Quindlen

Hi there, old friends and new!

I'm finally back after a loooooong break (details of which I'll divulge gradually as I blog away here). Fair enough to say, I've missed blogging and I have lots of things to share with you.

First cab off the rank is the author Anna Quindlen. I'm one of those non-impulsive people who has severe bursts of impulsivity at weird and infrequent times. The other day, while at my local library, I had a vibrant bursting impulsive moment and decided that since my regular authors were missing from the shelves, I'd choose a random novel by a random author.

I picked up 'Every Last One' by Anna Quindlen. It sounded mysterious and thrilling, so I popped it in my borrowing pile and took it home. I was a bit nervous - I don't like reading authors I don't know much about because I try and protect my mind (and keep the fuel for my overactive imagination low!).



The novel is a brilliant window into the life of an ordinary woman with rather negative and hopeless tones. I considered stopping reading the novel because I found it a bit depressing reading about the narrator's hopelessness in her marriage and parenting of three teenagers. The only thing that kept me reading was: a) I always like to find out what happens in the end and b) Ms Quindlen's prose is absolutely divine. It's hypnotising and fragile and beautiful.

Half-way through the story, there's a tragic event which completely changes the tone of the novel from negative and hopeless to reminiscent, reflective and grateful. It's a wonderful dawning.

I'd recommend 'Every Last One' for avid readers. It's not easy to read and has a lot of depth. However, if you're willing to enjoy the prose and work through the sometimes heavy themes, then you'll find yourself richly rewarded - watching a softly changing spectacular sunset through a window, is just like reading 'Every Last One'.

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