FICTION

The Center of Everything

by Jamie .Harrison
Counterpoint. Jan. 2021. 304p. ISBN 9781640092341. $26. F
COPY ISBN
In the summer of 2002, 42-year-old Polly is in the middle of a multigenerational, crisis-rich situation in Livingston, MT. Polly struggles with the after effects of a traumatic brain injury with the full support of her devoted husband, Ned; she and her family are also planning the upcoming 90th birthday of Great-Aunt Maude while a search party of townspeople continues to look for Ariel, the babysitter of Polly’s children, who was in a boating accident and is now presumed dead. As the narrative deftly moves back and forth between Polly’s current troubles and her childhood years in 1960s New York, rife with half-understood adult tragedies that engulfed her beloved grandparents, parents, and best friend, Edmund, old traumas resurface with stunning parallels.
VERDICT In this exquisitely nuanced, beautifully constructed novel, Harrison (“Jules Clement” mystery series) draws the reader into young Polly’s filtered understanding of her world, rich with happily married couples, vs. the uncertain reality of the adult Polly, coping with memory loss while slowly untangling shocking family secrets. A magnificent gem.
Reviewed by Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI , Nov 01, 2020
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

The Kennedy Girl
by Thomas, Julia Bryan
FICTION

Friends Helping Friends
by Hoffman, Patrick
FICTION

An Earthquake Is a Shaking of the Surface of the Earth
by Moschovakis, Anna
FICTION

Don’t Be a Stranger
by Minot, Susan
FICTION

Intermezzo
by Rooney, Sally
FICTION

Isola
by Goodman, Allegra
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?