FICTION

The History of Great Things

by Elizabeth Crane
Harper Perennial. Apr. 2016. 288p. ISBN 9780062412676. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062412683. F
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Imagine sitting at a leisurely dinner with two intelligent women, a mother and daughter. They tell you the story of their lives, but with a twist: Mom will relate her daughter's story, and daughter will describe her mother's. The ensuing conversation is filled with stops and starts, conjectures, interruptions, and contradictions. Essentially, this discussion is one that Crane, short story writer (When the Messenger Is Hot; All This Heavenly Glory) and novelist (We Only Know So Much), has committed to paper for readers. Mom Lois was a world-renowned opera star and daughter Betsy took her time to realize her eventual goal of becoming a writer. Along the way, each woman expresses regrets, defends or affirms her decisions, and ultimately proves that for all their differences and miscommunication, these two understand each other better than they think.
VERDICT The format may be experimental, but the emotions the book will stir in readers are moving and heartbreakingly familiar.
Reviewed by Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens , Mar 15, 2016
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