This story is really about the generational after effects of the restrictions and expectations placed on women in the mid-20th century. It’s definitely YA, though it’s a little unusual in that it contains an adult’s point of view as well as Katie’s, a 17-year-old English girl. Katie’s overbearing mom, Caroline, drives her crazy, although she doesn’t have the nerve to do anything about it. And Katie’s got her own secret that she’s struggling to come to terms with. When her mom’s own mother, Mary, is abruptly thrust into their lives, Katie becomes fascinated by her. She doesn’t know why Mary’s estranged and she doesn’t know why her mom’s the way she is, nor why she’s so bitter about Mary.
As the book progresses, Katie starts to unravel many family secrets and also begins to come to terms with her own identity as a lesbian. Along the way, she deals with the breakdown of her own long-term friendship and begins cataloging Mary’s stories. Through that and an eventual extra find, she pieces together what happened with her mom’s aunt, Pat, who Mary surrendered Katie’s mom to when she was a baby. Pat’s story isn’t a happy one, either, but her story goes a long way in explaining why Katie’s mom is the way she is.
Then, Katie fights her mom about what to do with Mary. Her mom wants to get her into a home as soon as possible, but is stymied by bureaucracy. Katie doesn’t see the need and thinks it’s heartless to send her away. And in starting to see what needs to happen with Mary, she learns to see what she should do in her own life. That includes learning to speak up for herself, accepting who she is, and trying to truly live. Like in real life, this doesn’t mean everything works out perfectly, but it does mean it’s the right thing to do.
Downham’s writing isn’t overly ornate, but everything she writes is so real. There are nice descriptions that perfectly tie into how the characters are feeling. Here’s Katie just after her last exam—and getting a party invitation she didn’t expect:
Birds twittered overhead and it was so hot it looked as if water beamed at her from the walls of the main school buildings across the playground. They actually looked rather beautiful, as if waterfalls swept their sides.
One of the interesting things about the book was also frustrating at times, and that was that Downham was absolutely true to her characters. Katie isn’t an extremely open girl, and although we’re definitely in her head, she’s clearly in denial about some things and almost avoids thinking about them. Also, with Mary suffering from her Alzheimer’s we are never going to get her full story, especially on the current boyfriend who died just before the book starts (for some reason, I really wanted this). She’s stuck largely in the past, with only fleeting moments of more solid lucidity. We do get insight into those lucid moments, which is the only way we would have gotten Mary’s story, to be realistic.
I ended up loving this book, despite the fact that it was a little slow to get into. It’s told in third person, which I generally like, but the psychic distance was a little greater than I’m used to, so it took a while to start to really feel for the characters. But once I did, I was engrossed. The overall story is nicely layered and will easily appeal to adults as well as teens.