Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard


From Goodreads: They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike.
Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life. The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family's birthright for generations.
Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world. Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness.
Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged. They also share a love for Dana's wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts.


If the point was to surprise us with the twist then the foreshadowing is much too heavy handed. But if, on the other hand, the point is to "know" and just watch the families twist in the wind and try to manage their lives, then the book is quite successful because it is a fascinating journey. This one sat on my TBR pile for almost a year but once I started it yesterday, I couldn't put it down - such beautiful relationships throughout. Relationships between people but also between people and the land - kind of makes me want to chuck my life and go farm somewhere, except, of course, that I can't even keep houseplants alive!

Author's website if you want to see more.

I am trying to reach 100 books this year - I've never done it before although I have come very close, click on the logo to see how I am doing for this year!

1 comment:

bermudaonion said...

I've been wanting to read this for a while because I loved Labor Day. I'm glad to see you loved it.