Keeping the House
I know, I know -- I've failed yet another co-blog! But I wrote this brief review for the LibraryThing/Random House Early Reviewers program, and thought I may as well post it here. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to review it until after the release date (*blush*), but it looks as though they're giving me another shot, and I'm determined to get the next one up well before the book goes public.
I'm really very pleased that I have the opportunity to preview these books. I hope the program has a long, happy life!
You can also see all the LibraryThinger's reviews here: http://www.librarything.com/work/2726445&book=18124879
Dolly, a new mid-century housewife, meets with some marriage disappointments in Pine Rapids, Wisconsin. She becomes captivated by the once-grand Mickelson house, confident that possessing it will solve her ever-growing series of problems and dissatisfactions. She collects bits of the history and mysteries of the family that once lived there, and uncovers some rather stunning revelations in the end.
Generally, I tend not to be a fan of stories that flit back and forth between decades, but here it's been skillfully rendered, and I only took slight pause a couple of times to re-orient myself in time when returning to the book after a break. The device became irrelevant; after a few chapters I found myself almost as determined to reveal the secrets of the Mickelsons as Dolly was.
I've seen references made to the style of Anne Tyler several times. True, Baker's characters are nearly as dimensional, timeless, and engaging, if not as purposefully quirky. And there are elements both bitter and sweet, but, where Tyler's work often leaves the reader with a strong aftertaste of the former, Baker's ending emphasizes the latter. Which, in the case of Dolly Magnuson and Wilma Mickelson, is just fine with me.
