The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen
This was an "Ann Patchett made me read it" selection. In a recent Friday instagram video, she somehow convinced me to pick up a 1938 novel by the celebrated Irish author Elizabeth Bowen. Bowen primarily wrote 'novels of manners' and is often compared to Henry James. How could I resist? I purchased the ebook with kindle credits and found the audio edition, narrated by Pearl Hewitt, available on hoopla.
The Death of the Heart is primarily a coming-of-age story. Following the death of her mother, 16-year-old Portia travels to London to live with her much older half-brother Thomas and his wife. Portia's long-dead father left Thomas's mother years ago and Portia was the child of his second marriage.
Initially the language felt stilted and dated, so it took some time to settle in. (The audio helped!) Once acclimated, I found the writing to be stunning - beautiful and insightful. Bowen writes about people, how they relate to one another, what is communicated and what's left unsaid - reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout's most recent novel. Her descriptive passages are wonderful, especially those of the sea.
"She felt it must be very late, past midnight: that point where the river of night flows underneath time, that point at which occurs the mysterious birth of tomorrow."
"Some people are moulded by their admirations, others by their hostilities."
"The heart may think it knows better: the senses know that absence blots people out."
"We desert those who desert us; we cannot afford to suffer; we must live how we can."
"The sun, slanting moltenly in at the south windows, laid a dust nimbus over furs, and printed cheeks with the colours of stained glass."
I read Bowen's The House in Paris about a decade ago. It didn't leave much of an impression, but I suspect The Death of the Heart will stick with me for some time. This novel probably won't appeal to most readers, but I'm glad to have rediscovered Elizabeth Bowen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Whistler is exactly the kind of novel you'd expect from Ann Patchett and I loved every page! It opens when 50-something Daphne Fuller and her husband discover that an older gentleman is following them around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He turns out to be Eddie Triplett, who was briefly Daphne's stepfather when she was nine, but was abruptly divorced by her mother following a car accident. Daphne hadn't seen him since.
There's a reunion and a new relationship is forged. They share memories and reminiscences as Daphne pieces together part of her childhood. And all of it is overflowing with love and kindness. The cast of supporting characters is particularly memorable, too. The NYC setting delighted me - including the mention of several familiar locales, plus restaurants I've dined at multiple times. There was even a line about the impossibility of finding a parking place in Westport, CT that made me laugh out loud!
I rated this 4.5 stars at the time, but I'm upping it to 5 as a continue to think about it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
I don't read much romance, but this new release was the June selection at Modern Mrs. Darcy book club... and I loved it! The main character, Dolly Brick, is a teacher and single mom to a 13-year-old boy. She returns to her coastal RI hometown (which bears a striking resemblance to Newport) for the summer to help her father at the family business, Brick's Fish House, as he struggles to keep family home. The novel features a "fake dating" trope involving Dolly and the handsome son of the town's ultra-rich 'first family.'
Dolly and Stewart were both such believable characters and I couldn't get enough of them! I flew through this book two days and will seek out Monaghan's earlier novels the next time the romance mood strikes. This was a read/listen combination for me. Julia Whelan's narration was perfection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
