Denise C. (dscrawford) reviewed The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.: A Novel on + 175 more book reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars -- Love exists between the tenses of past and present...
This book has so many astute, thought-provoking, and remarkable quotes that I'm a bit at a loss to begin reviewing this poignant work of fiction since it reads like a guide for a woman's self reflection on life, family, and friendship.
At the heart of the novel is the mystery -- why did Elizabeth D (wife to Dave, and devoted mother to three young children) leave her journals to her old friend and former neighbor, Kate? The two hadn't been that much in touch for years, but when Elizabeth dies in a plane accident on her way to an unexplained trip, a gift for her fortieth birthday two years early, Kate gets possession of a trunk full of diaries that Elizabeth asks her to read -- in order. And then to decide what to do about them. Elizabeth's husband is angry and resentful when Kate takes possession of the diaries and Kate's own husband is irritated by her preoccupation with them. What Kate finds out nearly at the beginning is that she didn't really know her "friend" Elizabeth at all. Elizabeth had kept many secrets behind her reserved and helpful facade. As she works through the journals, Kate finds herself on her own road to self discovery as well. For a person is more than her sound bites despite the tendency for others to attempt to define the deceased person only to find that in a reduction, "some attributes are exaggerated, and some evaporate."
Elizabeth's revelations about her childhood, her young adult years, and her marriage and family stun Kate into the realization that every moment of a life can be interpreted in different ways by those viewing it and with them not understanding it at all. One can really never know another person despite how much time together or how much talk. A person really never knows the effect he or she might have on another -- "what version of yourself they saw and were left with."
So how then to leave the memories you want to leave with those you care about? How much disclosure is safe in order to ensure that you are seen and loved for who you really are? Who are your trustworthy friends with whom you can share your secrets, your terrors, and your dreams? These are the questions that Kate grapples with as she devours the diaries and looks passionately at her own life and choices.
This is a book that you will want to read slowly and savor for the insight it might provide for your own life. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it -- the characters and the truths shine through to make it a book you won't soon forget.
I have never been able to keep a journal because I would not want ANYONE to ever read what I wrote. How about you????
This book has so many astute, thought-provoking, and remarkable quotes that I'm a bit at a loss to begin reviewing this poignant work of fiction since it reads like a guide for a woman's self reflection on life, family, and friendship.
At the heart of the novel is the mystery -- why did Elizabeth D (wife to Dave, and devoted mother to three young children) leave her journals to her old friend and former neighbor, Kate? The two hadn't been that much in touch for years, but when Elizabeth dies in a plane accident on her way to an unexplained trip, a gift for her fortieth birthday two years early, Kate gets possession of a trunk full of diaries that Elizabeth asks her to read -- in order. And then to decide what to do about them. Elizabeth's husband is angry and resentful when Kate takes possession of the diaries and Kate's own husband is irritated by her preoccupation with them. What Kate finds out nearly at the beginning is that she didn't really know her "friend" Elizabeth at all. Elizabeth had kept many secrets behind her reserved and helpful facade. As she works through the journals, Kate finds herself on her own road to self discovery as well. For a person is more than her sound bites despite the tendency for others to attempt to define the deceased person only to find that in a reduction, "some attributes are exaggerated, and some evaporate."
Elizabeth's revelations about her childhood, her young adult years, and her marriage and family stun Kate into the realization that every moment of a life can be interpreted in different ways by those viewing it and with them not understanding it at all. One can really never know another person despite how much time together or how much talk. A person really never knows the effect he or she might have on another -- "what version of yourself they saw and were left with."
So how then to leave the memories you want to leave with those you care about? How much disclosure is safe in order to ensure that you are seen and loved for who you really are? Who are your trustworthy friends with whom you can share your secrets, your terrors, and your dreams? These are the questions that Kate grapples with as she devours the diaries and looks passionately at her own life and choices.
This is a book that you will want to read slowly and savor for the insight it might provide for your own life. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it -- the characters and the truths shine through to make it a book you won't soon forget.
I have never been able to keep a journal because I would not want ANYONE to ever read what I wrote. How about you????
