Shelley S. - , reviewed on 8/31/2018 + 2 more book reviews

This is a beautiful book. I knew it would be, so I saved it for "just the right time," when I could reasonably expect to be free from distractions. This turned out to be on vacation in Italy. I began Haynes's novel around mid-morning, outdoors, in a beautiful village in Tuscany. When it became too dark to read, I went indoors and read late into the night, finishing the book in one sitting. And still, I hated coming to the end.

Initially, I expected the story of two boys with an "exclusionary, jealous, and sophomoric love," but I've read Haynes's work before, so I wasn't surprised when the boys' grandmothers--Janet and Estelle--stepped in and started running the show. This is a story abut love. Not the sappy, shallow sort of love that Estelle enjoys in her favorite soap--"The Young and the Restless," or the kind of responsibility Janet wields in her job with the phone company. It's the love of unbreakable bonds based on friendship and kin, forged in facing up to past tragedies and present trauma. You will love these characters.

Highly recommend to readers of all sorts.

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