September 17, 2012
Genova's newest (after Left Neglected) tells the tales of two women struggling with a timely topic, but the device she uses to connect their storiesâa bland bit of mysticismâobfuscates otherwise compelling narratives. Olivia's life is in shamblesâshe spent years coming to terms with her son, Anthony, being diagnosed with autism, only to lose him to a subdural hematoma at age 8. Now her husband's filing for divorce. Meanwhile, Beth is reeling from the discovery that her husband has been cheating on her for months. In an effort to cope, she returns to her former passionâwritingâand begins a new book inspired by a dream. That story magically turns out to be Anthony's story, as told by him. Eventually, the women come together, and Olivia reads Beth's story and begins to heal. Though each story is engaging in its own right, the plot device that connects Beth and Olivia makes the book read like self-help.