Marlene Lee

Shortly after her husband's death, Evelyn returns to her hometown. Her family home, in the shadow of the prison, also houses her mother, a woman serving life for murdering a neighbors twin babies. Evelyn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her husband and reconnect with her mother. Instead, she meets Roz, a women who is devastated over an upcoming execution.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I disliked Evelyn and I really disliked Roz. Both of them just grated on my nerves. Despite this, the book was well written. The characters were real and Evelyn's childhood was fascinating. I would be interested in a different book by this author, this one just wasn't for me.… (mehr)

When she was nine, her mother committed a horrible crime and was sentenced for life in Jefferson Prison. Now forty years has passed, her children moved away and her husband dead, Evelyn returns to her hometown in Jefferson, Missouri, close to the prison, and moves into the second story of her old childhood home. She tries to see her mother, and is devastated when her mother refuses to see her.

Slow moving, introspective, a woman trying to come to come to terms with her past. The prison setting is evocative but maybe somewhat unrealistic. As she find those who can help her get in to see her mother, we learn more about her life in this prison, and the man who prisoner himself, helped make her life her life bearable. Don't think things really happen like this, but I'm far from an expert. Was interesting to see how Evelyn adjust and handles the many setbacks she encounters, as well as the gaps in her memory. What she remembers at mine was far from the full story, and what really happened is the reason I kept reading. That and to see if she would have closure. Sounds like it would be a suspenseful read but it wasn't in any way. The sameness of tone was a bit off putting. So this ended up just being an okay read for me. The prose itself though, was at time noteworthy.

ARC from Netgalley.… (mehr)