Having just read Harry's Trees and loved it, I'm on a quest for all things Jon Cohen. This is another of those books you want to reread because it's so well written and such a lovely story.
Louis was burned badly in a fire when he was sixteen and for the last sixteen years, he sits in his family home watching the world out the window, covered in a purple scarf and hat. Iris is a nurse who lives with her father Arnie and is homely. She's good at her job but has never had a relationship with anyone except her parents. When these two meet, they spark something in each other.
It's a road to get to their meeting, but one of those lovely meandering forest paths with flowers, birds singing, and blackberries to pick along the way so the reader doesn't mind at all. There's a bit of magic and wonderful characters, even the mean ones. It's another fabulous story by Mr. Cohen and well-worth reading. ( )

(6) This is a fascinating little work of fiction recently republished as one of Nancy Pearl's 'Rediscoveries.' I think maybe originally written in the early 90's. 16yo Louis is badly burned in a fire and becomes a recluse and this is about his dramatic re-entry into the world precipitated by his father's death. Cohen introduces us to quite the cast of characters in this relatively short book - all poignantly and lovingly rendered.

As I mentioned, the characters are really quite entertaining. Arnie and his hook are especially hilarious and I enjoyed his musings and his connection with Gracie. But it is really Iris and her descriptions of her life and work that stole the show. I read afterwards that the author is a former critical care nurse and frankly that is very apparent and the strongest part of the novel. I could have easily read more about Iris and her shifts in the ICU especially with the mysterious Tube Man. The writing in these interludes was brilliant.

So why only a lukewarm rating? Well mostly the ending. And certainly I will not spoil. While I am all for poetic justice and aesthetics in one's novels - in this case it felt unsatisfying and a bit of a cop out. This was the first third or so of what could have been a fantastic novel and I was bummed about when and the way it ended.

So this is the first Nancy Pearl suggestion I've ever read - a freebie from the Kindle Lenders Library through Prime so for sure the price was right. And it is a bit of a gem. I enjoyed it;I'll miss stubby little Iris and her wry musings on her patients in the ICU. ( )

9.15