Descent: An irresistible tragicomedy of everyday life

by Sabrina Broadbent

Descent charts the trajectory of a woman’s life and a couple’s relationship, framed by the Lockerbie air disaster and the attack on the Twin Towers. Her work as a psychiatric nurse drives her nuts but keeps her sane, in this tragic-comedy of everyday life.

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2004

Reviews

[Sian Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare to read a book that is so generous and precise. I just admire the writing so much -- a real voice, wry, whipsmart, heartbreaking. You wouldn't think, given the premise's potential for flashy and vacuous (Hollywood is more than tangentially involved), that it would be so touching, so life-as-lived, so wise and smart and keen in its observations of motherhood, marriage, and how it is to sort reality from expectations in adult life. There are occasional gestures that aren't perfect (the signaling of time passing via world events feels a bit contrived at points), but I'm hardly going to hold that against a narrative so unstinting and compassionate about human imperfections.

[Katkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

My read-while-doing-number-two book. You’ve done your job in accompanying me while I sit on the throne.

I love the adjectives, I felt like Genevieve and I were slowly descending towards the end because the writing gets the feelings across so clearly.

But then, I would not recommend this one to other people to read.