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The Obituary Writer: Library Edition
On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, a young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless but secure marriage or to follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between these two women will change Claire's life in unexpected and extraordinary ways.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 2013
329 people are currently reading
13272 people want to read
About the author
Ann Hood
73 books1,274 followersAnn Hood is the editor of Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting and the bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most, The Knitting Circle, The Red Thread, Comfort, and An Italian Wife, among other works. She is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, a Best American Food Writing Award, a Best American Travel Writing Award, and the Paul Bowles Prize for Short Fiction. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,169 reviews
March 19, 2013
Rating = 3.5 stars
Warning: Prescription credulity goggles may be required.
This is one of the most predictable novels I've ever read, and I do mean eye-rollingly predictable. So much so that I'm not even going to discuss plot and characters. Whatever is in the promotional blurb is all you need to know. But it was enjoyable, nonetheless. It moves swiftly enough that I finished it in less than 24 hours. I think many female readers will appreciate it for light reading that's not quite chick lit and not quite historical fiction.
Ann Hood explores a couple of themes here. The first is the role of women vis-a-vis the men in their lives, and how that role didn't change significantly between 1919 and 1961. The second theme is grief. She looks at how grieving people behave, and what they need from us, which is mostly a lot of listening as they go through endless repetitions of stories about their lost loved one.
The novel could have carried more heft if Hood had gone even further down the path of grief study. She has some useful insights that bear fleshing out. As it stands, what we take away from the story is that people who steep themselves in the early stages of grief can end up stuck there for years, not allowing themselves to be loved in the present and move forward with their lives.
I enjoyed the depiction of San Francisco and the Napa Valley in the early 1900s, and the descriptions of the hilariously gaudy 1960s home decor. Plaid gold wallpaper? Oh, help!
Warning: Prescription credulity goggles may be required.
This is one of the most predictable novels I've ever read, and I do mean eye-rollingly predictable. So much so that I'm not even going to discuss plot and characters. Whatever is in the promotional blurb is all you need to know. But it was enjoyable, nonetheless. It moves swiftly enough that I finished it in less than 24 hours. I think many female readers will appreciate it for light reading that's not quite chick lit and not quite historical fiction.
Ann Hood explores a couple of themes here. The first is the role of women vis-a-vis the men in their lives, and how that role didn't change significantly between 1919 and 1961. The second theme is grief. She looks at how grieving people behave, and what they need from us, which is mostly a lot of listening as they go through endless repetitions of stories about their lost loved one.
The novel could have carried more heft if Hood had gone even further down the path of grief study. She has some useful insights that bear fleshing out. As it stands, what we take away from the story is that people who steep themselves in the early stages of grief can end up stuck there for years, not allowing themselves to be loved in the present and move forward with their lives.
I enjoyed the depiction of San Francisco and the Napa Valley in the early 1900s, and the descriptions of the hilariously gaudy 1960s home decor. Plaid gold wallpaper? Oh, help!
August 2, 2015
There are two stories told which later become connected. Viviene the obit writer is in San Francisco and trying to find her lover still many years after the 1906 earthquake when he went missing. She has stumbled into the job of writing obits, making it an art. Such caring, lovely ... obituaries she'd written, all of them trying to capture grief, to show the world what had been lost. ... something you don't see much these days when reading obits. In writing, she dealt with her own grief, never knowing what happened to her lover until many years later.
The other story of Claire takes place in 1961 when JFK is being inaugurated. I did not like this story as much, as it illustrates how women had become confined by what society expected of a wife. Her husband is a first class jerk. Claire was more restricted than Viviene was back in 1906, it seemed. So she constantly yearns for her freedom and has an affair, yet learns that she cannot discuss her feelings with her married friends, who would not understand.
I liked the ending when both stories come together, and both women have grown wiser. Very enjoyable.
The other story of Claire takes place in 1961 when JFK is being inaugurated. I did not like this story as much, as it illustrates how women had become confined by what society expected of a wife. Her husband is a first class jerk. Claire was more restricted than Viviene was back in 1906, it seemed. So she constantly yearns for her freedom and has an affair, yet learns that she cannot discuss her feelings with her married friends, who would not understand.
I liked the ending when both stories come together, and both women have grown wiser. Very enjoyable.
June 13, 2016
Alternating storylines between Vivian in 1919- who writes touching obituaries and Claire in 1961 who is fascinated with JFK and Jackie O. Earthquakes, lost loves, affairs, and tragedy make up this novel. I found the book interesting, but not overly memorable. Certain passages stood out and others sunk into the periphery. I found both female characters slightly weak and attribute this to the time period. It infuriated me that they stayed in unhappy relationships longing for someone/something more. Not sure which storyline I enjoyed more, and it wasn't until the absolute very end where they finally tied together, in a somewhat predictable way.
July 19, 2025
In a story stylistically resonant of Cunningham's The Hours, Ann Hood presents two women of different eras struggling with a restlessness of heart.
Vivien Lowe lost her married lover the morning of the San Francisco earthquake of 1909. He simply disappeared somewhere between their love nest and his law office; an open-ended absence that leaves her to process her grief through the sad occupation of writing obituaries for others. Clare, a stifled housewife in JFK's America, has been discovered in flagrante delicto by her husband and sits now heavily-pregnant with a child whose paternity cannot help but be questioned. Both lovers ache and yearn and stumble through their days, straining for release.
We have fallen women here which, alone, should have provided grist enough for a novel filled with soul-searching - yet hardly any is done. I'm not sure whether it's a miscalibration of character or a misapprehension of humanity that's prevented the author from exercising this opportunity. Whatever the cause, the ladies seem remarkably obtuse and unwilling to fully examine their plight; allowing the current of Life to dictate its drift and bear them wherever it might. A connection between these women floats up by the end, but this is treated with as much concern as just about everything else.
There are lovely settings here...empty though they may be.
Vivien Lowe lost her married lover the morning of the San Francisco earthquake of 1909. He simply disappeared somewhere between their love nest and his law office; an open-ended absence that leaves her to process her grief through the sad occupation of writing obituaries for others. Clare, a stifled housewife in JFK's America, has been discovered in flagrante delicto by her husband and sits now heavily-pregnant with a child whose paternity cannot help but be questioned. Both lovers ache and yearn and stumble through their days, straining for release.
We have fallen women here which, alone, should have provided grist enough for a novel filled with soul-searching - yet hardly any is done. I'm not sure whether it's a miscalibration of character or a misapprehension of humanity that's prevented the author from exercising this opportunity. Whatever the cause, the ladies seem remarkably obtuse and unwilling to fully examine their plight; allowing the current of Life to dictate its drift and bear them wherever it might. A connection between these women floats up by the end, but this is treated with as much concern as just about everything else.
There are lovely settings here...empty though they may be.
May 24, 2013
I wanted to like this better, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either Vivien--a woman whose life essentially stopped in 1906 when her married lover disappeared during an earthquake--and Claire, a bland 1960s suburban housewife who inexplicably has an affair. Both women, in fact, seemed oddly passionless and utterly conventional, yet they dropped trou for total strangers without a care in the world. Claire's big thing with Miles was that he listened to her but I never heard her think or say a single interesting thing. I guess we are just supposed to imagine her rich interior life and glittering intelligence? Hard to do when she seemed mainly preoccupied with interior decorating, hors d'oeuvres recipes, and Jackie Kennedy. There was also no explanation for what it was in Vivien that would make her agree to go to a hotel with a married man after one date, keeping in mind that the year was 1919 and good girls just didn't. Was Vivien a bad girl, a closet suffragette, a frustrated Bohemian wild child chafing under the constraints of Society? No. No, she wasn't. She was a school teacher.
The "connection" between these two women turned out to be not so earth-shattering and in fact was kind of pointless. I suppose the deathbed words of wisdom uttered by one of them to the other was meant to be the grand finale of life-changing events but it fell with a dull thud on my uninterested ears.
The "connection" between these two women turned out to be not so earth-shattering and in fact was kind of pointless. I suppose the deathbed words of wisdom uttered by one of them to the other was meant to be the grand finale of life-changing events but it fell with a dull thud on my uninterested ears.
March 31, 2017
Good book/Bad book: "The Obituary Writer," by Ann Hood. Hood is one of my favorite writers, and has been for decades. A few years ago she lost her beautiful 5 yr. old daughter to a sudden & fierce virus or infection. Since them, her work has reflected loss, mourning and grief....themes of death. I loved "The Red Thread," about the adoption of little girls from China. Clearly I am biased in that regard, with my own 2 Chinese daughters. I can't rave about "The Obituary Writer," the way I did about "The Red Thread," but it has its virtues. There are two stories going on in one novel. Claire is a young married woman in her 30's, expecting her 2nd child. JFK has just been elected, and his inauguration plays a strong background role in the story, representing a new way of life in America. But Claire is not the content little housewife her husband expects her to be, and she turns to another man. The fallout from that affair plays out throughout the story.
Meanwhile, Vivien, a wealthy, private school educated young woman, is grieving in 1917, having lost her married lover during the San Fransisco earthquake more than a decade earlier. She has pined for him, and let no other man in her life. She never knew, for sure, if he had died, and she starts to think he is a mystery man, currently living with amnesia in a Denver hospital. She writes beautiful obituaries for anyone who knows her talents. They are not traditional obituaries, but rather, are filled with poetry and interesting information about someone's lost loved one.
Somehow, Vivien and Claire are connected, and this is where the story was a bit weak. I was able to figure out the connection too early in the story for there to be any mystery to the connection. Hood would have been better off keeping the reader in the dark until the last chapter of the book. There was ONE huge twist that I did NOT see coming so that made me happy.
This is a very readable book and, even with its flaws, it was a good read!
Meanwhile, Vivien, a wealthy, private school educated young woman, is grieving in 1917, having lost her married lover during the San Fransisco earthquake more than a decade earlier. She has pined for him, and let no other man in her life. She never knew, for sure, if he had died, and she starts to think he is a mystery man, currently living with amnesia in a Denver hospital. She writes beautiful obituaries for anyone who knows her talents. They are not traditional obituaries, but rather, are filled with poetry and interesting information about someone's lost loved one.
Somehow, Vivien and Claire are connected, and this is where the story was a bit weak. I was able to figure out the connection too early in the story for there to be any mystery to the connection. Hood would have been better off keeping the reader in the dark until the last chapter of the book. There was ONE huge twist that I did NOT see coming so that made me happy.
This is a very readable book and, even with its flaws, it was a good read!
November 3, 2016
I have been reading many wonderful reviews written by friends over the course of this year with a twinge of envy. I have been in a bit of a reading slump this year… starting but never finishing newly released books which seemed so promising but turned out to be uninspiring to me. On the positive side, I have taken the opportunity to re-read some old favorites by some authors that I particularly enjoy. That is the case with 'The Obituary Writer' written by Ann Hood. I listened to this book and the narration was performed by Tavia Gilbert.
'The Obituary Writer' is the story of two women… Vivian and Claire, both strong women but separated by generations and yet connected in a very profound way.. although neither are aware of just what that connection is. The story is told alternately by Vivian and Claire and is written in such a way that it seems as if you are reading two unconnected, very different although interesting stories about the role of women in society both at the beginning of the 20th century and in the 1960s.
Vivian Lowe's story begins in 1906 on the day of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. This is the day that Vivian experiences the biggest loss of her life. On the morning of the quake, Vivian's married lover, David, leaves her home for work and she never sees his again. So many people are lost and never found. David is among those people, but Vivian is never quite able to give up hope that he may have somehow survived… and she spends many years of her life chasing any leads which come her way , hoping against hope that one of these leads may take her to David. In the years that follow, Vivian uses her grief and sadness to help others. As she finally realized, "Grief is not neat and orderly; it does not follow any rules. Time does not heal it, Rather time insists on passing and as it does, grief changes but does not go away." Knowing just how grief and sorrow feel, Vivian becomes a writer of obituaries… very personalized obituaries. She meets with loved ones of the deceased and using her extraordinary intuition and empathy to elicit details about their loved ones, she constructs beautifully worded portraits of the dead. Vivian's gift becomes sought after by people from miles around. Vivian takes her own grief and turns it into something which becomes comforting for the sorrowful. But all the while, Vivian can't seem to let go of the shred of hope she clings to that David, her OWN loved one, is somehow still alive…. years after the earthquake. Vivian continues to hold onto this hope and consequently, she continues to grow older, cutting herself off from the possibility of new love and a new life.
While we are becoming acquainted with the young Vivian at the turn of the 20th century, we are simultaneously being introduced to Claire…. a young wife with a baby girl in 1960. Claire fills her days with household chores, caring for her daughter and creating a household which will be pleasing and soothing to her husband when he arrives home from work at the end of the day. Claire is taken with.. or perhaps the better word to use is OBSESSED with… Jacqueline Kennedy. She is enamored of her glamor and grace and spends much of her day fantasizing and wondering about Jackie and how she fills HER days and what she will wear to her husbands Inauguration. Claire is unhappy and unfulfilled. Eventually, she becomes involved in an affair with another man and becomes pregnant, fearfully suspecting that the baby she is carrying is not her husband's child.
Through these alternating stories, we become aware that both Vivian and Claire.. women from two very different time periods, are at crossroads in their lives, Although Vivian has been desperately trying to hold onto hope that maybe she will find David alive, she can't help but realize and acknowledge that she has most likely squandered the opportunities in her life to move on, fall in love and have a family of her own. Vivian was feeling full of regrets. And Claire… well, Claire was struggling with her own regrets and frustrations over what was expected of her in her roles as wife and mother.Although she loved her daughter and her unborn child, she wasn't at all certain she loved her husband. She longed for someone who valued her and who was interested in her opinions and what she had to say… things her husband just didn't seem to do.
The moving stories of Vivian and Claire captured me and pulled me in and as I listened, I became part of their lives, their hopes, their dreams. Finally, there is a point in the story in which I became aware of what the connection between these two women was and although I suspected this connection earlier on, I could not help but realize that the bond between these women was profound and incredibly healing for both of them.
I have to admit that as much as I loved the stories of Vivian and Claire, I WAS a bit baffled by the ending of the book. It was too ambiguous. Although this is a re-reading for me, I am still doubtful I really know how the story ends. Although that makes me feel a bit let down, it did not keep me from admiring these two women and even recognizing a bit of myself in the beautiful words of their stories.
'The Obituary Writer' is the story of two women… Vivian and Claire, both strong women but separated by generations and yet connected in a very profound way.. although neither are aware of just what that connection is. The story is told alternately by Vivian and Claire and is written in such a way that it seems as if you are reading two unconnected, very different although interesting stories about the role of women in society both at the beginning of the 20th century and in the 1960s.
Vivian Lowe's story begins in 1906 on the day of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. This is the day that Vivian experiences the biggest loss of her life. On the morning of the quake, Vivian's married lover, David, leaves her home for work and she never sees his again. So many people are lost and never found. David is among those people, but Vivian is never quite able to give up hope that he may have somehow survived… and she spends many years of her life chasing any leads which come her way , hoping against hope that one of these leads may take her to David. In the years that follow, Vivian uses her grief and sadness to help others. As she finally realized, "Grief is not neat and orderly; it does not follow any rules. Time does not heal it, Rather time insists on passing and as it does, grief changes but does not go away." Knowing just how grief and sorrow feel, Vivian becomes a writer of obituaries… very personalized obituaries. She meets with loved ones of the deceased and using her extraordinary intuition and empathy to elicit details about their loved ones, she constructs beautifully worded portraits of the dead. Vivian's gift becomes sought after by people from miles around. Vivian takes her own grief and turns it into something which becomes comforting for the sorrowful. But all the while, Vivian can't seem to let go of the shred of hope she clings to that David, her OWN loved one, is somehow still alive…. years after the earthquake. Vivian continues to hold onto this hope and consequently, she continues to grow older, cutting herself off from the possibility of new love and a new life.
While we are becoming acquainted with the young Vivian at the turn of the 20th century, we are simultaneously being introduced to Claire…. a young wife with a baby girl in 1960. Claire fills her days with household chores, caring for her daughter and creating a household which will be pleasing and soothing to her husband when he arrives home from work at the end of the day. Claire is taken with.. or perhaps the better word to use is OBSESSED with… Jacqueline Kennedy. She is enamored of her glamor and grace and spends much of her day fantasizing and wondering about Jackie and how she fills HER days and what she will wear to her husbands Inauguration. Claire is unhappy and unfulfilled. Eventually, she becomes involved in an affair with another man and becomes pregnant, fearfully suspecting that the baby she is carrying is not her husband's child.
Through these alternating stories, we become aware that both Vivian and Claire.. women from two very different time periods, are at crossroads in their lives, Although Vivian has been desperately trying to hold onto hope that maybe she will find David alive, she can't help but realize and acknowledge that she has most likely squandered the opportunities in her life to move on, fall in love and have a family of her own. Vivian was feeling full of regrets. And Claire… well, Claire was struggling with her own regrets and frustrations over what was expected of her in her roles as wife and mother.Although she loved her daughter and her unborn child, she wasn't at all certain she loved her husband. She longed for someone who valued her and who was interested in her opinions and what she had to say… things her husband just didn't seem to do.
The moving stories of Vivian and Claire captured me and pulled me in and as I listened, I became part of their lives, their hopes, their dreams. Finally, there is a point in the story in which I became aware of what the connection between these two women was and although I suspected this connection earlier on, I could not help but realize that the bond between these women was profound and incredibly healing for both of them.
I have to admit that as much as I loved the stories of Vivian and Claire, I WAS a bit baffled by the ending of the book. It was too ambiguous. Although this is a re-reading for me, I am still doubtful I really know how the story ends. Although that makes me feel a bit let down, it did not keep me from admiring these two women and even recognizing a bit of myself in the beautiful words of their stories.
April 1, 2013
In 1960, Claire is the perfect suburban housewife—she knows how to have the perfect drink ready for her husband when he comes home from work, she is up on her current events, caters to her husband's every need, and she realizes how lucky she is to have married a true provider, ensuring a good future for her family. But a crisis in their neighborhood leaves Claire out-of-sorts, and leads her into the arms of another man. As the world readies for John F. Kennedy's inauguration as president, she finds herself pregnant and unsure what path her future should take—should she do what is expected of her or should she follow her heart?
Years earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe is working as an obituary writer in California. She is able to perfectly capture the essence of those others have lost, and she knows people's grief all too well, as she lost her lover during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Despite the years that have passed, she has remained convinced he's suffering from amnesia and is unable to get back home. When her closest childhood friend experiences a tragedy, Vivien must decide whether to continue searching for her lost love, or moving on with her life.
Ann Hood's newest novel, The Obituary Writer, tells both Vivien and Claire's stories, in alternating chapters. While their circumstances and challenges are different, the two women are more similar than they appear, and the connection between the two will ultimately help one move forward.
I really enjoyed this book, and read the majority of it in one day. While there isn't anything that is necessarily unique about either woman's story, Hood really captured the tone and the setting of each character really effectively, and I was hooked pretty quickly. The connection between the two women was fairly easy to figure out, but that didn't detract from the book's appeal, because Hood is an excellent storyteller. I found the ending a little ambiguous and would love to discuss the book with someone else who has read it to see if my interpretation and theirs were the same!
While the description of the book calls this "part literary mystery," I don't think that is accurate. What I do think it is, however, is a really well-told, well-written story worth reading.
Years earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe is working as an obituary writer in California. She is able to perfectly capture the essence of those others have lost, and she knows people's grief all too well, as she lost her lover during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Despite the years that have passed, she has remained convinced he's suffering from amnesia and is unable to get back home. When her closest childhood friend experiences a tragedy, Vivien must decide whether to continue searching for her lost love, or moving on with her life.
Ann Hood's newest novel, The Obituary Writer, tells both Vivien and Claire's stories, in alternating chapters. While their circumstances and challenges are different, the two women are more similar than they appear, and the connection between the two will ultimately help one move forward.
I really enjoyed this book, and read the majority of it in one day. While there isn't anything that is necessarily unique about either woman's story, Hood really captured the tone and the setting of each character really effectively, and I was hooked pretty quickly. The connection between the two women was fairly easy to figure out, but that didn't detract from the book's appeal, because Hood is an excellent storyteller. I found the ending a little ambiguous and would love to discuss the book with someone else who has read it to see if my interpretation and theirs were the same!
While the description of the book calls this "part literary mystery," I don't think that is accurate. What I do think it is, however, is a really well-told, well-written story worth reading.
March 30, 2013
I REALLY wanted to love this book and there were moments when I did; Ann Hood's writing is gorgeous in places. But the plot was very thin and the book felt stretched to make it almost 300 pages - the books itself is small and there is a lot of white space on each page. I'm not sure how old Ms. Hood is but she clearly wasn't comfortable with the 1960's era, she spent so much time describing things in Claire's home (the artwork, the wallpaper, etc.) and other things from the contemporary culture, supposedly from Claire's perspective but the things she was describing were things Claire would not have noticed because they were not strange or odd in the 1960's; they were only strange or odd to the author! And there were a number of editing errors that were so glaring that I just can not believe no one caught them. In two or three different places, the two main protagonist's names were reversed. In one scene the hospital lobby was referred to as a hotel lobby. A woman in the hospital elevator going up to the solarioum to watch Kennedy's Inaguation wss described as having curlers in her hair. Why would a visitor to the hospital have curlers in her hair? All of these errors as well as the thin plotting and the suspension of common sense that the story often required were all too jarring to really allow me to lose myself in the story.
February 5, 2017
This was an enjoyable read as it followed the story of two women, Vivienne and Claire, one in 1919 and one in 1961. Both women struggled with a lost love which seemed to define who they were, or at least how they saw themselves and lived their lives.
I found it interesting that of the two women it was Vivienne in the early 1900's era who was the more "modern woman" to me. She had a "lover" and lived her life as a single independent women who did not seem to care what others thought. Her story was sadder, and her life held so much loss and grief. She was "The Obituary Writer" and though she wrote beautifully of the lives the dead had lived, she herself couldn't let go and start to live again for a very long time. When she did finally I felt she still carried the shadow of her past with her, and in the end perhaps regretted it?
Claire was easy for me to identify with, as this is the "suburban housewife/stay at home mother" era that my own Mother was a part of. Claire was so dissatisfied with where her life had ended up that she just knew that she would find all she wanted with her "illicit lover". She felt stifled in her marriage, held back by her husband and her "role" as his wife. Did she have the courage to leave the comfort of her life to get herself back? I think Hood nailed this generation of housewives and I loved all the trivial tidbits she throws in. From the excitement of JFK and his stylish wife, to the type of cocktails and appetizers that were served at social parties.
I was pleasantly surprised when the connection between these two made it's way into the story, as this is one time I did not figure out the link for quite a while. It is Vivienne, at the end of her 2nd part of life that challenges Claire not to lose herself, not to settle, to let go and move forward. Wise advice from a woman who perhaps wished she had.
Nothing earth shattering, but quick and enjoyable....readers who have had to struggle through loss and heartbreak or who have asked the "what if" questions will relate. 3.5 stars.
I found it interesting that of the two women it was Vivienne in the early 1900's era who was the more "modern woman" to me. She had a "lover" and lived her life as a single independent women who did not seem to care what others thought. Her story was sadder, and her life held so much loss and grief. She was "The Obituary Writer" and though she wrote beautifully of the lives the dead had lived, she herself couldn't let go and start to live again for a very long time. When she did finally I felt she still carried the shadow of her past with her, and in the end perhaps regretted it?
Claire was easy for me to identify with, as this is the "suburban housewife/stay at home mother" era that my own Mother was a part of. Claire was so dissatisfied with where her life had ended up that she just knew that she would find all she wanted with her "illicit lover". She felt stifled in her marriage, held back by her husband and her "role" as his wife. Did she have the courage to leave the comfort of her life to get herself back? I think Hood nailed this generation of housewives and I loved all the trivial tidbits she throws in. From the excitement of JFK and his stylish wife, to the type of cocktails and appetizers that were served at social parties.
I was pleasantly surprised when the connection between these two made it's way into the story, as this is one time I did not figure out the link for quite a while. It is Vivienne, at the end of her 2nd part of life that challenges Claire not to lose herself, not to settle, to let go and move forward. Wise advice from a woman who perhaps wished she had.
Nothing earth shattering, but quick and enjoyable....readers who have had to struggle through loss and heartbreak or who have asked the "what if" questions will relate. 3.5 stars.
April 22, 2017
First timer reading Ann Hood. I will definitely check out a few of her other books.
What's It About:
Two women separated by decades find their stories are more closely aligned than either could possibly realize.
1919:Vivien Lowe is a sought after obituary writer. She is mourning the loss of her lover in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. She refuses to believe he is dead and clings to hope there will be a reunion between the two. Her friend, Lottie, worries about Vivien's future and there is a possibility of a romance with a vineyard worker who admires her. Vivian's focus is on bringing comfort to the grieving and seeking solace in that comfort she creates.
1960: JKF is about to be inaugurated. Jackie O. is becoming a fashion icon followed by housewives across the United States. Claire, a young housewife and mother, begins to question her roles. She has a mind and desperately wants to be recognized for it. She doesn't get the recognition she desires at home, so she volunteers for the Kennedy campaign. In her volunteering, she meets a married man who stimulates her both mentally and physically. What happens when a married woman is caught by her husband having an affair in 1960? We quickly see the spiral for Claire, especially as she becomes pregnant. Claire works to piece together her life and marriage.
Circumstances bring Vivien and Claire together as neither imagined.
My Thoughts:
-Vivien's obituary writing is pure beauty. The class, poise, and dedication are marvelous. I've been dabbling with the thought of focusing on reading poetry for awhile. This book convinces me utterly of its value. Vivien incorporates poetry into the obituary as her homage to the deceased.
-Women's roles in 1960 were so limited. Some relished this simplicity whereas others chafed at it. I found it fascinating.
-JKF's inauguration speech is pure gold. I love how Claire can quote it.
-The devotion to Jackie O's fashion was perfection. I would have done the same thing. The housewives have a betting pool on what color Jackie will wear and the winner gets a dinner party thrown in her honor. It is something to dream about.
-The story is incredibly fast paced. My chief complaint: it wrapped up too quickly. Hood could have seriously written another 100 pages easily. This book is far too short.
What's It About:
Two women separated by decades find their stories are more closely aligned than either could possibly realize.
1919:Vivien Lowe is a sought after obituary writer. She is mourning the loss of her lover in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. She refuses to believe he is dead and clings to hope there will be a reunion between the two. Her friend, Lottie, worries about Vivien's future and there is a possibility of a romance with a vineyard worker who admires her. Vivian's focus is on bringing comfort to the grieving and seeking solace in that comfort she creates.
1960: JKF is about to be inaugurated. Jackie O. is becoming a fashion icon followed by housewives across the United States. Claire, a young housewife and mother, begins to question her roles. She has a mind and desperately wants to be recognized for it. She doesn't get the recognition she desires at home, so she volunteers for the Kennedy campaign. In her volunteering, she meets a married man who stimulates her both mentally and physically. What happens when a married woman is caught by her husband having an affair in 1960? We quickly see the spiral for Claire, especially as she becomes pregnant. Claire works to piece together her life and marriage.
Circumstances bring Vivien and Claire together as neither imagined.
My Thoughts:
-Vivien's obituary writing is pure beauty. The class, poise, and dedication are marvelous. I've been dabbling with the thought of focusing on reading poetry for awhile. This book convinces me utterly of its value. Vivien incorporates poetry into the obituary as her homage to the deceased.
-Women's roles in 1960 were so limited. Some relished this simplicity whereas others chafed at it. I found it fascinating.
-JKF's inauguration speech is pure gold. I love how Claire can quote it.
-The devotion to Jackie O's fashion was perfection. I would have done the same thing. The housewives have a betting pool on what color Jackie will wear and the winner gets a dinner party thrown in her honor. It is something to dream about.
-The story is incredibly fast paced. My chief complaint: it wrapped up too quickly. Hood could have seriously written another 100 pages easily. This book is far too short.
October 22, 2013
I've been thinking about this book for a day since finishing it. Tea & toast comforts my 'own' thinking about this story.
So....I try to write a review: (hoping to do this book justice)
Its intensely personal (being a fiction novel). NOT ORDINARY! I think its a rare book --a book which grows richer -inside you --as the days pass after reading it.
Many topics are covered: relationships-love-death-sex-loss-grief-morality-adultry-friendship-JFK, The 1906 S.F. earthquake, etc.
Interesting 'crafting' (writing style) -weaving the two stories (1919/1960)- -which 'both' take place in:
S.F., Napa, Calistoga, Oakland, & Denver.
The author painted wonderful visuals during the 1960's. (trip down memory lane):
Songs, hair-styles-decorating-foods-furniture. Even the 'smoking' was normal to the time period.
Now the deeper 'themes' of this book:
1) "Tell Me About Your Love One" ---(The Obituary Writer asks). This is a very profound part of the book --because as the 'reader', you can't help but 'wonder' "what might you say about the person YOU love".
2) How do we comfort our 'friend' (best friend) who suffers from a serious loss? Beautiful wise -practical-and compassionate recommendations (without being recommendations) ---Its just part of the story.
3) How do we choose to our lives? Safe comfortable lifestyle? - yet with feelings of boredom -- feelings of being empty or not heard?
or....
Do we choose lust & richness to our hearts? (maybe more satisfying-- but maybe more risky -not with 'safe' feelings).
These are personal 'honest' questions ---(all answers have value) ---
Which is for you? and why?
And??? ......
Do you 'SOMETIMES' wish your answer was the opposite of your own choice?
This book is page turning engaging
Also,
it allows you to continue to reach deeper into YOUR own thoughts about the many topics and themes covered.
WONDERFUL & POWERFUL!
So....I try to write a review: (hoping to do this book justice)
Its intensely personal (being a fiction novel). NOT ORDINARY! I think its a rare book --a book which grows richer -inside you --as the days pass after reading it.
Many topics are covered: relationships-love-death-sex-loss-grief-morality-adultry-friendship-JFK, The 1906 S.F. earthquake, etc.
Interesting 'crafting' (writing style) -weaving the two stories (1919/1960)- -which 'both' take place in:
S.F., Napa, Calistoga, Oakland, & Denver.
The author painted wonderful visuals during the 1960's. (trip down memory lane):
Songs, hair-styles-decorating-foods-furniture. Even the 'smoking' was normal to the time period.
Now the deeper 'themes' of this book:
1) "Tell Me About Your Love One" ---(The Obituary Writer asks). This is a very profound part of the book --because as the 'reader', you can't help but 'wonder' "what might you say about the person YOU love".
2) How do we comfort our 'friend' (best friend) who suffers from a serious loss? Beautiful wise -practical-and compassionate recommendations (without being recommendations) ---Its just part of the story.
3) How do we choose to our lives? Safe comfortable lifestyle? - yet with feelings of boredom -- feelings of being empty or not heard?
or....
Do we choose lust & richness to our hearts? (maybe more satisfying-- but maybe more risky -not with 'safe' feelings).
These are personal 'honest' questions ---(all answers have value) ---
Which is for you? and why?
And??? ......
Do you 'SOMETIMES' wish your answer was the opposite of your own choice?
This book is page turning engaging
Also,
it allows you to continue to reach deeper into YOUR own thoughts about the many topics and themes covered.
WONDERFUL & POWERFUL!
July 12, 2015
This is a very beautifully written book about Claire in 1961 struggling with having an affair and not really loving her husband, and being pregnant with possibly her lover's baby. And Vivien around 1914 who writes obituaries for people and is struggling with not knowing what happened to her lover David in the earthquake. This book covers so many different emotions and pulls the reader into both women's lives.
I listened to this as an audiobook and when the book switched between the two women it was very clearly identified. I found myself lost in their stories and not wanting to stop. I actually uploaded this on my iPod so I could listen while cleaning carpets. I listened to a couple CDs out of order and it didn't seem to matter. I didn't feel like I got confused at all.
I highly recommend this and I look forward to more books by this author.
I listened to this as an audiobook and when the book switched between the two women it was very clearly identified. I found myself lost in their stories and not wanting to stop. I actually uploaded this on my iPod so I could listen while cleaning carpets. I listened to a couple CDs out of order and it didn't seem to matter. I didn't feel like I got confused at all.
I highly recommend this and I look forward to more books by this author.
February 9, 2015
I started this thinking I would only read a few chapters then go to bed. Didn't quite work out that way. Instead I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning reading this book. I honestly don't know what to say about this except that I found it strangely compelling.
July 23, 2014
I could be painfully critical, and I could do so by expressing my annoyance when I was bombarded with typos, grammatical errors, and a misplaced name, but I don't want to be. The responsibility of perfection had fallen onto the shoulders of the editor; the writer herself is the only one who's worth reviewing here. Take away everything that was beyond her control, put instead the lime light on her manuscript, which displayed more emotion and character than I had anticipated before starting this novel. This was a book that started you off with a view of the characters as being almost their exact opposites; a character hated in the beginning would be respected in the end, and a character beloved in the beginning would end up completely meaningless in the climax of this story. Such turns of events can cause momentary grief for the writer, placing you in the main character(s) anguish and frustration. That, my dear friends, is what made this book a triumph deserving of my "favorites" shelf.
June 6, 2014
As you would imagine from the title, the subject of grief features quite strongly in this novel set in 1919 and 1961. But it is also about choices, being trapped by your circumstances and almost being an unwilling participant in your own life. Two women's stories which, for me, link far too late in the storyline to really have much in common; almost like two short stories with their chapters interspersing. There is a quite from Emily Post at each chapter, some lovely poetry quoted and the author's writing is, at times, quite beautiful but the relationship between the two women came too late for me. For that reason, it earns only 3.5★
November 2, 2019
All obituaries should be written in this manner!! When a person dies, it's not about the dates and places but rather about who that person was to the people they have left behind. A beautifully written story about life. And, the ending was perfect!!!!
May 22, 2014
I couldn’t look past the glaring errors in this book in order to enjoy it, was there an editor for this book? If so they were asleep.
More than once the author refers to the character by the wrong name, in chapter 7 when the character Connie is talking to the protagonist Claire and the line reads “Vivien admitted she wasn’t sure.”
There are also several very obvious anachronisms, the character Vivien is reading about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in 1919 despite the term not coming into use until at least the 1970’s. Considering mental health knowledge and terminology has changed drastically in the past 90 years, I’d assumed any mention would receive an automatic fact check, but apparently not.
As well the children catch fireflies at one point, in California, while there are fireflies in California that species of fireflies are not bio luminescent. It's clear that basically no fact checking was done for this novel.
As for the plot, well it wasn't terrible, but it was fairly predictable.
More than once the author refers to the character by the wrong name, in chapter 7 when the character Connie is talking to the protagonist Claire and the line reads “Vivien admitted she wasn’t sure.”
There are also several very obvious anachronisms, the character Vivien is reading about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in 1919 despite the term not coming into use until at least the 1970’s. Considering mental health knowledge and terminology has changed drastically in the past 90 years, I’d assumed any mention would receive an automatic fact check, but apparently not.
As well the children catch fireflies at one point, in California, while there are fireflies in California that species of fireflies are not bio luminescent. It's clear that basically no fact checking was done for this novel.
As for the plot, well it wasn't terrible, but it was fairly predictable.
August 1, 2013
This book was an engrossing read. There wasn't anything that I needed to highlight. There are no burning questions that deserve further discussion. It was just a good old fashioned read.
The stories took place in post earthquake San Francisco and the early 1960's. I found the characters interesting and the final meshing of their lives satisfying. Having witnessed the obsession with the Kennedys first hand, I found those details realistic. There were a few too many attempts to set the decade---Rice A Roni type references. There were editing problems that were inexcusable. There were some trite solutions to philosophical dilemmas.
Each character dealt with their grief differently. Each chose to be adulterous. Although in my mind, there is no excuse for adultery, each found their way to live with her decisions and seek the love she deserved. Vivien was able to write obituaries with a wonderful combination of compassion and storytelling. I felt that the chapters should have opened with one of her obituaries rather than the quotes from Emily Post.
In my reading life there is room for thought provoking books and escapism. I happily followed the stories of these two women. Now it's time to read one of those thought provoking books.
The stories took place in post earthquake San Francisco and the early 1960's. I found the characters interesting and the final meshing of their lives satisfying. Having witnessed the obsession with the Kennedys first hand, I found those details realistic. There were a few too many attempts to set the decade---Rice A Roni type references. There were editing problems that were inexcusable. There were some trite solutions to philosophical dilemmas.
Each character dealt with their grief differently. Each chose to be adulterous. Although in my mind, there is no excuse for adultery, each found their way to live with her decisions and seek the love she deserved. Vivien was able to write obituaries with a wonderful combination of compassion and storytelling. I felt that the chapters should have opened with one of her obituaries rather than the quotes from Emily Post.
In my reading life there is room for thought provoking books and escapism. I happily followed the stories of these two women. Now it's time to read one of those thought provoking books.
May 19, 2020
The Obituary Writer was in my TBR queue and I dove in without a lot of knowledge (other than that which is lent by the title itself) of this book.
Claire, one of the main characters, was difficult for me to feel very sympathetic about. . . .wishy-washy. It seems to me that we all have at least one friend in our friend group that is like this. The one that makes a dinner decision choice for the group a career. Only for Claire it was men - and as a married one, that bugged me. I get it when a partner is abusive and drives their mate to the arms of another, but to happily take, use and enjoy all the benefits of a partner and STILL go looking. . .well, that's anything but loyal.
Vivien, the other main character, has a story and timeline that is about 1.5 generations previous, so it was a little confusing to see where their intersect was going to happen and I had to agree with myself to suspend my confusion and trust the author to attend to that resolution. And. . .she did, very well. In fact that end was the most satisfying part of the book.
So there's love and mystery, all wrapped up with women supporting women during hard times.
3 stars, on lace-edged hankies.
Claire, one of the main characters, was difficult for me to feel very sympathetic about. . . .wishy-washy. It seems to me that we all have at least one friend in our friend group that is like this. The one that makes a dinner decision choice for the group a career. Only for Claire it was men - and as a married one, that bugged me. I get it when a partner is abusive and drives their mate to the arms of another, but to happily take, use and enjoy all the benefits of a partner and STILL go looking. . .well, that's anything but loyal.
Vivien, the other main character, has a story and timeline that is about 1.5 generations previous, so it was a little confusing to see where their intersect was going to happen and I had to agree with myself to suspend my confusion and trust the author to attend to that resolution. And. . .she did, very well. In fact that end was the most satisfying part of the book.
So there's love and mystery, all wrapped up with women supporting women during hard times.
3 stars, on lace-edged hankies.
February 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It had a fiftyesque charm to the writing. It also highlighted what being a woman in that time was like. A few surprising plot twists tossed in. Recommend.
March 16, 2013
Although the progress of this novel's plot was fairly predictable it was also spot on in tone and setting. The book takes place both during and after the San Francisco earthquake with one woman's story and than alternates with Claire's story during the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. What sets this novel apart is that each chapter is headed by a quote from Emily Post on how to handle bereavement and the fact that Vivian is an obituary writer, not for a newspaper, but people come to her for comfort and because in her writing she brings the dead to life. Also Claire and her friends infatuation with all things Jackie brought back memories for me of my mother and her friends trying to emulate Jackie in her dresses and hats. She was such a fashion icon and a trend setter as well. I enjoyed this book, the poignant look back at the beginning sixties when a woman's role was just to follow the lead of her man. Simpler times I guess, but I for one am glad they are over. I'm not much of a follower.
June 1, 2016
My library had to borrow this book from another library. This seems so wrong and I plan to let them know, perhaps they will obtain a copy.
The story is about grief but so much more. Two stories in one about two different women, Vivian and Claire a generation apart. They both tell their stories about the people they have loved, lost and moving forward. About half way through the book their story meshes more into one story. Ironically it also shares the roles of women two generations apart, but particularly in the early sixties.
I loved how the story was told, so simply, as if they were sitting here telling you. Ann Hood makes writing look so easy but I know that is not.
I will be recommending this book to my reader friends.
The story is about grief but so much more. Two stories in one about two different women, Vivian and Claire a generation apart. They both tell their stories about the people they have loved, lost and moving forward. About half way through the book their story meshes more into one story. Ironically it also shares the roles of women two generations apart, but particularly in the early sixties.
I loved how the story was told, so simply, as if they were sitting here telling you. Ann Hood makes writing look so easy but I know that is not.
I will be recommending this book to my reader friends.
February 1, 2013
'The Obituary Writer' tells the story of two women living in very different times. In 1960, Claire is struggling to figure out her marriage, not sure if she still loves her husband, she's been having an affair and knows there's a very good chance the baby she's carrying is the other man's. In 1919 Vivian is searching for her lover David, who she hasn't seen since he left for work the morning of April 18, 1906, the day an earthquake devastated the city of San Francisco.
These characters really came to life for me and I felt for both of them and wondered how their stories would end. Would Claire leave her husband or stay with him even though she felt unloved? Would she choose the lover instead? What about the baby? And what about Vivian, would she spend the rest of her life searching for David, never knowing where he was or what happened to him? She's been searching for thirteen years, how would she know when it was time to give up if ever?
The characters Hood creates are sympathetic and realistic and I was pulled into each woman's story and never felt the narration for either character lasted too long, each woman's experience was emotional and compelling. I thought the author did an excellent job detailing the emotions of her characters but especially the loss and mourning for all the characters who experience it.
This is the first novel by Ann Hood I've read and I wasn't sure what to expect, some of the reviews I read were mixed with criticism for how the author dropped product names to set the period for the story set in 1960. Having read that criticism I was prepared for the name dropping and I didn't find it distracting, though I could see how some readers might be bothered by it.
I liked the time periods the stories were set in and thought the details for each were well done. There were a few times when characters were clumsily introduced to the reader and there were a few awkward word choices and phrasings and a few editorial errors but over all this was an easy and enjoyable though, emotional read. I did question the realism of a few key details but I liked the rest of the story enough to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the telling of it.
I really liked this story and while I have a few quibbles about the writing I think that the majority of it was very realistic and well done. I think this would be another good book club choice with lots of woman's issues to discuss.
These characters really came to life for me and I felt for both of them and wondered how their stories would end. Would Claire leave her husband or stay with him even though she felt unloved? Would she choose the lover instead? What about the baby? And what about Vivian, would she spend the rest of her life searching for David, never knowing where he was or what happened to him? She's been searching for thirteen years, how would she know when it was time to give up if ever?
The characters Hood creates are sympathetic and realistic and I was pulled into each woman's story and never felt the narration for either character lasted too long, each woman's experience was emotional and compelling. I thought the author did an excellent job detailing the emotions of her characters but especially the loss and mourning for all the characters who experience it.
This is the first novel by Ann Hood I've read and I wasn't sure what to expect, some of the reviews I read were mixed with criticism for how the author dropped product names to set the period for the story set in 1960. Having read that criticism I was prepared for the name dropping and I didn't find it distracting, though I could see how some readers might be bothered by it.
I liked the time periods the stories were set in and thought the details for each were well done. There were a few times when characters were clumsily introduced to the reader and there were a few awkward word choices and phrasings and a few editorial errors but over all this was an easy and enjoyable though, emotional read. I did question the realism of a few key details but I liked the rest of the story enough to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the telling of it.
I really liked this story and while I have a few quibbles about the writing I think that the majority of it was very realistic and well done. I think this would be another good book club choice with lots of woman's issues to discuss.
January 14, 2023
2.5 stars
The Obituary Writer was just interesting enough to keep me reading, yet slow-paced enough to have me questioning my desire to continue.
My biggest gripe is that I didn't like Vivien nor Claire very much so I couldn't connect with them. Claire's storyline was more interesting because the drama caused by her affair, meanwhile Vivien was wasting her time pining after a married man. Not to mention, I was underwhelmed by how the lives of their ended up converging (I guess I was expecting something a bit more dramatic?).
I did like how the theme of grief was explored in this novel. It's a universal human experience that can take many forms, including regret, which is one thread that ties the two women together. Vivien and Claire grieve the people they've lost, the choices they've made, and the ones they haven't. I wish I cared more about them because it would have boosted the impact of their experiences.
The Obituary Writer was just interesting enough to keep me reading, yet slow-paced enough to have me questioning my desire to continue.
My biggest gripe is that I didn't like Vivien nor Claire very much so I couldn't connect with them. Claire's storyline was more interesting because the drama caused by her affair, meanwhile Vivien was wasting her time pining after a married man. Not to mention, I was underwhelmed by how the lives of their ended up converging (I guess I was expecting something a bit more dramatic?).
I did like how the theme of grief was explored in this novel. It's a universal human experience that can take many forms, including regret, which is one thread that ties the two women together. Vivien and Claire grieve the people they've lost, the choices they've made, and the ones they haven't. I wish I cared more about them because it would have boosted the impact of their experiences.
December 6, 2013
Hood's latest features elegant prose and an especially artfully constructed ending. This "quiet" novel about two women of different generations tackles big themes: the age old moral questions of affairs, the nature of grief and loss, and the (nearly subversive to our culture that prizes optimism) bold theme that sometimes, the only way to move forward could be to give up hope.
December 18, 2020
How has Ann Hood escaped my attention all these years? I loved every word of this book and the narration by Tavia Gilbert was exceptional.
Vivien Lowe knows all about grief. Ever since the 1909 San Francisco earthquake, she has been holding out hope that her lover will turn up unscathed and that they can pick up their life where they left off. In the meantime, for over a decade, her own life has been on hold and she has become known for her skill in writing heartfelt obituaries. She is able to look past the statistics of a person's life and really see who they were, through conversations with their loved ones.
Claire is a disillusioned housewife who thought that her wall-to-wall carpeting and her lawyer husband were all she needed for a happy and satisfying life. But, as her eyes are opened to the rich possibilities that have passed her by, her comfortable world begins to crumble beneath her.
Flipping between two timelines - 1919 and 1965 - the lives of these two women seem vastly different until their similarities are revealed. Both of their lives are not their own but controlled by men. They each have to break out of their confines and take the lead of their futures.
The two story lines eventually mesh but not in a satisfying way.
Vivien Lowe knows all about grief. Ever since the 1909 San Francisco earthquake, she has been holding out hope that her lover will turn up unscathed and that they can pick up their life where they left off. In the meantime, for over a decade, her own life has been on hold and she has become known for her skill in writing heartfelt obituaries. She is able to look past the statistics of a person's life and really see who they were, through conversations with their loved ones.
Claire is a disillusioned housewife who thought that her wall-to-wall carpeting and her lawyer husband were all she needed for a happy and satisfying life. But, as her eyes are opened to the rich possibilities that have passed her by, her comfortable world begins to crumble beneath her.
Flipping between two timelines - 1919 and 1965 - the lives of these two women seem vastly different until their similarities are revealed. Both of their lives are not their own but controlled by men. They each have to break out of their confines and take the lead of their futures.
The two story lines eventually mesh but not in a satisfying way.
February 12, 2024
A Poignant story of a woman, her life and the life of her family and friends.
In 1919 Vivien Lowe, is searching for her lover, who disappeared during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Vivien wants to know about a person's life, who he or she was...the dates were not that important when she wrote the obituary.
Such a captivating story, there need to be a sequel.
In 1919 Vivien Lowe, is searching for her lover, who disappeared during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Vivien wants to know about a person's life, who he or she was...the dates were not that important when she wrote the obituary.
Such a captivating story, there need to be a sequel.
March 4, 2013
Ann Hood authored Comfort, one of the most poignant, honest memoirs I’ve read. It detailed the grieving process after her 5-year-old daughter died from a virulent form of strep throat. Once I started reading The Obituary Writer I recognized elements of Comfort within the pages of this captivating, melancholy novel.
Two things immediately attracted me to this novel: the title and the cover. arguably in book publishing, besides social networking, these are important elements for marketing. A simple title that tempts the reader because who doesn’t love to read those exquisite New York Times Obituaries from time to time? Naturally one wonders who writes them. Then there’s this lovely sepia cover. A woman-- clearly in the 1920s with her bob hairstyle and pretty white dress with floral embellishments at the hem-- sitting deep in thought at her desk, pen in hand.
http://entertainmentrealm.com/2013/03...
Two things immediately attracted me to this novel: the title and the cover. arguably in book publishing, besides social networking, these are important elements for marketing. A simple title that tempts the reader because who doesn’t love to read those exquisite New York Times Obituaries from time to time? Naturally one wonders who writes them. Then there’s this lovely sepia cover. A woman-- clearly in the 1920s with her bob hairstyle and pretty white dress with floral embellishments at the hem-- sitting deep in thought at her desk, pen in hand.
http://entertainmentrealm.com/2013/03...
April 19, 2015
This book tells the story of two different women in two different time periods, one in the early 1960's (Claire) and the other at the turn of the century (Vivian). Vivian has lost her lover in the San Francisco earthquake and falls into the job of obituary writer. Claire is dealing with an unhappy marriage and questioning her role as a woman in 1961. Claire and her friends are fascinated by Jacqueline Kennedy and the inauguration.
It was well written and paints a very detailed picture of both the characters of each woman and of the time they are living in. While the writing was excellent, the plot dragged at times. The writer's voice makes this book easy to read and quite memorable.
The descriptions of grief, for both women, are so believable. These losses impact the women and the choices they make. Love, grief and mystery intertwine until Vivian and Claire find themselves bound together. The ending made it 4 star book for me. Will look forward to reading more books by Ann Hood.
It was well written and paints a very detailed picture of both the characters of each woman and of the time they are living in. While the writing was excellent, the plot dragged at times. The writer's voice makes this book easy to read and quite memorable.
The descriptions of grief, for both women, are so believable. These losses impact the women and the choices they make. Love, grief and mystery intertwine until Vivian and Claire find themselves bound together. The ending made it 4 star book for me. Will look forward to reading more books by Ann Hood.
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