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Back to Normal
Set in the Eastern Sierra, Back to Normal introduces the listener to Sue Beauchamp whose lie of 20 years is exposed the night her daughter, Michelle, is injured in an accident. To save Michelle’s life, Sue contacts the biological father, John Sadek, a neighbor, for a transfusion.
With her secret exposed, Sue’s life unravels. Her husband, Chris, leaves and takes “his” sons with him. John wants a relationship with a child he’s never been allowed to know, and when Michelle discovers the “truth”, she runs away. As Sue attempts to save her own life, Back to Normal becomes a meditation on truth and lies and the gray area of a love lived in between.
With her secret exposed, Sue’s life unravels. Her husband, Chris, leaves and takes “his” sons with him. John wants a relationship with a child he’s never been allowed to know, and when Michelle discovers the “truth”, she runs away. As Sue attempts to save her own life, Back to Normal becomes a meditation on truth and lies and the gray area of a love lived in between.
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First published January 22, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 17, 2018
Posted in 2011; edited in January 2018:
Back to Normal took me back to another era in my life, back to the angst and elation of post college career and relationship drama. I wondered then if it ever would get all sorted out, and sometimes it never does. In Back to Normal, the main character, Sue, has her share of angst and elation, starting a new job far from home and starting relationships which become a lasting part of her life. The issues she faces made me think about questions which I have asked myself - is there such a thing as a "soul mate" in our lives? For me, there was. But why are we sometimes attracted to the shallow, but charming "jerks" in our lives? Was it our youth? Or was it a sign of immaturity and insecurity to be attracted to these types? Back to Normal explores these issues in a way that made me think about the past, but glad that I am no longer asking these questions.
The heart of the book explores the struggles that Sue faces as she deals with dishonesty in her relationships with her husband and children. Again, there are no easy answers for her - was it wrong to lie, or was it an act of love, an attempt to protect love? I found the ambiguity of Sue's loves and actions maddening at times; at other times, I asked myself how many of us deal with similar dilemmas.
Stylistically, the dialogue is sharp and natural. The setting is beautifully described, and an accurate and nostalgic portrayal of the early seventies. The cover art is a beautiful depiction of a lonely, snow-covered cabin, similar to one described in the book. Sue's story pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages (even late at night) as you become a part of her world. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Boucher's novel and hope to read another soon!
Back to Normal took me back to another era in my life, back to the angst and elation of post college career and relationship drama. I wondered then if it ever would get all sorted out, and sometimes it never does. In Back to Normal, the main character, Sue, has her share of angst and elation, starting a new job far from home and starting relationships which become a lasting part of her life. The issues she faces made me think about questions which I have asked myself - is there such a thing as a "soul mate" in our lives? For me, there was. But why are we sometimes attracted to the shallow, but charming "jerks" in our lives? Was it our youth? Or was it a sign of immaturity and insecurity to be attracted to these types? Back to Normal explores these issues in a way that made me think about the past, but glad that I am no longer asking these questions.
The heart of the book explores the struggles that Sue faces as she deals with dishonesty in her relationships with her husband and children. Again, there are no easy answers for her - was it wrong to lie, or was it an act of love, an attempt to protect love? I found the ambiguity of Sue's loves and actions maddening at times; at other times, I asked myself how many of us deal with similar dilemmas.
Stylistically, the dialogue is sharp and natural. The setting is beautifully described, and an accurate and nostalgic portrayal of the early seventies. The cover art is a beautiful depiction of a lonely, snow-covered cabin, similar to one described in the book. Sue's story pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages (even late at night) as you become a part of her world. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Boucher's novel and hope to read another soon!
August 3, 2015
I met the author on the tennis court in Mammoth, read an article about her in the newspaper, then happened on a signed copy in a used bookstore. The descriptions of the Eastern Sierra were lovely, but the rest of the story was not to my taste. That's too bad because I'd like to read her novel about the Peace Corp and now probably won't.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews