'Something Old, Something New'

by Connie Monk

Something Old, Something New

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Thakshila Jayasinghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best description I can think of for this book is that it's a very "human" book. It's totally centred around the various personalities and experiences of the members of the Marshall family and their friends who are almost family themselves. It's a book that spans over 6 decades, and like most books of the multigenerational genre, you feel sad at the end of it, especially if you're a reader given to bouts of nostalgia regarding past eras. While it does end on a promising note for the future, it shows how humans basically go through the same cycles but at the same time how time affects us all. Those who were once strong and virile become weak and fragile. It also portrays senile dementia in all its heartbreaking accuracy. As a person who has a close family member suffering from this dreadful disease, I know first hand how soul destroying it can be to have other people look on your loved one as a broken down shell, when you so clearly remember how they used to be in their prime. It's really a book worth reading. But if you're a sensitive person, I suggest you pace yourself. I read it at a stretch and it disturbed my mood for the rest of the day. I am still feeling sad.