I listened to this audiobook on Spotify after seeing universal praise for this debut epistolary novel. I thought this story of aging Sybil Van Antwerp was engaging and diverse, covering all aspects of her life and varied interactions with others. The narration was great. I can see the appeal of the tender, painful tale.

For readers who have met New York author (and eventual resident of Maine) Lucy Barton in Strout’s other books, this is an interesting deep dive into her life. It focuses on a period in. Barton’s life where her children were young and she is in the hospital for nine weeks with a severe infection following routine surgery. Not sure if I would have enjoyed this story if I hadn’t read about Barton in Strout’s other books.

Not long enough

This is a great book of complexity, and family fighting issues. I love this book because it sent me into a new world of reading the 39 clues series.

I liked how the unicorn put lots of outfits on.

It was amusing. Some funny stuff, some not-so-funny stuff and some I'd already heard.

Excellent thought experiment.

It's a great book and a great plot and one of the first books I ever read -ollie

Your body might be fragile, not you.

I enjoyed this book. I listened to it while I did a lot of gardening and walking. It is a series and a fun summer read.