Nessa Rapoport

This is a first person novel about Eve, a 35 year old woman returning to her childhood home in Toronto for the Shiva of her sister, recently dead of cancer. The book is a quick read, tracing the seven days of mourning as Eve confronts her divorced parents, imperious and judgmental grandmother, and adolescent lover with whom she reconnects. Flashbacks to childhood and earlier adulthood abound, as Eve struggles with her family.

I find the book a bit overwritten, heavy with literary references (as with so many novels, the protagonist loves literature and finds the written word central to her life- I guess when writers write semi-autobiographical novels, the protagonists are kind of likely to love books!). I found the protagonist unlikeable at times too, though I don't think that was the intent. I was ready to give a lower score, but I loved the ending, involving multiple revelations and secrets unveiled, leaving me feeling a bit more positive.

Easy read, worth the little time it takes to finish.… (more)