Splendid ... Sensuous, sympathetic ... At times Paulette’s dogged devotion to a cad like Denton — even at her own expense — may test the reader’s patience ... Throughout de Waal weaves in richly drawn characters — Maggie’s punchy one-liners...bring levity to heart-wrenching events ... Moving.
Her prose sings in moments of quiet humor and heartwarming details, such as when Paulette lapses into Caribbean phrases whenever she’s grumbling about her friends. It’s a story of radical forgiveness, made all the more moving by its unsentimental honesty.
This is a novel bursting with plot, but it’s also distinguished by lucid prose, heartfelt emotion, and moments of levity (thanks largely to Paulette’s outspoken Irish neighbor, Maggie). Readers of Ann Patchett and Brit Bennett will feel at home in these welcoming pages.
