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A savvy, spirited, moving, and surprisingly humorous novel in elegies.
Who are the people you’ll never forget? For Mary Murphy, there are five: A skirt-chasing, car-racing uncle with whiskey breath and a three-day beard. A “walking joke, a sitting duck, a fish in a barrel” named Elwood LePoer. A dirt-poor college roommate who conceals an unbearable secret. A failed piano prodigy lost in middle age. A beautiful mother haunted by her once-great aspirations.
In five quirky elegies to lost friends and relatives, Mary tells us the story of her life. We begin with a restless childhood spent following her mother between multiple homes and husbands. Then comes the disappearance of Mary’s rebellious and beloved sister, Malinda. By the time Mary leaves for college, she has no one to write home to, and we follow along on her difficult search for purpose. From a series of miserable jobs to her “reborn” mother’s deathbed, Mary finds hope in the most surprising places. With a rhythmically unique voice and pitch-perfect wry humor, Christie Hodgen spins an unconventional and moving story about identity, belonging, and family.
Anonymous
Posted April 26, 2013
Beautiful writing. Intelligent, thoughtful character. Loved it. Want more from Hodgen.
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Posted August 22, 2011
If you liked The Glass Castle, you will love this. It's about two young girls growing up in the 80's with a negligent, totally self-absorbed,young, beautiful mother who goes through men like water. She talks in detail about the most important people in her life, and it is clear what that kind of childhood does to a person.
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Posted January 12, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted January 18, 2012
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Overview
A savvy, spirited, moving, and surprisingly humorous novel in elegies.
Who are the people you’ll never forget? For Mary Murphy, there are five: A skirt-chasing, car-racing uncle with whiskey breath and a three-day beard. A “walking joke, a sitting duck, a fish in a barrel” named Elwood LePoer. A dirt-poor college roommate who conceals an unbearable secret. A failed piano prodigy lost in middle age. A beautiful mother haunted by her once-great ...