“Hmmm... this one's a little hard to process. I love Patchett, and there are a few chapters here that soar, but overall I think this book falls short of its grasp.
There is a former Boston mayor who loses his wife too early. There is his natural-born son who is a charismatic troublemaker and whose actions eventually damage his father's political career. There are two African-American sons, adopted before the wife dies, one of whom is charismatic but prone to drifting, while his brother is deeply focused, but on ichthyology (sp?) of all things. One night this younger brother is saved from being hit by a car, pushed out of the way at the last minute by a woman who ends up being his natural mother (but who is hit by the car herself). The family takes in Kenya, an eleven-year old girl who did grow up with her mother, and knew of her brothers, but had never talked to them before. If this isn't enough, Doyle (the ex-mayor) has a brother who is a priest believed to have healing powers but who is dying in a hospital. Also, the mother, named Tennessee, has some recollections in her pre-operation haze that I won't even go into.
Did you get your head around all that? Well, unfortunately Patchett doesn't quite manage it either. This book is far too short for the ground she tries to cover and there are interesting loose ends left scattered all about when the book closes. I don't need a neat little package by any means, but there is just too much good material here left unexplored.
Finally, everybody in the strange extended Sullivan family is a little too exceptional for them to ultimately believable. In this big group, it's hard to take that they don't they have anyone who isn't loaded with talent and strong personality.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a bad book. It just doesn't fulfill its own vision.
”
