2010 book 118

Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand that First Held Mine
This book has been getting a ton of great reviews, and I must say, it lives up to the hype. It's the tale of two women, told in alternating chapters--one, trying to be an independent career woman in the 1950s, the other dealing with her newborn and her boyfriend in current-ish times. From the get-go, 1950s Lexie's story is totally enthralling; modern Elina's is a bit slower to get going, but as the two start to come together, I couldn't put the book down. Highly recommended. A.