2010 book 224

Julia Glass' The Widower's Tale
It took me longer than usual to read this book--partly b/c I've been busy, partly b/c it's kind of long, and partly b/c I love Glass' writing and wanted to savor it. So her latest novel is about a somewhat crotchety--but very funny--old man (a retired Harvard librarian!) living in a Boston suburb, and how his life changes when his wayward oldest daughter convinces him to let a local preschool move into his barn. (As a somewhat wayward oldest daughter myself, I found myself wondering how much of his character my parents would relate to.) Of course, it's also about family, love, immigration, cancer, and treehouses. Really an excellent story with lots of great and likable characters, and even when you know things are going to go awry, you're just hoping things ultimately work out for them. Yes, I highly recommend this. A.