Book Review: Red Hook Road

RED HOOK ROAD

As lyrical as a sonata, Ayelet Waldman’s follow-up novel to

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

explores the aftermath of a family tragedy.

Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers,

Red Hook Road tells the story of two families,

the Tetherlys and the Copakens,

and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled 

and stitched togetherby misfortune,
by good intentions and failure, 

and by love and calamity. A marriage collapses under 

the strain of a daughter’s death; two bereaved 

siblings find comfort in one another; and an 

adopted young girl breathes new life into her family

with her prodigious talent for the violin.

As she writes with obvious affection for these 

unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves 

life’s finer pleasures —music and literature—

with the more mundane joys of living. 

Within these resonant pages, a vase filled with wildflowers 

or a cold beer on a hot summer day serve as constant reminders 

that it’s often the little things that make life so precious.

- Taken from www.ayeletwaldman.com

I spent a day last week reading this novel and loved it - 

loved, loved, LOVED it.  There's something 

about Waldman's prose that is lyrical and easy, 

making it the perfect summer read, 

but more impressive is how she crafts that prose 

to reveal a subject matter that, in the wrong hands,

could be the antithesis of summertime but 

somehow ends up full of light and hope. 

The characters are rich and full; there is one that 

represents each of us in some way, large or small.

My favorite character in the novel is the state of 

Maine and Waldman's first hand knowledge of it 

reveals its beauty and complications honestly.

As many of you know, I'm a long time Waldman fan 

so I pre-ordered this novel so that it arrived 

on the date of release and also because I got a 

nice little discount for doing so. 

Go buy this book and don't complain; so many 

of my friends have no problem going out on 

the town and spending $12 for a single martini 

(and believe me, they don't just drink one) but they

gasp at the thought of purchasing a book at full price.

First of all, that logic makes me crazy.  

Secondly, anyone still paying full price 

for anything needs schooled. Head over to 

Amazon.com or BN.com and buy this book; 

you'll pay under $20 for it and 

not only will you have something tangible, 

you'll also get a free trip to Maine.

If you enjoy podcasts, head over here 

and listen to this one (click on the word "Listen", 

located on the upper left hand side 

of the page, under the word "Home").  

The host's voice is a bit much,

but Waldman's, like her writing, is gorgeous.