Book Thirtysix: Away

Away, Amy Bloom



This book suffers from a malady that, sadly, has been the demise of many a book (including the last book I read). And that is a plot that starts off strong, but slowly fizzles out and comes to a near halt in the middle. (I'll call it dropsy of the novel.) And sometimes that makes it irrelevant whether or not the ending is good or satisfying. But in this case, I was left with an overall feeling of, "I liked this!"

What I liked most about Amy Bloom's beautiful writing was the way you felt just as mystified by the actions and events and character motivations as the heroine. There was just something strange and other-worldly about the language and limitations of what was divulged. On the other hand, some of the characters she encountered were just too precious (e.g. Chinky Chang, the spunky Chinese grifter, or Gumdrop, the tough-as-nails African-American hooker with a heart of gold... I know, right?!).

But the ending... oh, the ending! With that ending, Amy Bloom got my heart back.