I'm going to be honest here for a second: I rarely read books on the New York Times bestseller list. However, when I came across
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan, and was looking for a family novel to delve into, I decided to give it a shot. I love novels about generations of women, especially when they describe all the twists and turns of a mixed-up family. Maine was exactly what I was looking for! Set mostly in a beach house in...Maine, it follows the lives of four Irish-American women in one family and all their relationships, decisions, and lives. Sullivan is a detailed writer, without being overly flourished and grating. You can see the characters come to life and genuinely start to care for these characters as if they were real people. Maine addresses issues such as alcoholism, raising children, and new-age Catholicism with humor, wisdom, and a lot of wit. If you liked Maine, it reminded me of two other books, both by Maile Meloy:
Liars and Saints and
The Family Daughter. All three books explore the entire extended family's traumas, lives, and loves. You really do feel like these people come alive on the pages. If you have a family, which I assume most of you do, you'll love reading all about a family who is unique, crazy, and hilarious in their own special way.
