A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

It started off with such promise! And while it didn’t end totally without any positive attributes, it just didn’t end with the panache it started with. 

I was glad how the plot turned, and that justice was served appropriately. But it was, quite frankly, a depressing read. Must all good books be wholly depressing in nature?

I was intrigued because the main character had 2 small daughters named Emma and Claire. My sister and I have girls named Emma and Claire. The other supporting character has two little girls named Audrey and Lizzy. A good friend of mine has two little girls named Audrey and Lizzy. The main characters have left suburbia and are an agrarian farming family. I have some old friends who have done this same thing. One of the children dies – and that loss, the grief, the chaotic nature of recovery from the disaster appeals to my mothering heart. One of the characters gets thrown in jail on trumped up charges of sexual abuse. I, being drawn to all things related to Law and Order, enjoyed the trial aspect of the novel. But in the end – I found that it just all cleaned up too….normal. Maybe that’s it. It was just too normal. 

The writing style is beautiful though. Poetic, narrative, and haunting. I liked the different perspectives offered in the story. The author doesn’t just write from one character’s perspective – she switches from the first person of the main character, to the main characters husband, and then back to the main character. It takes some real talent as a writer to be able to do that effectively. And Jane Hamilton certainly has the ability to do so. I would like to read her other books eventually. 

So – final judgement …. this is a pretty good book. Not as great as I thought it might be w

hen I started reading it but not awful.