The Book Nook

Ordinary transformed into illuminating After reading my first Alice McDermott novel years ago, I was struck by how well she could get into the minds of people and describe unremarkable lives in a captivating way. Recently I read her seventh novel, titled “Someone”. It’s a masterfully told story by someone skilled at capturing the essence of people and depicting average events in short, perceptive sentences. Her writing ability is such that she’s been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize – three times. Published 2013, this short novel is about ordinary people living ordinary lives, but don’t let lack of glamor or action chase you off or you’ll miss some great writing. There are no clever plot twists or unbelievable adventures, nor any horrific traumas or transformative changes the protagonist must endure and overcome. There is a fascinating tale of someone’s life. That someone is Marie Commeford. The story takes place in Brooklyn starting sometime after World War I and centers on Marie, an unremarkable girl of Irish-American descent. She lives with her parents and her brother Gabe and has a life that’s routine and conventional. What makes her stand out are poor eyesight and a willful nature. Like others her age, she looks forward to becoming independent and finding love. The first chapter of this short novel opens with Marie waiting on the stoop for her father to come home. As she describes her family and neighbors, they all seem damaged in some way. There’s a clumsy girl who falls frequently, a blind veteran who acts as umpire for the boys’ stick ball games, and Big Lucy, the neighborhood bully. They move through life as best they can and the author treats each with respect, quickly instilling a sense of community. The Commefords have their own ups and downs as they navigate lives that will be touched by storms and sunshine alike. We’ll learn how Marie gets a job at a funeral parlor and what it teaches her. We’re told how she resisted her mother’s attempts to teach her to cook, learning why much later, imbuing what at first appears as “classic teenage rebellion” with a deeper meaning. Marie doesn’t flinch from disclosing her own family’s woes, such as her father’s death, Gabe’s breakdown and her heartbreak at the hands of a boy she loved. Her life unfolds in non-chronological order and Marie’s age or the year are not stated outright but you get a sense from the subtle references provided. We’ll be introduced to several people and the author expects us to keep up. Her writing style enables us to do that without difficulty and she revisits the characters at various points with concise and evocative language. McDermott, who has won numerous awards, has the ability to shift our emotions with just a few words and does so with graceful prose. It’s her expertise at portraying people and their lives that make the book shine. An example is when Marie’s boss asks her to visit his mother, who has an apartment above the funeral parlor. She assumes the woman is lonely but always finds the elderly lady n the company of several nuns. They inevitably ask Marie “What’s going on downstairs?” which is their way of learning who recently died. The nun who knew the deceased best gives an oral history of that person’s life to the others. Sly accompanying looks or gestures convey inside information, such as miming someone drinking to mean alcoholism. However, their stories are respectful and serve as a tribute as they always put the deceased’s life in the most positive light. In this way Marie learns not only about the people in her community, but also about life itself. And it is life with all of its dreams and disappointments that McDermott captures so well. The mundane is familiar but transformed into something illuminating. Everyone is flawed, but they’re also accepted and loved. There’s self-doubt and self-sacrifice, the cruel taunting by children next to the loving acts of a parent. In spite of Marie’s scuffles with her mother, there’s also tenderness. This is a story told with compassion which doesn’t always go where you’d expect. Some of the moments we witness are filled with emotion, such as when Marie’s resistance is stressful to her mother. After commenting her daughter’s bad behavior, she recognizes that Marie is growing up and makes a conciliatory gesture. Certain characters may remind you of someone or some of the time references may strike a chord. This is a thought-provoking story of a woman recalling her life from an old age, going back as far as she can remember. The richness of the telling is what makes the commonplace seem both familiar and unique. It’s a beautiful narrative with prose so spare and concise it made me envious and gave me joy.