The Book Nook
In honor of Donna Vought’s 100th review for the Book Nook, the Star News is presenting two columns this week.
Beautiful Drama
Reading “The Lives of Edie Pritchard” by Larry Watson reminded me of the quote “Beauty is a curse”. While many express a desire to be beautiful, few would want to be defined only by that quality, which is one of the themes explored in this tension-filled look at identity and violence in a well-described setting.
The story is set in Montana and the book is divided into three parts that focus on difficult times in Edie’s life. Each section shows a different last name for Edie, hinting that marriage and divorce are part of the equation. Please note there are spoilers ahead.
The first section opens in Montana in 1967, where a young Edie has married her high-school sweetheart Dean. She enjoys her job at a bank and living in the small town where they grew up. Her good looks garner more male attention than she’d like, and the man most infatuated with her is Dean’s brother Roy.
Roy isn’t shy about insinuating himself into Edie’s life and doing his best to rock the couple’s marital boat. Even though it’s clear she loves Dean, he’s unfazed by her consistent rejection and persists in pursuing her. The couple’s relationship is both fueled and hindered by the sibling rivalry, and Edie’s at a loss at how to interpret her husband’s mixed messages.
Roy announces he’s buying a truck and needs Edie to drive his car back, but the sale goes horribly wrong. Dean’s solution will only make things worse Edie cannot convince him to abandon his plan. He also disagrees that moving away could help their marriage and she reluctantly leaves on her own.
In part two, Edie is twenty years older, divorced from Dean and living in a new town with her husband Gary. She’s also dealing with a difficult relationship with their rebellious daughter Jennifer. An unexpected phone call provokes a scene that causes Edie and Jennifer to leave. Once again, Edie’s at a critical crossroads and uncertain what will be best for Jennifer. It helps to have a time and space to sort her thoughts, but she won’t be able to ignore or hide her problems much longer.
For the final segment we fast forward another twenty years when Edie’s in her sixties and living alone. She’s moved back to her hometown and is happily occupied with friends, neighbors and her job. She doesn’t see much of Jennifer, who always seemed to resent Edie’s beauty and never accepted her love. Now an adult, Jennifer lives in Spokane with her 18-year-old daughter Lauren, whom Edie’s hasn’t seen in a decade.
Lauren is planning trip to see various family members and hopes she and her boyfriend Billy can stay with Edie, who agrees and looks forward to time with her granddaughter. Their arrival brings an unexpected guest - Billy’s brother Jesse and soon Edie senses something is wrong. Probing further only deepens her concerns, but what can she do? Lauren is of legal age and obviously in love, but after the trio depart, Edie feels trouble is looming.
Sure enough, she receives a plea for help that she can’t ignore and sets off to do her best. What she’ll find isn’t pretty, but her life experiences has helped her triumph over ugly situations before and she hopes to do so again.
Readers who enjoy a riveting story won’t be disappointed. There are tense or uncomfortable moments due to poor decisions and strained relationships. We can take heart at the depth of Edie’s courage, ability to handle uncomfortable or intense situations and her sense of self.
Watson is someone who obviously loves living in the Western U.S. and capably shares his regional knowledge. I enjoyed his spare, evocative language and ability to create a sensory environment with a few well-chosen words. The dialogue is natural with distinctive characters in a plot that moves at an unhurried yet focused pace. One warning: if you’re trying to kick the nicotine habit, this book has several cigarette references. Be prepared for swearing and some gritty scenes along with many wonderful observations about small-town life.
Each of the three sections features a road trip with ties to danger and unpleasant random encounters. Each portrays Edie at an important juncture in her life battling forces beyond her control as she tries to listen to her heart. Her true desire is to be accepted for who she is on the inside, which is a strong, smart and capable person who doesn’t want to be categorized.
Watson does an admirable job of showing the female perspective in a way that feels authentic. He wisely avoids painting Edie as a saint as she occasionally uses her looks to her advantage and makes poor choices. He captures her struggles with both the power and limitations of her beauty and skillfully depicts the range of male intrusion from merely annoying to downright menacing and dangerous.
Those seeking a multi-generational, tension-filled book will be happy with this choice. Larry Watson has a lean, poetic style, genuine characters and a gift for a good story.
This marks my 100th Book Nook entry and I’d like to dedicate it to you and other readers out there. It’s a joy and a privilege to share my love of books, and I’d like to thank everyone who has given me feedback. It always brightens my day to learning someone enjoyed this column or a recommendation. Thank you and happy reading!
