I’m a big Susan Meissner fan — she writes deeply felt, concisely relevant, historical fiction spanning a wide variety of times, places, and cultural contexts. This book is set in the late 60s — a time of great upheaval, violence, idealism, disorder, and for many — despair. The story focusses on an aging parent (Lucille) who, after a fall and a brief coma, seems to have had a personality change. She is happier, but in her daughter Gwen’s eyes, more impulsive, vulnerable, and making bad decisions. One day she appears to have gone missing, in the company of a man that Gwen deeply distrusts.
The story bounces between the present and an episodic progression to the present, starting from nine months prior. Told from alternating perspectives — Gwen’s and granddaughter Natalie’s — it is a story full of hope in the face of disaster, self realization, and blundering about the border of responsibility, care, protection, and control — all with the best intentions!
Meissner brings to life both the historical context and the very real danger of misperceptions, misguided and / or misunderstood goals, and teasing apart the very difficult decisions around autonomy, rights, and abilities as one ages.
I loved this quote from the afterward:
“Who gets to decide what makes another person happy? Does there ever come a point as we age when someone else needs to decide what we’re allowed to enjoy? At what juncture should an adult child intervene when an aging parent begins to make what appear to be unwise choices?”
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on February 9th, 2027.
