I was pleasantly surprised with this novel.
Set against the tumultuous backdrop that is World War II, Marlow introduces us to Sullivan. He's a nice guy. He's also a rather bland guy. And he's put in the nearly impossible situation in the early 40s: His girlfriend, Agnes, becomes pregnant.
So they marry.
Sullivan, being that nice guy, is determined to provide a good life for his wife and daughter. He's also determined to live his dream. So he joins the US Navy. His first post: Pearl Harbor.
Leaving his family behind in Boston, Sullivan sets off on a journey that'll land him not only in the midst of war, but on a quest of gratitude.
He's wounded in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but saved by a fellow seaman. When he searches out this savior, he discovers he's been part of the attack's carnage. Sullivan discovers the man has a sister in college back in Boston, and decides since he cannot thank the man himself, he will find the sister and let her know her brother was a hero when he returns home on leave.
And there's the novel's dramatic rub. For Sullivan's savior is a black man.
The Civil Rights Movement is still nearly 20 years away.
It's controversial enough for Sullivan -- a white man -- to arrive in a black neighborhood. But once he meets Beatrice, Sullivan can't deny their attraction.
The events of the rest of the novel take place over decades. They highlight the pull of family devotion against the suffering of martial infidelity with his mistress Beatrice.
While I initially thought the novel was about Sullivan, I've come to believe it's really about those around him -- and all the ways they suffer and the lasting scars Sullivan leaves. It's a novel about dealing with personal demons and overcoming habitual suffering through character forming habits of love and forgiveness.
The novel ends with a twist -- I'll spare you so you can read with joy. But that twist explores the redemptive nature of friendship.
A Life Apart is a poignant little novel. Its historical accuracies about segregated life in the US alone makes this a beautiful book. That it depicts those sufferings in the lives of one generation makes it all-the-more genuine.
But A Life Apart also suffers from a fatal flaw -- in a related way. Big events, larger-than-life personal dramas, and complicated emotions sometimes get flattened into a more-two-dimensional story. Marlow certainly knows how to pull heart strings. But sometimes she tugs too much and left me, as a reader, emotionally exhausted.
And yet: The story of reconciliation makes that exhaustion seem worth it.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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