Charlotte Pence

Since she grew up in West Virginia, Jayne Anne Phillips is classified by many as a Southern author, yet her themes are universal. In Phillips's new novel, MotherKind, she looks at a situation many families must face. Phillips, author of the well-received novel Machine Dreams, now writes about a young mother who undergoes the joys and tribulations of caring for her infant while also caring for her terminally ill mother.

MotherKind begins when Kate, who is in her early 30s and unmarried, anxiously waits to tell her mother that she is pregnant. She plans to marry the baby's father, Matt, after the birth of the child. However, the wedding plans and birth occur as her mother weakens from cancer and because of chemotherapy treatments, she must move in with Kate. Suddenly, Kate finds herself experiencing the full circle of parent-child relationships and attends to her mother and baby full-time in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Kate, a former copy editor, is thrown into myriad roles, all of which center on her being the primary caretaker. Not only does Kate have all the trials of being a first-time mother, but her fiancé is undergoing a divorce and holds partial custody of two young boys who resent Kate and openly disobey her requests. Although Matt is a sensitive partner, he is preoccupied with financially providing for the family and cannot offer Kate much emotional support. Her eventual relief and guidance come from babysitters and home health care workers, all of whom shape Kate in some way.

Phillips's past work has received much critical acclaim, being described as "mesmerizing, sensual, and exquisite"; her new novel will not disappoint. One of the most impressive traits in Phillips' work is her strong characterizations. Having written about those on the fringe of society in her previous works, she portrays her characters with respect regardless of their social class and showcases their innate goodness. There is an ease in her prose, an authority which transports the reader into the most intimate moments of someone else's life.

This novel will captivate the reader's attention and emotions, while exploring an important issue. Many will identify with the character of Kate, who must learn to succeed in her new roles, despite the awkwardness of life's timing.

Charlotte Pence teaches English at Belmont University.

Fiction

Fiction

Secrets between mother and daughter

Review by Charlotte Pence

by Charlotte Pence

The delicate relationship between mothers and daughters full of love and anger, often simultaneously, is the subject of Elizabeth Strout's stunning first novel, Amy and Isabelle. When Amy, a shy 16-year-old, has an affair with her high-school math teacher, she threatens the strong relationship with her mother Isabelle, forcing them to question the boundaries of their love.

That summer in Shirley Falls, a small New England town, seems relentless filled with the heat, the noxious sulfur odor of the river, and the strained vow of silence between Amy and Isabelle. The novel opens with Amy beginning her summer job at her mother's work place, the mill. Told in a series of flashbacks, the trouble begins when a young, enthusiastic Mr. Robertson replaces Amy's teacher. Sharing after school talks about poetry and life, Mr. Robertson offers Amy a ride home so she can avoid having to trudge through the muddy slush—a ride leading to many others.

Throughout the spring, Isabelle notices a pleasant change in her daughter and hopes the girl is coming out of her shell. But Isabelle has no idea Amy is seeing her teacher until they are discovered.

Amy's deceit makes Isabelle, a single mother, question her own parenting skills, remembering her own lies that began when she first moved to Shirley Falls when Amy was a baby. Horrified by her daughter's actions, Isabelle commits an act that they later regret, igniting the hostile silence throughout the summer. Unsure how to make amends, Amy and Isabelle begin the arduous process of learning to see each other as adults and recognizing their respective limits.

The details, whether describing the snake shape of the river or the way Amy ducks behind her long hair, ensure that this book will long stay in the reader's mind. The friendship and sometimes hostility between the women of Shirley Falls is often what enables them to persevere. In a few chapters, the time shifts are confusing, but for the most part, this novel is seamless, moving through the cold winter into the drought-ridden summer with ease.

In this quiet but exhilarating novel, the reader becomes involved in the life of Shirley Falls, able to peer through everyone's roofs at night and empathize with their struggles.