Evensong

Many of us have reached the point in life where we look back and reflect – what could I have done better? What should I have never done at all? Margaret Maguire has come home from the hospital just in time for the Christmas holiday. A widow, mother and grandmother, she now reflects on her life. Her grown children are strangers to her and to each other and while Margaret knows that much of the discord was caused by her arrogant late husband, she acknowledges her own role in the break down of her family. Nearing the end of her life, she only wants her family made whole again and hopes that her granddaughter can be the catalyst for change. While this means that Margaret will have to share the past and its painful memories, she’s willing to do almost anything to reunite her children. This is a beautifully written story of being strong enough to admit your mistakes and relive a past that you would rather forget

I loved this book and will soon re-read it. The author poignantly portrays a woman at the end of life as she remembers the good and the bad, questions her choices and tries to reconcile her life as a mother and as a wife. It is beautifully written with compassion and understanding. Families often don't turn out as well as we'd like but life is messy, and at the end, there hopefully will be forgiveness.

A wonderful story of reflection and hope. Nearing the end of her days, one women questions her choices in life - her husband, her children, her religion - and finds that though she may not change a thing, she hopes her grown granddaughter can be the break in the cycle. A loving and heartbreaking read reminiscent of Alice McDermott's 'Someone'.