Barefoot

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

416 pages. Published in 2007.

Barefoot


First sentence: Three women step off of a plane.

Last sentence: Or has she?

What it's about (from amazon): Hilderbrand's sixth novel heaps on the trauma as a substitute for realistic connection in this heady mix of beach house, cancer, affair and mom lit. Connecticut housewife Vicki, diagnosed with lung cancer, has packed up her two kids for a summer at the family's Nantucket cabin; sister Brenda, a newly minted high-powered assistant professor, has just been fired for having an affair with one of her students; Vicki's best friend, Melanie, newly pregnant, has discovered her husband is cheating.

What I thought: Well...decent story line, a bit depressing and drawn-out. I enjoyed the characters for the most part. There are no chapters, the book is just divided by months (and it occurs over the course of one summer). Some things I found interesting: Vicki (mom with cancer) keeps a running list that she calls 'List of things that no longer matter'. Helped to put things into perspective. Also there were many references to the areas in PA that I lived most of my life (Royersford, Bryn Mawr) because the author is from that area. Vicki & Brenda's mother describes women as divided into one of 3 categories: Big sisters, Little sisters or No sisters. She then goes on the describe how each of these types of women mother their own daughters. Extremely interesting to me, as I fall into the category of 'No sisters' but I have 4 girls who are sisters to each other. hmmm... On page 355 (toward the end) Vicki writes a touching letter to her sister Brenda which brought me to tears. Overall I would probably rate this book about 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Date finished: April 4, 2008

Currently reading: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert