Shelter in Place by Alexander Maksik
A lovely meditation on the shape of life, family, love, violence against (and by) women. Joey, the narrator, is less intriguing than Tess, the girlfriend, and Anne-Marie, the mother, but he’s a perfectly good vehicle for them. I just wish he wouldn’t occasionally directly address the reader (or Tess, or the absent sister, Claire). It’s inconsistent and distracting and I don’t think the book needs it. It has plenty as a first-person reflection that so skillfully spans huge periods of time.
Amy P. Knight 