Every last cuckoo
Ratings2
Average rating5
15
Ratings2
Average rating5
Sarah Lucas imagined the rest of her days would be spent living peacefully in her rural Vermont home in the steadfast company of her husband. But now, with Charles's sudden passing, seventy-five-year-old Sarah is left inconsolably alone.
As grief settles in, Sarah's mind lingers on her past: her imperfect but devoted fifty-year marriage to Charles; the years they spent raising their three very different children; and her childhood during the Great Depression, when her parents opened their home to countless relatives and neighbors. So, when a variety of wayward souls come seeking shelter in Sarah's own big, empty home, her past comes full circle. As this unruly flock forms a family of sorts, they—with Sarah—nurture and protect one another, all the while discovering their unsuspected strengths and courage.
In the tradition of Jane Smiley and Sue Miller, Kate Maloy has crafted a wise and gratifying novel about a woman who gracefully accepts a surprising new role just when she thought her best years were behind her.
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I picked this book up from off the shelf because of the colorful cover (yes, I judge that way) and because it was one of NPR's featured books in their “Chapter a Day” series.
From the first page I enjoyed Maloy's style of writing, and I loved Sarah, the main character. It was refreshing to read a story that came from the point of view of a 70-something woman...one who was going through a major shift in her life. The love between Sarah & Charles, the larger family dynamics, and the beautiful and pensive writing on the surrounding Vermont landscape captivated me and kept the pages turning.
The book is divided into two parts, which I didn't at first realize. However, the division is a nice marker between who Sarah was, and who her character becomes. The first part is a switch-off between Sarah and Charles' histories, with snippets of reminiscences, and the present day - a very tense scene which ultimately leads to Charles' death.
The second part chronicles the changes that Sarah goes through after her husband's death. She expands her thinking and viewpoints, opens her home to family and strangers, and embraces her grief. All the while, Sarah remains a very human character; she is so easy to relate to. Even though I'm 50 years younger, I found myself wishing that I could talk to her in person...sometimes even hoping that I could have some aspects of her in me when I reach that age. She also reminded me of a teacher I had, which is perhaps why I liked her so much.
Every Last Cuckoo was a compelling, quick, and satisfying read, full of warm characters and beautiful scenery.
p.s. There are two instances that grabbed my attention more intensely than the rest of the book. Both have to do with Sarah being pensive and ruminating on photos or what-have-you....and the author wrote her as “representing multitudes.” Uncle Walt!! (I contain multitudes...) Even if she didn't mean to reference Whitman, these beautiful parts of the book earned brownie points with me :)
