The Woman Next Door
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
"Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbors. One is black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility, which they maintain with a zeal that belies their age. But, one day, an unexpected event forces Hortensia and Marion together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation, which yields a discovery of shared experiences. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is too late to expect these women to change? The U.S. debut of an Etisalat Prize Finalist, The Woman Next Door is a winning story of the common ground we sometimes find in unexpected places, told with wit and wry humor"--
Reviews with the most likes.
This is a sweet book, but unremarkable in my opinion. This is mostly, I think, because this isn't a genre I enjoy reading much.
I do love the characters so much, though. They're such hilariously mean old women. And the social context – post-arpartheid South Africa – is intriguing.
But this is basically a very domesticated buddy story. So, yeah. Not my thing really.
HOWEVER if you do enjoy stories about very human relationships and you want something light and fun by the pool this is the book for you. It's quick and cute.
No one is more surprised than me how much I ended up enjoying this reading experience. I phrase it that way because considering the book's trajectory and themes, I'm not sure ‘enjoy' is the right word for the majority of the plot. These two women have in common having wasted too long in resentment and bitterness, becoming caustic as a result; having stayed in a certain role long past the time it served them; clinging to pride and design careers as a means of bringing control to a life that no longer feels in their control; having been shaped negatively by their parental figures; being deeply unsatisfied with how their attempts at motherhood have ended up.
The contrast appears in what they are just now acknowledging caused so much heartache to themselves and others over the years, admissions coming primarily in each other's company (not clearing the air in a marriage vs not being willing to acknowledge the work required to uproot deep racism). Having said that, the contrast between Marion refusing to see and Hortensia being unable to exist without being affected by racism does not play as large a role in the text as I initially would have thought. The flashbacks to earlier regrets are almost equal, with perhaps more emphasis on Hortensia.
The ending doesn't feel desolate but quiet, there are reconciliations with the understanding that much time (and some people) have passed. Maybe not all can be made right, maybe not all is forgiven, nor should it be. But maybe there can be peace, companionship. Great writing.
If you survived Our Souls at Night, I think you might like this.
⚠️racism, miscarriage
