Review: Great contemporary fiction!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2012
Oh, this was a good book!  I love reading women's fiction, especially women's contemporary fiction.  And Barefoot Girls fit the bill perfectly.  I was in the mood for a story about love and relationships, and that's what I got, in spades.One of my favorite things to read about is a story within a story.  Barefoot Girls had that on several levels: Hannah is an author who has written a (mostly) fiction novel, so that's one aspect, but then, there is the story of Hannah's past, as well as the Barefoot Girls' past.  The story alternated from Hannah's present day life to her childhood.  This was done through Hannah's memories.  Then, the reader gets more information on the Barefoot Girls' childhood and histories through their own memories. This sounds like it could be confusing, but it's not.  McTiernan handles the transitions well, and the story just flows.  The memories just added so much depth to the story, and I found myself hoping for more flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter.I loved the imagery of Barefoot Girls.  I felt like I was right there in Hannah's carriage house and on Captain's Island with her.  I also loved the character development and the complexity of the relationships between Hannah and her mother, and all of the Barefoot Girls (who, if you haven't figured it out yet, are four best friends).  I was so happy when Hannah and her mother finally start having a more honest relationship.  That was when the healing began for them.My only problem with Barefoot Girls was the conflict resolution.  There were parts of it that felt too contrived.  I won't go into details, to avoid spoilers, but there were major problems which felt summarily dismissed.  One example is one character's alcoholism.  She is basically a barely-functioning alcoholic for much of the book, and this issue is resolved with one sentence.  She doesn't go to rehab or complete any kind of treatment, she just switches from wine to Perrier.  I didn't like that.  It did not feel realistic at all to me.Overall, I did really enjoy Barefoot Girls.  I loved reading about four best friends, and their friendship from childhood to adulthood.  I loved reading about Hannah and Daniel's relationship, and watching them grow.  I would definitely read Tara McTiernan again.