Review: An entrancing read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2014
Period dramas have always been my favorites... and this one is no different.  For some reason, even though this is set well after her hey-day in the 1920s, the tone and style of the book reminds me a great deal of my favorite author, Dorothy Parker.  Dorothy would write about everyday things and despite the simplicity of the writing, there were neverending volumes of nuance and depth to be found there.  I get that feeling, too, when reading this book by Ms. Barton.  The book opens with young Mary Sawyer waiting for her mother, Alice, to give birth to her next brother -- or is it sister?  When Alice's husband Lou enlists, the two of them agree to try for another child before he leaves and after a hard labor that leaves Alice incapacitated, little Sally is brought into the world.  Mary is - like many children were then and have been for so long - forced to grow up too quickly, stuck with the job of taking care of her newborn baby sister as well as her mother, who's still on the mend. Of course, Mary's family also has the help of Felix, Mary's good friend.  This book does a good job of portraying a young woman who's saddled with too much responsibility at too young an age, because she's the only one who can do it.  It was a very common problem back then, as well as now, and it shows how bittersweet it can be for children who sacrifice so tremendously for their families.I really do appreciate the way that the story is told, and the dialogue especially.  Mary reads as surprisingly mature and well-spoken for her age, but that's as much the time period as her upbringing.  The relationship between Felix and Mary begins to change as Mary starts maturing and an interesting dance begins between the two of them.  The writing here is very capable and precise, and I'm definitely intending to look into more of Ms. Barton's work!