Isabel Moore, in her early forties, is an elementary school teacher in Milwaukee. Her best friend has died, she is recently divorced, and her adolescent daughter is going through the usual angst with life. Basically, Isabel is sad and trying to pull herself out of depression. This is not a plot driven book, the main events are laid out right at the beginning and the rest is a focus on Isabel's internal struggles and some poor discussions she makes in an attempt to pull herself out of her mid-life crisis. The decisions aren't overly destructive, just a bit insensitive in that she tries to use other people to feel better, and causes a couple scenes with old friends when they try to move on with their lives. I really liked the interactions with Isabel's mom, as it shows our parents have been through some of our own experiences and can help put things in perspective.
While the events she experiences are sad, I was only slightly sympathetic with Isabel's character. Sounds bad, but I didn't even like the enigmatic and wild friend she was mourning either. I just didn't connect, except in some instances with raising girls and the heartbreak that can entail. All of the men present were wishy-washy and meh too, with a few points awarded to Isabel's ex for being a good dad. Due to the disconnect, I didn't feel invested in the story.
The writing was quite lovely and there were some nice quotes. However, the narrative just felt a little recycled and stale...like a story that has been written time and time again. I understand it's because these are common life experiences, especially for women who might want to start over. However, I've read novels that spoke to me in a more interesting and nuanced way. One such book with an unlikable protagonist is the teacher from Claire Messud's The Woman Upstairs (strange parallels even though that character was unmarried and without children). She made you cringe but there was this draw to find out more and become invested in her life. I feel bad, but don't think this book will be particularly memorable in a few months.
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