How does one go on after this? In Aviva’s case, she sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine. She tries to start over as a wedding planner, to be smarter about her life, and to raise her daughter to be strong and confident. But when, at the urging of others, she decides to run for public office herself, that long‑ago mistake trails her via the Internet like a scarlet A. For in our age, Google guarantees that the past is never, ever, truly past, that everything you’ve done will live on for everyone to know about for all eternity. And it’s only a matter of time until Aviva/Jane’s daughter, Ruby, finds out who her mother was, and is, and must decide whether she can still respect her. (Summary and pic from goodreads.com)
My Review: I
picked this book up for a few reasons. First of all, I loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and you
can read my review of that here. I really enjoyed it. Also, Young Jane Young was on “The Best Books
of 2017” by Kirkus Reviews. Some awards I agree with, some I don’t, but I at
least like to have read as many of the books from the different prize winning
lists as I can. I wouldn’t want to miss my next favorite, right?!
I
love Zevin’s characters. I really loved the characters in A.J. Fikry and I really loved the characters in this book as well.
I think they’re funny, relatable, and very real. Fiascos happen but she doesn’t
necessarily save them from themselves (or each other) which is nice. That’s how
reality is, you know? So many times humans make stupid mistakes and they’re
forced to deal with those mistakes. It isn’t always pretty, but it is what it
is. I think that Zevin has a firm understanding of this, especially in this
book which is based around one epic mistake.
One
of the reasons I enjoyed this book was that I understood the background of the
story. I worked for a senator when I was in college. Unlike Jane Young, I
basically saw the senator once at a dinner and that was pretty much it. I don’t
think I actually even spoke to him in person. He lived in D.C. and so he wasn’t
even in the same part of the country for most of my internship. There is a
certain amount of adrenaline that goes with such a job, however, and I certainly
encountered my fair share of people who were willing to do whatever it took to
make this experience all that they could. I didn’t intern long enough to
experience any personal betrayals, but I did see people clawing their way to
wherever they wanted to go. Maybe it’s the type of person who interns for a politician?
I dunno. But I enjoyed reading this book because it was somewhat nostalgic in
that way.
I
loved how the book was divided up into different characters’ stories. I didn’t
enjoy each character telling equally, but I still really enjoyed being a part
of their lives. I very much appreciate the approachable and accessible manner
in which Zevin writes. It makes it so easy to read. Her stories are
compulsively readable, the writing is flawless in the way that it just
facilitates the mood and the story, and I felt like I was reading a guilty
pleasure because I read it so quickly and so attentively.
Although
there is obviously a huge political agenda in this, I found myself completely
agreeing with it (which doesn’t usually happen, by the way). Why do women have
to pay for sexual mistakes in a way that no man should? How come Jane Young had
to take the fall for an older predator politician? This book goes right along
with all of the sexual misconduct reckoning that’s going on today, and it does
it in a way that tells a story that doesn’t make the intern completely
innocent, but makes it completely obvious that she shouldn’t have had to pay
the way she did for a mistake that was made by both parties.
I
loved the feisty women in this book—ones from each generation and ones who
dealt with different things in their own way. I wouldn’t say men were favored
highly in this book, but it was a really engaging, fast read that I enjoyed a
lot.
My Rating: 4
Stars
For the
sensitive reader: There is language and quite a bit of discussion of sex, as
you might imagine from reading the summary.
1 comment:
Hi! Thank you for your review. Like you, I grabbed up this novel as soon as i realized it was by the author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. As you said, Zevin is quite talented at fleshing out her characters and providing them with a sense of flawed reality that endears them to the reader. We identify with her characters because of their depth and honesty. As you said, humans make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences of such. Zevin highlights this.
Most importantly, she focused her readers to face the injustices and biases toward women in our society. Using realistic characters and true-to-life situations, Zevin shines light on the misogynistic tendencies within our society and encourages us to observe and process these truths.
Thank you for your review!
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