Enright's writing is both sophisticated and relatable, capturing the painful and complex dynamics of love and family. The story weaves between generations, showing how trauma and abandonment shape the women’s lives with poetic nuance.
The novel opens with a sharp, humorous reflection on inhabiting one's body and consciousness, setting the tone for an engaging yet emotionally complex story. It follows Nell, a young woman whose romantic relationship is both exciting and disturbing, reflecting themes of power and control that have echoed through her family history. Carmel, Nell’s mother, is portrayed as independent and emotionally guarded, living with the burden of her own father’s abandonment. The narrative is punctuated with Phil McDaragh’s poetry, which contrasts the airy idealism of love and nature with the harsher realities faced by the family. The reviewer admires Enright's skillful balance of wit, depth, and poetic prose.
Quick quotes
There’s a down to earth and relatable quality to Enright’s writing which makes it so wonderfully engaging.
Her experiences show how love affairs and long term relationships involve varying degrees of power play.
The more that’s related about this family’s history the more hollow and posturing they appear.