the opening scene of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. The black bra scene is a laugh aloud moment, and every woman over forty should read the book. But, for some reason The Shortest Distance Between Two Women lacked that spark.It wasn't a good time for Emma Gilford's old boyfriend to call. The voice on her answering machine froze her, and disrupted her life. She couldn't handle the annual Gilford reunion. At forty-three, she was the only unmarried one of four sisters, and the one the family depended on. Instead, this year, that voice stopped her in her tracks. She walked out of a reunion planning party, yelled at her a sister, and finally stood up for herself, telling the others what she thought. At the same time, she felt lost as a neighbor told her Marty Gilford, her mother, was sleeping with some man. Emma turns to her garden, and her niece's needs, to get her through.
There is warmth, and love, and laughter in this book, but not enough, and not soon enough. The book seems to drag as Emma drags through life. The final couple chapters of the reunion and a backyard party sparkle a little, but this book never comes to life. The Shortest Distance Between Two Women should be about love and family. Instead, the book was disappointing, one that felt as if 352 pages was the shortest distance I could read to get to the end of the book.
Kris Radish's website is www.krisradish.com
The Shortest Distance Between Two Women by Kris Radish. Bantam Books, ©2009. ISBN 9780553805413 (hardcover), 352p.
8 comments:
Maybe not enough conflict? Sounds like all the conflict was in the beginning of the book and she resolved it by telling off her family.
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
It's so disappointing when you read an author and then look forward to the next book only to have it fall short. I guess this one doesn't need to go on the list.
Well, this is another "new to me" author --- and it appears that I must add, Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral to my TBR list! I can always use a good laugh at the end of the day.
No, Elizabeth. There was a great deal of conflict. It just felt as if Emma never made any decisions on her own until the last sentence of the book, and, by then, it was too late for me.
This one did fall short, Kaye. And, yes, it's a disappointment with an author you've always enjoyed.
Annie Freeman is worth adding to your TBR pile, Molly. Maybe the road trip became a little long in that book, but what extended road trip doesn't? It's a fun book that will make you think as well.
Too bad that this one falls short. I loved Gathering of the White Snows (I think that was the title, about the women walking), so when I saw the title on your site, I got all excited. Oh well. It'll go to the bottom of the "to be read" list.
Yes, it was disappointing, Ingrid. And, I had someone ask me about it at work who likes Kris Radish. Sorry.
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