Review: The Hand That First Held Mine (Maggie O'Farrell)

First off, this book isn't as entertaining at The Vanishing Life of Esme Lennox. Also, it worked as a form of birth control for a few days. One of the main characters, Elina, has a horrible delivery. Absolutely. Horrible. So, if you're looking for a story that makes motherhood sounds romantic, skip this.

It took me a while to get into this book. Not that Maggie O'Farrell presented a poorly written story. Indeed, she wrote something real and startling. She interwove two story lines that converge towards the end of the book. Supposedly, you don't know how until the crucial moment. I knew after a few pages in what was going to happen, more or less. And I don't say this in a snooty way. Really, usually I'm the last person to know what's going on in a story. I'm one of those that would read R.L. Stein and not know who the bad guy was until the author made the reveal. This story just wasn't a mystery.

Ok, so that bothered me a little. Still, Maggie O'Farrell's representations of motherhood made for a beautiful story at times. Her other main character, Lexie, epitomizes the woman of the 60s. She's a free spirit in a way, but ambitious and willing to put in more than hard work to build a name for herself. Lexie starts working as a journalist after leaving her family and moving to London. She hooks up with Innes Kent, the editor of the magazine. Now, it may look like Lexie gets the job just because she's sleeping with Innes. But, that's not why Innes hires her. Has has had many lovers and he hasn't employed them. He knows his connection with Lexie isn't just physical. And he recognizes her talent even before she does.

Elina, on the other hand, works as a successful artist. She lives with Ted, the father of her newborn baby. Save for the gory delivery, they go through all the strains of a couple that has become parents for the first time. Ted, however, starts to go through a major identity crisis. He starts remembering flashes of his past that don't mesh with his image of reality.

You can see where this is going. Not a bad book, but I just didn't get that into it.

Next up: The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, by C.W. Gortner. Hope I can finish this one before it's due back at the library.