"Born in 1941, Eileen Tumulty is raised by her Irish immigrant parents in Woodside, Queens, in an apartment where the mood swings between heartbreak and hilarity, depending on whether guests are over and how much alcohol has been consumed.
When Eileen meets Ed Leary, a scientist whose bearing is nothing like those of the men she grew up with, she thinks she’s found the perfect partner to deliver her to the cosmopolitan world she longs to inhabit. They marry, and Eileen quickly discovers Ed doesn’t aspire to the same, ever bigger, stakes in the American Dream.
Eileen encourages her husband to want more: a better job, better friends, a better house, but as years pass it becomes clear that his growing reluctance is part of a deeper psychological shift. An inescapable darkness enters their lives, and Eileen and Ed and their son Connell try desperately to hold together a semblance of the reality they have known, and to preserve, against long odds, an idea they have cherished of the future.
Through the Learys, novelist Matthew Thomas charts the story of the American Century, particularly the promise of domestic bliss and economic prosperity that captured hearts and minds after WWII. The result is a riveting and affecting work of art; one that reminds us that life is more than a tally of victories and defeats, that we live to love and be loved, and that we should tell each other so before the moment slips away.
Epic in scope, heroic in character, masterful in prose, We Are Not Ourselves heralds the arrival of a major new talent in contemporary fiction."
When Eileen meets Ed Leary, a scientist whose bearing is nothing like those of the men she grew up with, she thinks she’s found the perfect partner to deliver her to the cosmopolitan world she longs to inhabit. They marry, and Eileen quickly discovers Ed doesn’t aspire to the same, ever bigger, stakes in the American Dream.
Eileen encourages her husband to want more: a better job, better friends, a better house, but as years pass it becomes clear that his growing reluctance is part of a deeper psychological shift. An inescapable darkness enters their lives, and Eileen and Ed and their son Connell try desperately to hold together a semblance of the reality they have known, and to preserve, against long odds, an idea they have cherished of the future.
Through the Learys, novelist Matthew Thomas charts the story of the American Century, particularly the promise of domestic bliss and economic prosperity that captured hearts and minds after WWII. The result is a riveting and affecting work of art; one that reminds us that life is more than a tally of victories and defeats, that we live to love and be loved, and that we should tell each other so before the moment slips away.
Epic in scope, heroic in character, masterful in prose, We Are Not Ourselves heralds the arrival of a major new talent in contemporary fiction."
A very long, but relaxing and cozy read. I enjoyed myself far more at the beginning of the book than I did through to the end - I felt like there was a running start for about the first 30 chapters or so and then the story dropped off a bit and was just moving through the motions until the very last chapter and epilogue where it picked up again for the ending.
Given the plot of the book {which is up and down and around with drama} I was pleasantly surprised - and pleased - with the ending.
The characters were likable - but not necessarily lovable throughout the book. Each had their own personalities and voices but each person in the story was also all sorts frustrating here and there.
This book, however, was beautifully written. The narration was magnificent, and the overall plot was enticing from the very beginning.
This is also one rare book that has pretty all topics covered. Alcoholism, abuse, politics, youth, adolescence, love, marriage gone awry, racism, death, work, immigration, and, well, life in general. The whole of the book is very real, and down to earth, with something for everyone.
Also reviewed at http://www.goodreads.com
http://www.netgalley.com
**I received an Advanced Electronic Copy of We Are Not Ourselves for free through NetGalley**
**This review is based on an uncorrected proof, the novel is now published and available for purchase.**