I downloaded this book on a whim. I didn't read any of the comments on Amazon, and barely read the description of the book. It was a free download, so I figured all I had to lose was a few hours while reading, which is never a loss.
The book is about two strangers who are brought together by an important force in each of their lives: a home, and its owner. Joe and Meg had never met, but they had both spent time living and working at an artists' cooperative. Each had grown especially close with the proprietor of the colony - so much so that, when she died, she left the house, the management of the colony, and the task of documenting its history to the pair of strangers. Left alone in the house, they find comfort and solace in each other, helping to heal past wounds and find happiness with each other.
What gave this book an extra layer of interest for me was the time of the book. There was nothing in the narrative that suggested it took place at a time other than "now"; however, as the book went on, I realized it wasn't quite the "now" I thought it was. First, Joe was smoking and drinking like it was an episode of Mad Men. Second, there was a profound lack of interruptions by cell phones. The final indication, though, was when Joe said something about his return from Vietnam. Either this book took place a while ago, or my mental picture of Joe was way off!
It turns out the book was originally published in 1986. There were a few ways the book was dated - such as his "lush chest hair" being appealing - but it was interesting to see how timeless the story was.
I give this book three hearts - definitely worth the few hours' time.
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