What: Alice Hoffman's collection of linked stories weaves its way through the lives of various members of the Samuelson family over several decades. The atmosphere of the Long Island neighborhood is so rich you can grab fistfuls on every page.
Comparable to: You know who else does an excellent job of writing linked stories about a specific circle of characters? Ellen Gilchrist.
Opening lines: "One thing I've learned is that strange things do happen. They happen all the time. Today, for instance, my best friend Jill's cat spoke."
Representative quote: "There was an old movie on, Now, Voyager, and Gretel and her mother were crying so hard they could hardly chew. Gretel's brother, Jason, who continued to be less verbal and more handsome --- as if the two traits were genetically linked --- rolled his eyes as he finished up the spareribs."
You might not like it if: You believe that adolescent girls aren't real people.
How to get it: Kindle-able, library-able, bookstore-able.
Connection to previous Wreckage: Check out more linked stories with Ellen Gilchrist's Nora Jane: A Life in Stories (Rec. #25).
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