Smith departs from her usual poetic ramble through the psyche of Appalachian folk lore to write a story about women coming of age—it felt rather cosmopolitan for her, but it wasn’t really, of course.
The Last Girls is about four women (college dorm mates) who have been invited on a steamboat cruise of the Mississippi River to spread the ashes of a fifth dorm mate, Baby, who recently passed away in an automobile accident. The focal character is Harriet who must come to terms with her life choices and sexuality (or lack thereof). Charlotte, Anna and Catherine round out the quartet.
While the story is interesting, and we get enough back story on each of the characters to understand their importance in understanding Baby, I didn’t fall in love with The Last Girls as I have with every other Lee Smith book I’ve read. It fell flat for some reason—either the characters weren’t developed enough, or the true story, the more interesting one of the raft trip the girls took as college students, was embedded too deeply and mysteriously for it to be a linking thread throughout.
I liked the book, I didn’t love it. Not recommended for die-hard Lee Smith fans as they will likely be disappointed. Recommended for women who like to read about women coming of age and want to read an author who knows how to write well.
The Last Girls is about four women (college dorm mates) who have been invited on a steamboat cruise of the Mississippi River to spread the ashes of a fifth dorm mate, Baby, who recently passed away in an automobile accident. The focal character is Harriet who must come to terms with her life choices and sexuality (or lack thereof). Charlotte, Anna and Catherine round out the quartet.
While the story is interesting, and we get enough back story on each of the characters to understand their importance in understanding Baby, I didn’t fall in love with The Last Girls as I have with every other Lee Smith book I’ve read. It fell flat for some reason—either the characters weren’t developed enough, or the true story, the more interesting one of the raft trip the girls took as college students, was embedded too deeply and mysteriously for it to be a linking thread throughout.
I liked the book, I didn’t love it. Not recommended for die-hard Lee Smith fans as they will likely be disappointed. Recommended for women who like to read about women coming of age and want to read an author who knows how to write well.
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