Published in the States under Sarah Jessica Parker’s imprint, Alina Grabowski’s Women and Children First came billed as perfect for Elizabeth Strout fans but it was its structure and small-town setting that made me read it. Grabowski traces the lives of ten woman and girls before and after the death of a high school student at a party in Nashquitten, Massachusetts.
When his wail comes, we feel it in our teeth. It sounds like something splitting open that can never be stitched up again. A scar in the making.
Lucy’s a serious girl, intent on developing her artwork with hopes for a future career. She’s not the type to party but a video of her having a seizure on the floor of a bus posted online has left its mark. Her best friend is out of town when a group of her classmates takes over a half-finished house. Uncharacteristically drunk, Lucy falls through a window frame hitting the bottom of an unfilled swimming pool. No one is entirely sure what happened, some think she was pushed, others that she fell or jumped. Her death sends shockwaves through this town already scarred by the loss of several young people through drink or drugs.
Here’s what happened: I was there. So was she.
I came home.
She didn’t.
Grabowski’s novel is divided into two parts, before and after Lucy’s death, each made up of five narratives ranging from her fellow students who rush to her in the pool, raising the alarm, to her mother, quietly coping with her grief. For some Lucy’s death is tangential – Natalie is visiting her sick mother in hospital when Lucy is brought in – for others it is the event that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Rather like Jon McGregor’s Reservoir 13 which charts the effects of a girl’s disappearance on a community, Grabowski’s novel sketches a portrait of a small, rundown town through the lives of her characters as each tells us her own story. It’s an ambitious structure for a debut, easy to lose control, but she handles it deftly and with apparent ease. Each character’s voice is distinct but the whole coheres beautifully, small details dropped into occasionally overlapping narratives so that we never lose sight of Lucy and the woman she might have been while the narrators’ own stories of ambition, sexuality, love, loss and grief are to the fore. I found it riveting: an immersive, impressive debut, well deserving of all the praise heaped upon it. If you’re after a slice of intelligent holiday reading, this one’s well worth packing in your suitcase.
Indigo Press: London 9781911648819 336 pages Paperback
This sounds like a thoughtfully written read. On the list forthwith!
A very impressive debut! It’s the kind of structure which could have fallen flat on its face if handled sloppily.
An author to keep an eye open for as she develops then.
I love Jon McGregor’s Reservoir 13, and all of his books about communities in general. This debut sounds really interesting and one for the tbr list.
He’s one of my favourite authors.
This sounds fantastic. I was deeply impressed with the one SJP book I’ve read so far, Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote.
It is! I’ll check Coleman Hill out.
I loved that too!
On the list…
I wasn’t sure about this, but the Reservoir 13 comparison reeled me in!
Not one I’d make lightly!
I remember how much you enjoyed/appreciated R13 so I was on the lookout for this. Cinched!
Oh, that’s great! Hope you enjoy it, Marcie.
This does sound intriguing. And you remind me I have Reservoir 13 to listen to still!
Wonderful book! It must surely be time for another one from Jon McGregor.
This structure could easily go terribly wrong. Sounds like the author handled it very well though and if it compares well to Reservoir 13 then I’m going to have to look for it.
Lots of potential for an unwieldy mess but she swerves that well. Not as good as Reservoir 13 but the idea of exploring the effects of a small tragedy on a community is similar.
Sounds interesting! I could not get on with Reservoir 13 but to me, this actually sounds like McGregor’s brilliant If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things.
Oh, yes, that works – such a striking debut. He’s a favourite writer of mine.