Dorothy Speak

This is the story of 70-something Morgan Hazzard, whose husband has just suffered a stroke and is in hospital unable to walk or talk. As the story unfolds, we learn that Morgan has seven children; her six daughters all live far away (other continents, mostly) and her son is an evangelical Christian. All are emotionally distant from Morgan. The book is very well written, and I loved Morgan as a character. She is totally over-shadowed by her verbally abusive husband, she is haunted by childhood trauma. We see her going from a strong young woman to a meek and submissive wife and mother. As she deals with her husband's illness, and the absence of any supportive family, we learn more about her life and marriage.

What I didn't like was that the daughters are very undeveloped as characters, and a couple of events stretched my ability to suspend disbelief. Still, a great story, well-written.… (mais)