“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.”
After having relished Celeste’s writing in her first novel, I picked this one up without thinking twice. On the outside this story is about families facing different circumstances in their lives, but as you go further, it explores motherhood in all its glory. The stories are told with such nuanced emotions it took me a little by surprise and I was absorbed instantly.
Welcome to Shaker Heights. Where you are expected to live by certain rules and conventions. To live a certain kind of sophisticated life. There were regulations to be followed in this intricately planned city, with regards to the architecture of the houses, not a single house seemed out of place. Irrespective of all the feuds and grudges behind the walls, the exteriors of the houses are designed to perfection, to block any imperfection from the very prying scrutiny of the society.
Mrs. Richardson grew up in this very society, following the norms and expecting the same out of her four teens, to lead this flawless life. Elena Richardson always wanted a large family and she always got what she wanted. A successful husband and four children; at least three of them acing in some field or the other. Lexie, off to college. Trip, the charming star athlete. Moody, the kind-hearted son. Her youngest Izzie was a handful and the family showed no remorse in letting her know that she was the broken puzzle piece that did not fit their picturesque family. A group of elite friends, together they attended lavish parties and events. Their life was moving along as usual, when one morning their house burnt down and their youngest, Izzie was nowhere in sight.
On the other side of Shaker Heights is Mia an artist, drifting from one city to another in search for inspirations, wanders into Shaker Heights with her daughter and their own mysteries and baggage. Pearl was accustomed to this nomadic way of living; she understood her mother’s art and the requisites that came with it. Their lives shaped around this routine that inevitably fit back in the mold as they picked up again. This time they were here to stay, Mia had told her daughter.
Soon, Pearl became close to the Richardson clan. She was in awe of this glamorous lifestyle and wanted to be a part of every bit of it. Meanwhile, Izzie being an outcast in her own family was growing close to Mia, fascinated by Mia and her art. It was almost like they were swapping lives, Izzie and Pearl. Izzie was attracted to the refreshing cluttered but warm regime of Mia’s home. A bond grew between them, that she had yet to flourish between her and Elena. It was clear Mia and Pearl did not belong in Shaker and something about them did not fit in this seamless society. And of course, Elena had to know what it was.
The several characters in this novel play an essential role in some way or the other. All their lives begin to entwine so intensely, making it harder to untangle. Celeste’s writes incredibly about these people with their hidden flaws, which will resonate with you as they begin to surface, only making them more real than fictional. The protective cloud these mothers form with their instinct to shield their cubs at any cost is astounding yet genuine. I didn’t want this book to end, craving just a little more.