A review by bethreadsandnaps
Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken

3.0

Bertha Truitt was found in a cemetery, alive but not remembering her origin. She starts a candlepin bowling alley in a small town and marries a doctor, and this novel is about her descendants and people involved in the family bowling alley. A bit of a quirky set-up, reminds me of Ann Patchett and her books with similarly quirky set-ups.

I started losing patience with the novel when it wasn't focusing on the characters I liked, such as Luetta. Time would sometimes zoom ahead at a fast clip to get to Bertha's descendants.

Family is more than blood, and those small connections can be so meaningful. It seems like the general messages of the book became a bit meandering. If I was in the more in the mood for quirk, I think I would have enjoyed it more.