A review by an_enthusiastic_reader
Impersonation by Heidi Pitlor

3.0

This novel is definitely of the moment and that might be to its detriment. It's about a woman in her early forties raising a son alone and working as a ghost writer for prominent personalities, though that work is not lucrative enough to pay the rent and childcare. So it's about economic instability and has a lot of other social issues packed into the story. How to raise empathetic sons, the me-too movement, the deep grief of seeing DJT elected into office, conflicts between mothers and daughters, and more. It did at times have a lecturing quality that rankled me even though I agree with about 90% of the lessons. All in all, it was an easy read. But the book's topicality and social critique somehow overpowered the things I like in novels like strong characters and real emotion coming through.