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A review by toniclark
Last Things by Jenny Offill
3.0
"Last Things" is the first novel (1999) by Jenny Offill, author of “Dept. of Speculation” (2014) and “Weather” (2020). I liked it, though I liked her next two even more (“Weather” is my favorite). Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, “Last Things” is full of wonder and danger.
“Grace's father believes in science and builds his daughter a dollhouse with lights that really work. Grace's mother takes her skinny-dipping in the lake and teaches her about African hyena men who devour their wives in their sleep.” [from the Amazon summary] I’m not usually keen on child narrators, but I easily warmed to Grace, caught between the worlds of reason and recklessness, torn between two fascinating and flawed parents.
Much of it is set in Vermont (my home) and even features Champ, the Lake Champlain monster.
“Grace's father believes in science and builds his daughter a dollhouse with lights that really work. Grace's mother takes her skinny-dipping in the lake and teaches her about African hyena men who devour their wives in their sleep.” [from the Amazon summary] I’m not usually keen on child narrators, but I easily warmed to Grace, caught between the worlds of reason and recklessness, torn between two fascinating and flawed parents.
Much of it is set in Vermont (my home) and even features Champ, the Lake Champlain monster.