A review by yangyvonne
Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

2.0

This HUGE book (800pp) follows the lives of a dozen or so people in a small CT town. The central family is the Fermoyles, made up of Marie - separated from Sam - and their three kids. She gets tied-up with Omar, a shady salesman. Sam learns his sister will not inherit, yet she is in charge of the trust until their mother inherits. Sub-plot abound and everyone seems to be headed for disaster on each page. In the end, you don't know what will become of any of them (except more of the same?) as they all seem to be repeating their mistakes.

This reads like a totally dysfunctional Peyton Place. No one is completely good (realistic), but that leaves the reader with no one to root for. Alice's affair with Father Gannon. makes no sense, and the abrupt ending is equally confusing. Otto should go to jail - for murder, fraud, something, yet never does. You are left wondering whether there is any point in living a moral life because no one who is "sinning" in this town ever gets theirs. Even Renie, a loser and pervert, eons up with a better job! Only Marie seems to have no relief.

Too long - might be TV fodder some day...