A review by jeanetterenee
Kate Vaiden by Reynolds Price

3.0

3 1/2 stars

I couldn't quite figure out what I thought of it as a whole, because there was so much about it that I loved---especially the Southern flavor, the occasional laugh-out-loud humor, and the style of writing that is so different from other authors. But the whole is definitely less satisfying than its parts. I liked Kate better as a young girl than as a woman.

The book has a strong orphan/abandonment theme that's very interesting to follow. You can't really dislike Kate, and yet there seems to be something fundamentally missing from her personality. Hard to tell if she was born that way or if being orphaned at age eleven made her that way. She's the most impulsive character I've ever encountered. She uses people when she needs them, and then just picks up and disappears whenever things get uncomfortable or she's "used them up." This would be an excellent book for a book group to read and discuss. Even for group members who may not love the book, there would be MUCH to pick apart.