cynswanauthor 's review for:

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

5.0

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It’s New Year’s Eve 1984 and Lillian Boxfish, modeled on poet and advertising pioneer Margaret Fishback, spends the evening walking 10 miles around the city she’s lived in for nearly 60 years. The book is a love letter to New York City and the 20th century—and as someone who grew up in the New York area in the ‘70s and ‘80s and spent plenty of time in the City, I was all in. I also love how the novel emphasizes the power of walking to truly experience a place. A lovely, memorable novel.