Little Night tells the story of a family who has essentially lost a member to an abusive marriage. Clare’s attempt to help her sister landed her in jail and derailed Clare’s life for many years. Although the back story is told in flashbacks, the book takes place as Clare approached middle age and has managed to piece her life back together. Her existence is very small and controlled, as she likes it, until her estranged sister’s daughter comes to town. Grit’s point of view is heart breaking and her childhood fills in the holes that we missed when hearing things from Clare’s perspective. Grit’s appearance opens old wounds but it also opens up Clare’s life and she is forced to confront some of the feelings that have kept her from truly living after her time in prison.
One aspect of the story that I loved was Clare’s avid birding. Nature plays a large role in this story and Clare is fascinated with birds, in particular. I saw a lot of symbolism in Clare and Grits relationship with nature, but I will let other readers draw that conclusion for themselves. Ultimately, I was disappointed in the way that the story seemed to lose steam by the end. It was a very gripping throughout, but I found the conclusion to be predicable and rushed. I wanted more from Grit and her story. Despite that, it was an entertaining read and I enjoyed it, overall.
I received this book as a galley from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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The nature role in this book sounds interesting! I hadn’t heard much about this one, so I really appreciate your review!
-Jac @ For Love and Books
This book sounds painfully intense, moving, and deep. Thanks for the honest review.
The synopsis sounds so promising, but I’m disappointed that you felt the story lost steam and ended feeling rushed. I hate it when a book is good overall but then kind of defeats its own self. C’est la vie!
Great review, Kate! 🙂
Interesting. I tend to enjoy books that highlight female relationships, so I may give this one a try. It sounds pretty good!