Excellent writing, flawed complex characters, and a multi-layered story made this an absorbing book. Carmen is a woman dealing with the recent death of her husband, raising three children (one of whom has Down's Syndrome), and now learning of her own life threatening illness. Carmen is also reflecting back on her past, on the marriage she seems to have drifted into, and the troubled relationship that lasted for twenty years, until her husband's death. I plan to read more by Ann Bauer. I picked this up at my local library--had never heard of the book or the author before but am now interested in reading more by her. Interesting story and character development. In a nutshell, while Carmen's husband is dying, she's having an affair. Shortly after his death, she is diagnosed with breast cancer (this is what killed her mother). Her father's an alcoholic, her eldest son has Down syndrome and she's not a huge fan of her mother-in-law (the feeling is mutual). I would highly recommend this for a book club read or to read on your own if you're not in a book club, especially if you like books that introduce you to complex characters.
What do You think about The Forever Marriage (2012)?
Interesting. Not highly recommended, but ok
—Keekay
