Janet G

Our book club has just finished this book, which was chosen because the author is from our area. The book is beautifully written and the love story is a tribute to anti-racial beliefs.

I have just finished "the Divorcees" and I am smiling about the subject matter, which seemed to be so frowned upon in the 50's. We have arrived at a whole different era in 2023, with divorce being very common and not something to hide. I admire the author for her research of the "divorce ranches" in Nevada and the need for them.

The book was overall quite entertaining. However, I thought there were too many characters to keep straight. Of the women living at the ranch only Mary Elizabeth stuck with me and that was because she and Lois met on the train. Of course, there was Greer but she wasn't just a minor player.

The first chapter made me consider not reading the book. That was because of an abundance of "cute" and "different" descriptions. Sometimes I can almost picture an author searching for a clever way to just say something like the casino was dirty. Instead I read "she began to see how the frenetic, repeating pattern could camouflage all manner of refuse". Or, looking at her clothes I read, "she stares at the slack shapes of her shirts and dresses spaced out wide as the teeth of a comb."

Thanks for the opportunity to read the book and also send my review. This isn't my favorite book but I didn't hate it and I wish the author success. Wish I could do as well.