The Rest of Her Life

THE REST OF HER LIFE: Laura Moriarty: Hyperion: Fiction: 303 pages

Now a junior high school English teacher married to a college professor, Leigh has spent much of her adult life trying to distance herself from her dysfunctional childhood. Raising their two children in a small, safe Kansas town not far from where Leigh and her troubled sister, Pam, were raised by their single mother, Leigh finds her good fortune still somewhat empty.

Daughter Kara, 18 and a high school senior, is distant; sensitive younger son Justin is unpopular; Leigh can't seem to reach either—Kara in particular sees Leigh (rightly) as self-absorbed. When Kara accidentally hits and kills another high school girl with the family's car, Leigh is forced to confront her troubled relationship with her daughter, her resentment toward her husband (who understands Kara better) and her long-buried angst about her own neglectful mother.

Laura Moriarty’s writing is similar to Jodi Picoult, who I also enjoy. This was an interesting novel about mother-daughter relationships. I liked the story, but felt like the ending sort of died out. I would recommend this to those that like Jodi Picoult’s novels.

AMM