A review by micaelabrody
In a Country of Mothers by A.M. Homes

3.0

Even from the beginning, reading this book before my therapy appointments was a little uncomfortable. So before I go any further I want to say that up front, since it speaks to a fundamental quality of the book. Past that there were some frustrations but that's, to me, the most important takeaway.

I remember the thing that most impressed me about May We Be Forgiven was the pacing of the book, which felt like a gripping thriller even though the events in the book weren't really gripping or thrilling (not that it was boring, just that it wasn't like car chases or intrigue, etc, just a dysfunctional family being exposed to the reader).

Much the same happens in this book. That said, and I don't remember the details of May We Be Forgiven too well, I do think you can tell that this is both a more personal story for Homes, that maybe she wasn't telling it with quite the distance she needed to telegraph fear, and a much earlier book. The prose is okay with moments of greatness, which is what I thought of MYBF as well. Here, though, since so much of the plot is purely psychological, the writing could have used a little beefing up to help show some plot rather than telling towards the beginning, to avoid having to say halfway through things like "Jody felt she needed Claire" (not a direct quote). (On the other hand, Claire's marriage and the underlying commentary on wife- and motherhood were well written without having to declare anything.)

You can see where the plot is going a mile off, which again I see as a mark of less experience more than a comment on quality. To be fair, you can kind of tell where it's heading from the blurb on the back, but I mean even the emotional beats are kind of waiting to happen, and not in the good way where it'd feel inevitable because of good groundwork. If Jody showed more resistance, if Claire had (frankly) been a better therapist all around, some of that tension and release would have felt a little more engaging.

It's too bad because it unfortunately kills the momentum of the first two parts. Once she gets into the good stuff (Jody returning from LA, Claire fully cracking into her fantasies, the animosity and anger) we see where I think Homes shines: making everyday life terrifying.

I should probably come back to this review in a day or two when I've mulled this one over a little. And, this is another one that took me ages through no fault of its own.