In a Country of Mothers (Vintage Contemporaries)

Rating:
Summary: A flawed work
Review: Like so much of her work, Homes here relies on sex to shock and give the emotional jolt she's unable to provide otherwise. The wit is dull; the humor, while not central to the book, falls flat and rings like a sitcom. Also, Homes never questions the empty values of these yuppie professionals; characters routinely condemn each other for being fat, poor, etc. all with the author's implicit condoning. Still, it is, like her other work, a solid, if unspectacular piece.

Rating:
Summary: Warped. . . .But in a Good Way
Review: This one was a good read that perhaps could have been better. It starts off really strong but the ending, while good, is not as good as the rest of the book. It's the story of Claire, a therapist who many years ago gave up an infant daughter for adoption, and Claire's patient Jody, a young woman confused about her future. Claire begins to suspect that Jody is the daughter she gave away. Both women have slightly troubling personal lives. Many of their relationships have shortcomings that neither is particularly happy with and they begin to rely on the patient-therapist relationship too much. This is a witty, darkly comic psychological thriller that is very, very readable. I really could not put it down. As I said earlier, the ending is not as strong as the beginning, but it's still quite good. The not-so-rosy picture of the world Homes paints for us rings very true. If you like dark humor, you'll like this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best but her characters remain disturbed to the core
Review: When I pick up an A.M. Homes book I am ready to settle into the tormented minds of her brilliantly colorful characters. I have never been let down. In a country is a gripping story about mental illness and adoption. Homes can marry the two like a dream. No emotion was spared on the doctor and her patient. Usually her books leave me haunted, thinking about the characters for days, this one didn't have the same effect but was still a great read.