One might imagine that in the small town of Bonhomie, OH, it would be hard to keep secrets – even in the early 1940’s, as the town is distracted by the second World War. Nevertheless, Cal and Becky Jenkins, are drifting apart because of differences and broken confidences, and secrets are fomenting between them. Likewise, Felix and Margaret Salt, separated by Felix’s service overseas, are also harboring secrets of their own. How their secrets collide is at the heart of this drama and the tension arises from whether or not they will reveal their respective truths.
There is quite a bit of hype surrounding this novel, as it is on many lists of best books of 2025. I have to say that I am surprised by this, as I found it disappointing. While there are good ideas embedded here, with quite a bit of interesting potential, I found the writing to be flat, the characters not well-developed, and the whole story written almost as if it were a chore to be gotten over with. Dialogue, if present, is completely trite, with so little passing between characters that I wonder why they bother with each other (I wouldn’t). Even when there are supposedly “tender” moments, they are so bland they could pass completely under the radar.
The only character with any color at all, in fact, is Cal’s father, Everett, who is considered a bit wacky by everyone else. He has survived serving in the first World War, and is thrilled that Cal cannot serve in the second because of his leg length discrepancy (something Cal is ashamed of). He has had multiple life traumas and copes by drinking, hoarding, and essentially living as a loner. But he regularly types out letters to the President of the United States that actually articulate (perhaps not in the prettiest language) more sense than most of his more “esteemed” peers, voicing his anti-war, anti-prejudice, and pro-democracy values.
I know others liked this one more than I did – I would love to know why/how. If you’re willing to comment, I’d love to hear your opinion! In the meantime, I am stumped.
kindread spirits 