Off Season

Anne Rivers Siddons
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446527873
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (11/08)

 

I found “Off Season” to be a compelling and poignant story.  It is about life, the complications of family, love and incredible loss. Overall, the book was well written and enjoyable to read. 

When Lilly Constable McCall loses her husband to an untimely death, she is not sure how to pick up the pieces. As she feels the world closing in on her, she decides to return to the one place she can find comfort, her family home in Maine.  When Lilly arrives, she finds she can breathe easier and as she relaxes, the memories about all the important things in her life come rushing back. 

Every summer, Lilly and her family spent the summer in their summer cottage in Maine.  Her eleventh summer was a very memorable one.  During that summer, Lilly spent her time trying to figure out her complicated relationship with her Mom, an artist and activist who was just coming into her own.  This is the summer that Lilly also experienced love for the first time in her life.  When the summer ends in tragedy, Lilly has to learn to deal with her emotions in a way that will impact the rest of her life. 

The story then follows Lilly’s life as she must deal with her Mom’s illness and the aftermath of that.  So much happens in her life that she really grows up more quickly than she should.  The one place that Lilly finds peace through all of this is in the water and she becomes quite a proficient underwater swimmer.  When Lilly meets Cam, who is fun and loving, she begins to really live for the first time.  As Cam’s wife, a mother and sculptor, she finds real happiness for the first time in her life. 

With her children grown and married and Cam gone, Lilly must figure out what is next in her life.  Maine is the only place that she can possibly find the answers that she is looking for.  I recommend “Off Season” by Anne Rivers Siddons for anyone who enjoys reading about family and relationships.

Make comment on weblog