I am a voracious reader. I am also well known for choosing books for their covers. I think that is why I still prefer physical books to e-books - the covers. A while back, while perusing the sale tables at B&N I picked up a copy of "The House on Fortune Street" by Margot Livesey. It was put on the shelf to wait its turn in the TBR queue. My daughter came over one day looking for something to read and she took several books off the shelf, this one being one of them, and it resided at her home for a long while. Recently, it came back into my possession, was thrown in the back of the car and brought out one day when I was needing something to read while waiting in the kindergarten pick up express line.
I always liked the cover so I assumed I would like the book. For the first time in forever, that didn't happen. It was a slow go. It was a chore to get started and keep the momentum going. It just didn't grab me but I was determined. After plodding through the beginning and suffering through a story line I didn't enjoy it started to get better. Around the middle of the book it started to grow on me -- the overlapping of the story lines was intriguing. It was almost a mystery without actually being one. And now -- at the end -- I found I couldn't put it down. What clever writing it was. What complicated characters they were. To see the story unfold for each of the character's viewpoints was enlightening.
It is the story of Abigail and Dara -- friends from college days. They were different yet so much alike. They were best friends and their individual stories ran parallel to their story. Through the whole book, through parents and families and lovers and friends, their relationship remained until the end. And what a sad end it was.
Would I recommend this book? I am not sure. It was a slow start, it was a sad end, the writing was excellent, the characterization and the setting were top notch and I have really enjoyed it, surprisingly. However, it is a sad book and a depressing read so I would have to withhold my recommendation. A reader would have to decide for him/herself.
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