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A gripping novel of two sisters who must reimagine the future-before they're ready to let go of the past.
As a girl, Margot Winkler knew her big sister Lacey would keep her safe. Decades later, Lacey's home is often Margot's refuge. Lacey's life has seemed close to perfect-a loving husband, twin daughters on the brink of womanhood, and a home filled with her beautiful hand-woven textiles. But everything changes when Lacey reveals some devastating news. A rare disease is slowly stealing her ability to use language. Now Margot must imagine the future and find the courage to help her sister discover a new voice, keenly aware of the slender threads that bind them to this life, and to each other.
Close-knit ties between two sisters become strained and each girl's relationships with other people nearly unravel in Davis's (East Hope) deeply stirring family drama inspired by Primary Progressive Aphasia, a neurological disease that gradually destroys communication abilities. New York gallery employee and frustrated artist Margot Winkler always looks for guidance to her older sister, Lacey, a talented New Hampshire weaver, but now when her sister is diagnosed with PPA, they're forced to swap roles. Lacey's husband, Alex, wants Lacey to break the news to their college-bound twins, Wink and Toni, despite Lacey's reluctance, and asks Margot to convince her. Meanwhile Oliver, Margot's live-in boyfriend, grows increasingly unhappy with Margot focusing on Lacey instead of their relationship. As they hurtle toward an ultimately enlightening crisis, Davis interweaves her characters' perspectives with amazing dexterity. A cut above the usual family tear-jerker, Davis delivers an insightful exploration of how a terminal illness can affect not only the one diagnosed, but also the people who love them. (Aug.)
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
William Holmes
reviewed The Slender Thread on January 06, 2011
The Slender Thread
Why isn't there a 3 1/2 rating? I seem to be caught, often, between liking and REALLY liking.
This is Katharine Davis's third book, and in terms of the writing, I don't think it was as lyrical as her first two. (I wonder if her editor was rushing her a bit?) However, in some ways, I think this novel is trying to tackle a lot more in terms of characters and plot. Maybe that was the problem?
There are quite a few complicated relationship dynamics, but the center of the book is the relationship between two middle-aged sisters. (One of the things that I really like about this author is that she focuses on middle-aged characters who are undergoing big upheavals in their lives.)
The major "problem" of the book is that the oldest sister (the "perfect," highly competent type) has been diagnosed with a form of early-onset dementia called primary progressive aphasia. Basically, the frontal lobe of her brain -- which controls speech -- is rapidly deteriorating. (I have a vested interest in this subject because my father has a very similar sort of dementia.) It's not a fun, light-hearted book, not in any way, but the characters are interesting and well-drawn. Because of the nature of the "problem," though, there isn't going to be any sort of happy conclusion. The novel is more about how all of the people around the afflicted sister (sister, husband, daughters) deal with the diagnosis. The younger sister is a bit emotionally immature, and she is shown as being dependent on her big sister -- and a sort of adjunct to her big sister's life. Really, the book is much more about her; as readers, we are never privy to the older sister's internal thoughts -- and I had mixed feelings about that. Perhaps that is another book, but I couldn't help but think that it might be a slightly more interesting one.
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