I really enjoyed this in all its disjointed and moralising glory, it was witty, observant, a little bit pretentious in the way young people can be, and has a heart at its core of siblings trying to cope with grief and social pressure in polar opposite ways. Short, punchy, theatrical and philosophically soothing.

I was pretty underwhelmed when I finished this - but picking apart some themes and the message has given me a new respect for Patchett’s storytelling!

Discusses so much about how we can get addicted to memory , how we can fetishise being the victim to justify privilege , how as children we frame our lives through stories and people as tropes to grow up and see the nuances more clearly , how we hold women more accountable for absence in childhood , how we view women in reductive tropes like adoring mother/dutiful daughter/ lonely spinster/ evil stepmother

I really disliked Danny - but I found maeve was the moral compass of the book and the most interesting character by far

Mild spoilers I also loved the end when Danny catches May having a cigarette , when the original family made their money on tobacco, shows an inevitability in the gravitational pull of the house, how it can be a site of painful and fond memories at once and how our pasts have the room for that complexity

This is many books in one - will probably read more of her work ! Not a major new favourite was pretty strong and consistent but it lacked fun and the zany edge of youth that the goldfinch had

Moshfegh really understands isolation.
Not a typical murder mystery, felt interesting to examine her obsession from the true-crime obsessed post podcast society.
Interesting how Vesta wants to be called Mrs. Gool like Inspector Goole from an Inspector Calls, funny how she plays detective when she has no access to the case at all, another aspect in which she is isolated.
How we forget the dead and Vesta's fear that she will die alone and forgotten in the woods, yet her husbands opinions that she has internalised stop her from making connections.

Beautiful to see so many people have a different but equally magical experience at one place! Loved the inclusiveness of the contributors and how it felt like a safe space from the male gaze for women of all ages to celebrate their bodies and overcome daily challenges.

A beautiful little book about a boy who struggles to put away the shame of his sexuality in a society where it is so dangerous. This book has a lot of heart and the writing was really beautiful (especially written in Jedrowski's second language, extreme talent)!
The only thing I wanted more of was context to the laws that restricted Ludwik and Janusz from being together, more about societal attitudes or the toxic masculinity that came post-war, there was a lot of context on the Soviet occupation of Poland however it felt like a lot of the critiques were economic and political and didn't line up for me.
Nevertheless, it's still a powerful story of a young, shy boy growing into himself and going after his freedom at any odds.