Florence Gordon

a) I’m old. b) I love New York City. c) I love writing. So as I started this, it’s no surprise that I wanted to BE Florence Gordon, this 70-something feminist writer living in New York City. She’s my people. <br /><br />The book starts with her immediately and graciously leaving her surprise party to return home and write. That takes guts, man is she cool. But my hero worship and over-identification with this icon is short-lived, because the next time I see her in action, she’s a real bitch. She uses her brilliant words to slash people, even family. An arrogant cold fish with total contempt of the world. I cringe, uncomfortable. (Takebacks! I do NOT want to be Florence Gordon. She’s NOT my people.)<br /><br />So while I was recovering from this pain-laced love-hate of Florence, I realized I did love this story. The sophisticated language and locale, along with the easy pace, just pulled me in and made me want to stay right there. I was in the mood for a good family drama where there wasn’t a Hallmark card in sight. Party time!<br /><br />Here is Florence, in full glory and wisdom, but without specific bitchiness:<br /><br /><b>“You don’t throw your trash on the street, you don’t serve yourself first, and you don’t cut in line. It’s called civilization.”</b><br /><br />There are several torturous secrets, which always ups the drama. Secrets can make people act funny. And when they act funny, often others tune in on it and misinterpret the new behavior. Weird silences, sneaky glances happen. The author does a great job with some internal monologues, showing how secrets mess with everyone—both the secret-keepers and those in the dark. Ah, and it’s really juicy when someone figures out a secret and the other person doesn’t know they’re busted. Secrets breed guilt and lies. Suspicions brew, misunderstandings abound. The psychological twistiness was yummy.<br /><br />Another cool quote. If you’ve ever known a mindfucker, you’ll especially appreciate this insightful analysis:<br /><br /><b>“He was a scholar, a thinker of distinction, and a mindfucker: he liked to open you up and climb around inside your head with his psychic flashlight and leave you with the feeling that he was the only person who had ever truly understood you. He liked to get to that part of you that was loyal to nothing and no one, and convince you that that place, where he alone had joined you, was your most sacred chamber.”</b><br /><br />Minor nits: 1) A couple of time the point-of view changes from third-person to first person—it was confusing and gave me a jolt. 2) There needed to be more interaction between Florence and her son. 3) Florence’s son has a son who is away at college, and he is never heard from or discussed. What is his purpose? Why add a son if he has no form or role?<br /> <br />Major nit: The ending!! Everything is left hanging. It’s like the author just decided it was time to end it. Major letdown that sent my rating spiraling downward to a 4.5 stars.<br /><br />But I really did love this book. It was smart, fast-moving, witty—and it had great characters. My highlighter was pretty busy, and I was always hot to get back to the book. And kudos to the male author being able to portray women so well; I kept forgetting the book was written by a man.<br /><br />For reasons unknown, this book received little hype. And <i>The New York Times</i> panned it; its review had me shaking my head No! As far as I’m concerned, this book is a secret gem. Morton reminds me of <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/26163.Jonathan_Tropper" title="Jonathan Tropper" rel="noopener">Jonathan Tropper</a> somewhat, though without as much humor. I’ll be checking out Morton’s other books. A really good read. Recommended. <br /><br />

Florence Gordon is one tough New Yorker broad who just wants to be left alone....or does she? At seventy-five years old, the outrageously direct, unpleasant to a fault feminist is finally writing her memoir and her main interference at present is her X Saul, her visiting son Daniel, his wife Janine and her young-adult granddaughter Emily, although <b>everyone</b> annoys her in one way or another......even her tribe of old friends.<p>As I was reading along enjoying Florence's insults and wondering if <b>everyone's</b> secrets would be exposed, I read the following comment, "Couldn't imagine an experience that would daunt the old woman" and knew where the story would end, but disappointingly not <b>all</b> family issues are resolved, and you know what, I <i>really</i> would have liked to read the memoir!</p><p>Entertaining page-turner!</p>

<blockquote><i>“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” </i>― Rebecca West</blockquote>Florence Gordon was not a doormat by anybody's definition anyway. <blockquote><i>Florence was seventy five years old. In an earlier era, that would have made her an old lady. But not today. She’d been a young woman during the 1960s, and if you were young in the sixties—</i>“bliss was it in that dawn to be alive”<i>—there’s a sense in which you can never grow old. You were there when the Beatles came to America; you were there when sex was discovered; you were there when the idea of liberation was born; and even if you end up a cranky old lady who’s proud of her activist past but who now just wants to be left alone to read, write, and think—even if you end up like that, there’s something in your soul that stays green. <br /><br />She wasn’t—this seems important to say—a woman who tried to look younger than she was. She didn’t dye her hair; she had no interest in Botox; she didn’t whiten her teeth. Her craggy old-fashioned teeth, rude and honest and unretouched, were good enough for her.</i></blockquote> She was honest; often rude; a pain in the neck for those who knew or loved her; she sometimes felt guilty, but only as a tribute to convention. Her former husband tried his entire life to get her onto a guilt trip, although she was miles ahead of him in intellectual games. She embraced alone-ness and refused to feel guilty about it. Some would actually accuse her of being a new species of human being - <i> 'the outrageous old fogey'</i> as they called her. To her granddaughter, Emily, she was acerbic, impatient, semi-annoyed. But that's how Emily liked her after spending more time with the grandmother she never really knew.<br /><br />There was a time in her life that Frances Gordon was<br /><i>" a cheerleader for sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll; above all else, they have been cheerleaders for freedom. Every kind of freedom, from radical democratic politics to radically unconventional living arrangements."</i> <br /><br />It was a liberty that would feed into the minds of her children and grandchildren - a license to be apathetic and disconnected from family ties and the people around them, yet surviving on the underlying bond of loyalty and blood. <br /><br />Daniel, her son, arrives in New York with his wife and daughter. They connect with an unwilling Florence in what seems to be a compulsory reunion of some sorts. Instead of becoming emotionally reconnected, the family indulge instead in a battle of wills without calling it by name. There's always the sterile pretentiousness to uphold and intellectual competition to seek. <br /><br />Emily becomes involved in Florence's life when she unexpectedly engages in Florence's history as her assistant in completing her memoirs. Emily starts on a journey of personal growth, discovering her own strengths and weaknesses as she ventures back into the history of Florence who refuses to discuss anything with her intellectually-lost grandchild. What she had - and wanted to say to Emily, was hidden in her collection of essays and books on the real meaning of freedom of the mind and spirit. It was all there, waiting to be discovered by her granddaughter. But Emily was much more than her grandmother could ever bargain for ...<br /><br />In the end reality arrives as a wake up call for everyone genetically connected to the old (unwilling) matriarch. Perhaps it can be called a redefining of love and family ties in different words. There is unexpected emotional growth for the entire family that previously lay dormant for many years. Florence had that quiet effect on the people around her. She inspired truth to oneself to the people around her like colorful blossoms after a cold dormant winter. In her abstract world nothing ever dared to die, not while she had some cards to shuffle and play on her own terms. <br /><br />What makes this book a good read is its strong characters, the strong theme; the nuerobic elements, challenging the mind; a relevant message that speaks to the reader; and an ending that makes the reader glad to be there. The book is also a tribute to New York, the city that never sleeps, according to Frank Sinatra. If the family could make it there ... they could make it in Seattle again.<br /><br />Florence Gordon (paraphrasing) followed the promptings of her soul wherever they led her and pilgrimaged herself out of the life she did not want into one that completed her ... <br /><br />Whatever happened, freedom should never be compromised. There will always be choices to make if you have the guts to do it. Like Florence.<br /><br />The ending was totally unexpected. A surprise on the one hand, and anticipated on the other.<br /><br />A very good read indeed! RECOMMENDED.

Many years back, one of my favorite TV shows, was shown on our local PBS station and was called Waiting for God. It was about a group of seniors in senior housing and the character I loved was named Diana. She asked for and took no mercy, had a very ironic wit and basically insisted on living the life that was left to her on her own terms. She reminded me so much of Florence Gordon.<br /><br />At 74, Florence too lives life exactly the way she wants. She is a writer, a feminist prominent in the sixties and seventies and a staunch believer in her own space and privacy. She has friends yes, but they are much like her, gutsy woman who insist on looking after themselves, living their own lives. She has been divorced for many years an has one son, a college age granddaughter, and a daughter in law.<br /><br />Of course a story about a set in her ways 74 yr.old would get tedious before the end of the book, so there are complications, with he family and other difficult things. I loved reading about her burgeoning relationship with a grand-daughter she had previously paid little attention.<br /><br />When I am her age I want to be her. How many of us have gone to a party and said, or at least wanted to say, thanks for the party, it is a honor but now I am going home? I am honored please keep celebrating without me. <br /><br />Wonderfully portrayed and kudos to the author who is a male but has written a book about an admirable woman. I also want to say that this book had one of the most fitting endings I have read in a while.<br /><br />ARC from publisher.

I recently read and adored "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk", by Kathleen Rooney, <br />and I'm thoroughly enjoying 'as-in-fantastic' the Audiobook I'm listening to now, (3 hours still remaining), called "The Atomic Weight of Love", by Elizabeth J. Church. <br />Both books have a bright female protagonist with a sound academic education, and they capture the essence of feminism. <br /><br />So, I remembered I had a copy of "Florence Gordon".....another book with a strong female protagonist. I purchased a 'like-new' hard copy on Amazon last year after Iris and Esil both enjoyed it. They both say I would too. Then time slipped away..and my $1 book plus $3.99 shipping sat for a year....BUT... I never forgot about Esil &amp; Iris's enthusiasm. I decided it was time . I decided to read about 'THE LADIES' back to back. <br />ESIL and IRIS....I dedicate this review to YOU!!! <br /><br />THE LADIES in these 3 books each have differences -yet they also share some similar qualities. <br />Lillian Boxfish, a dedicated walker, was in her 80's. Meridian Wallace in her early 40's, an aspiring ornithologist --aging into her 70's. <br /><br />Florence Gordon is 75. I enjoyed this book and 'Florence', (very short chapters)...but its not without flaws. One thing I didn't expect - very different than the other two novels, is there are really 4 main characters. <br />Florence gets the title: strong - independent- not your people pleaser type women - bold, gutsy and at times down right inappropriate. She could piss people off....but you could love the hell out of her too.<br />However the story line is divided between 4 people with all their struggles. Interesting - yes.... but I think this story might have been better if the author had focused more on just two characters. I'd vote for Florence and the granddaughter, Emily! ( ms. Emily-VEGAN). Emily is dealing with a relationship issue from her college at Oberlin... but while home for the summer in New York... it's her relationship with Florence that stands out strongest in this novel. <br />Daniel - Florence's son ( and New York cop)... has a couple of major issues. One with his wife - the other with his health --(which he is hiding)<br />Janine-- The daughter in law-- has the hots for another guy- a colleague. Plus she has an intellectual crush on Florence. <br /><br />All the characters are intelligent - <br />The heart of this novel celebrates feminism. The male characters are not as strong as the female ones....but you know what I think is cool??? This book was written by a MAN!<br /><br />Florence Gordon gets an added star rating from me - just the fact that a MAN wrote this book. Plus... I'm glad I've finally share this story with my friends. <br />Overall - I DID like it!!!<br /><br />Thanks Iris and Esil <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

<b>WARNING, MY REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MINOR SPOILERS</b><br><br><br><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/21825436.Florence_Gordon" title="Florence Gordon by Brian Morton" rel="noopener">Florence Gordon</a><br><b> <blockquote>"Take the risk that you'll end up regretting your speech, because is better than regretting your silence"</blockquote> </b>Emily, a character from Florence Gordon<br>******************************************************************************<br><br><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/21825436.Florence_Gordon" title="Florence Gordon by Brian Morton" rel="noopener">Florence Gordon</a> turned out to be one of the most deliciously enjoyable books I've read this year. With a quick pace and at least a couple of pretty fascinating characters, this novel was a joy to read. I found <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/54766.Brian_Morton" title="Brian Morton" rel="noopener">Brian Morton</a>'s writing witty, amusing at times, but also enlightening and refreshingly honest.<br><br>Florence Gordon is essentially a character-driven novel. It's a story about old age and aging. It's about a 75 year-old woman decision to age on her own terms.<br><br>This it's also a "New York novel". Florence is one of those quintessential New York characters who believes that <b>"a life that took place elsewhere couldn’t truly be called life.”</b> Which at times can frankly come across, at least to those of us non-New Yorkers, just as a little bid condescending!<br><br>I found it interesting that although all the characters are Jewish, aside from the fact that Florence visits a few synagogues while promoting her books, <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/54766.Brian_Morton" title="Brian Morton" rel="noopener">Brian Morton</a> decided not to make this a relevant point of the novel. Perhaps the author felt that the setting of the novel — the Manhattan Upper West side — was enough reference to give the novel its cultural context.<br><br>Florence is rude, blunt, does not have a filter and spits out everything and anything that comes to her mind. <br><br>She's self-centered, seemingly incapable of feeling empathy towards anybody and is emotionally unattached. She's not only unwilling to feel bad or guilty about her rudeness, she wears it as a badge of honor.<br>Florence is almost completely estranged from her family, including her only son, daughter-in- law and granddaughter.<br>Most people in Florence's life, friends and family alike, consider her a <b>"complete pain in the neck"</b>.<br><br>And yet, I loved getting to know this eccentric character. Somehow behind that brash, tough façade, I was able to recognize and identify with a remarkable protagonist. She is smart, brave and passionate about her causes.<br><br>There were moments in this story when I found myself wanting to hug Florence and ask her to drop her guard for a while, to validate her life's work by telling her that thank to women like her many of those old battles in the Women's movement had been won. I wanted to give Florence permission to celebrate and take a bow. Then again I might want to reconsider that idea because she'd probably recoiled in horror at just the thought!<br><br>As an NYU professor and with six published books under her name, Florence is well known among the city's intellectual and literary circles. <br>To many women who have read her essays and followed her career, she is a feminist icon, they admire her activism in the movement during the 60's and 70's, but by now this qualifies them as a "cult following" as Florence has remained pretty much unknown to the public. <br><br>As the novel opens, Florence is celebrating her 75th birthday by sitting down to start writing her memoirs. The older she gets the more Florence just want <b>"to be left alone to read, write, and think"</b>.<br><br><a href="http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/irisper01/media/10.jpg.CROP.article920-large_zps5ikssyqw.jpg.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1445213398i/16615478._SX540_.jpg" alt="Women’s rights march on Fifth Avenue in New York City, 1970 photo 10.jpg.CROP.article920-large_zps5ikssyqw.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><b> <i>Women’s rights march on Fifth Avenue in New York City, 1970</i> </b><br><br>Florence, who seems happily settled into her relative literary obscurity, has no idea that her life is about to change dramatically. Her brand new, younger literary agent produces an early copy of the front page of the New York Times Book Review. To Florence's utter surprise, it includes a glowing review of her latest book, <i>How to Look at a Woman</i>. Martha Nussbaum, the reviewer has called Florence a "national treasure".<br><br>So very unexpectedly, Florence is thrown into the spotlight, she's not quite sure how she feels about her new found fame, but at least for the time being, she's secretly enjoying it. <br> <br>Florence finds herself immersed in a very exhausting book tour which will end with her attendance to a conference called <i>"The Women’s Movement: Then and Now"</i>. Nussbaum is expected to be the keynote speaker, but at the last minute she gets sick and is replaced by Willa Ruth Stone, a young blogger who, while paying homage to Florence and the other “grandmothers” in the movement, still takes them to task for <b>"being puritanical, humorless, and worst of all, dated and irrelevant"</b>.<br><br><a href="http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/irisper01/media/Gloria-Steinem-1_zpsrwf2izsr.jpg.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1445213398i/16615479._SX540_.jpg" alt="Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, circa 1968 photo Gloria-Steinem-1_zpsrwf2izsr.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><b> <i>Gloria Steinem, Feminist Icon, circa 1968</i> </b><br><br>The novel follows four others main characters, Florence’s son, Daniel, a Seattle cop that has returned to New York to reunite with his family. <br><br>Her daughter-in-law Janine, a Psychologist who is working on an academic fellowship and someone who has always admire Florence's intellectual prowess. <br><br>Emily is Daniel and Janine’s 19-year-old daughter, she has taken a year off college to take a literary seminar and to explore life in the Big Apple.<br>And finally there's Saul, an unsuccessful, frustrated writer and Florence's ex-husband. As unsavory characters go, Saul is, if anything even more so than Florence. He's unpalatable, self-aggrandizing and utterly annoying.<br><br>For me Janine and Daniel ended up being pretty bland, uninteresting characters as well, although they had some great potential I thought the author failed to fully develop them (perhaps that would've required another 70 or so pages?).<br><br>What truly keeps the story moving, is not doubt the relationship that sparks between Florence and Emily. <br><br>After finding herself a little overwhelmed with a much busier agenda, Florence hires Emily as her temporary assistant and is truly fascinating to watch how the two of them get closer and come to respect each other. <br><br>Emily is young and still lacks the maturity to put in context the role her grandmother played as an activist, but she's smart and it's obvious that she and Florence share a deep connection both on a emotional and intellectual levels. <br>Although Florence is incapable of openly expressing this, I thought she was proud of Emily and saw at least a part of herself in her granddaughter.<br><br>In one of my favorite scenes, Florence is engaged in a conversation with Dolly, one of her fans. Dolly is spewing some non-sense and when Florence comes back with one of her usual disparaging responses, Dolly is offended and tells Florence that <b>"No one has ever talked to me like this. That was so rude..."</b>. <br><br>I thought that Florence's response was priceless: <br><b> <blockquote>“Do you know why that is? It’s because no one has ever taken you seriously before. Most people probably tune you out, because you say such foolish things. I’m taking a chance here on the possibility that you’re not as foolish as you seem...."</blockquote> </b><br>If there's something good to say about Florence Gordon is that as condescending as she can be, she is also willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and treat them as equals.<br><br><a href="http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/irisper01/media/il_fullxfull.259771406_zps3qekgi37.jpg.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1445213398i/16615480._SY540_.jpg" alt="Rosie the Riveter photo il_fullxfull.259771406_zps3qekgi37.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><b> <i>Rosie the Riveter Poster- Norman Rockwell 1943</i> </b><br><br><br>After the publication of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/21825436.Florence_Gordon" title="Florence Gordon by Brian Morton" rel="noopener">Florence Gordon</a> last year, the ongoing debate about whether or not readers can empathize with very dislikable characters was revived. Personally, I think that is a silly discussion that should by now be put to rest.<br>Do I see myself becoming friends and sharing a beer with someone like Florence? Probably not, that still doesn't make her character any less intriguing or deserving...<br><br>Florence, Janine and Emily, the novel's three main female characters, represent different generations, but they also embodied three different chapters and perspectives on the Women's Rights and Feminist movements. <br><br>Ultimately for me, the most interesting aspect of this novel was how it underscores our responsibility to remain politically engaged, not to take the progress we've made for granted and to appreciate the role played by many real-life Florences that did so much to bring us to the point where we are today.<br><br><br>This is a well written, engaging novel, I highly recommend it...

I see that most of my friends here on GR rated this one 4 stars, but I can't go higher than 3. Good story, good writing, interesting characters, and Florence Gordon herself is one of a kind. A feisty, outspoken 75 year old writer/feminist/activist, who insists on living her life on her own terms, and she doesn't give a damn what anyone else thinks about it. Her life gets complicated by family who turn up in New York for a while and try to spend time with her, even though she would rather be left alone.<br /><br />While on the surface Florence sounded like someone I could admire, I felt a growing dislike for her as I turned the pages. I have known too many people in my life who give everything they have to careers or causes, and leave their own families to fend for themselves, both physically and emotionally. It seems more noble to try to save the nameless, faceless masses of downtrodden people than to give a little consideration to children, spouses, and friends. Her acerbic comments to friends and strangers alike were unnecessarily cruel and pointless. I didn't like her at all.<br /><br />I did like her family though. Her son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter were likable people with problems of their own, but Florence never knew, because she never bothered to ask, and wouldn't have cared anyway. They all lived in little worlds of their own, and had real difficulty communicating with each other, which only added to their alienation from each other. <br /><br />So to sum it all up, I liked the book, I did not like Florence. Saying what you want regardless of other's feelings is not a trait I admire in anyone, I don't care who you are.

<i>'Get away from me.'</i><br /><br />Florence Gordon. Now, here is a woman who does not mince words. I like that. It leaves no room for being misunderstood. Don't let her catch you cutting in line unless you expect to be called out on it. Trust me, it won't be a pleasant experience. <br /><br />At 75 years old, Florence knows what she wants and she values time to herself above all. Alas, life entails that there be at least some interaction with others. She was once married, after all, and has a son, a daughter-in-law, and a couple of grown grandchildren. She doesn't have a great deal to do with them, finds them irritating in anything but small doses. As Florence works to finish writing her memoirs, her 19 year old granddaughter is the only one she can tolerate. Their relationship, though not really close, is very interesting. <br /><br />By turns, this book is both humorous and sad. The author has struck all the right chords here with Florence. Mayhap he was a peppery old lady in a former life.

Florence Gordon is reason enough for me to be on Goodreads. This book was not on my radar until very recently when I saw a few very positive reviews by GR friends. Florence Gordon is a 75 year old feminist activist, intellectual and author living in Manhattan's upper west side. The book focuses on Florence, but also tells the story of her son, daughter in law and granddaughter, and their respective perceptions of and relationships with Florence. But the strength of the book is Florence's portrayal. She is smart, crabby, unsentimental and single minded. In a way, Florence is a recognizable type, but Brian Morton does an excellent job of portraying her as more than a stereotype. I would have happily listened in on Florence's inner unsentimental cantankerous voice for far longer than this short novel gives us -- she is funny, offers many great quotable observations about the world around her, and managed to pull at my heartstrings for reasons I can't reveal without giving away too much. And dare I say that I'm astonished that this book is written by a man. Florence is not particularly likeable, but this is a loving portrait of an unlikeable person -- a portrait written by a man who appreciates that women -- especially older women -- are perfectly entitled to be smart, opinionated and wry, and that being amongst the first generation of American feminists does not make women irrelevant or freakish. My only real reservation about this book is that I wasn't particularly interested in the subplot involving Florence' son and daughter in law and their faltering marriage -- which in a way is poetic justice I suppose because Florence isn't particularly interested in them either. This novel may seem light, but Florence's portrayal has great substance -- well worth reading. Highly recommended!

<i>"You don't throw your trash on the street, you don't serve yourself first, and you don't cut in line. It's called civilization."</i> - Florence Gordon<br /><br /><u>How to Read Florence Gordon (if you're me)</u><br />Open book<br />Read first page<br />Close book<br />Hug book<br />Reopen book<br />Read forever<br /><br />Florence is self-awareness and wisdom mixed with some first-class DGAF. She's hard to get along with, and she knows it. She doesn't suffer fools, not even ones who are family and who wouldn't even register as fools on anyone else's radar. She never gives a signal that she likes or approves of anyone or anything. You wanna text during a meal with Florence? Your phone's going in the drink. And you just accept it, because Florence is someone to admire. She intentionally keeps people at a distance, and is a real dick many, many times in the story, but I <i>get</i> her.<br /><br />It's not all about Florence though. Her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter are all featured as they navigate some difficult transitions in their lives, and the stuff about marriage and growing from a teen into an adult are the deepest and most emotional parts of the story for me.<br /><br /><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="7b4af952-305b-499b-a83c-d67480df0fce" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="7b4af952-305b-499b-a83c-d67480df0fce">There's one bit of gimmickry early on that I kind of laughed at, and then kind of very mildly disapproved of, and then just went with liking it: Florence is taking part in a panel discussion &amp; Emily is in the audience. Emily thinks that if she were writing a novel that included a panel discussion, it'd be boring &amp; she'd probably skip over it. End of chapter. Turn the page, new chapter: "After the panel discussion..."</label><br /><br />Highly recommended, along with other Old Lady Lit faves <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/16066896.Amy_Falls_Down__Amy_Gallup___2_" title="Amy Falls Down (Amy Gallup, #2) by Jincy Willett" rel="noopener">Amy Falls Down</a>, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/1736739.Olive_Kitteridge__Olive_Kitteridge___1_" title="Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1) by Elizabeth Strout" rel="noopener">Olive Kitteridge</a>, and <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/11290015.Natural_Order" title="Natural Order by Brian Francis" rel="noopener">Natural Order</a>.