Milk, by Emily Hammond
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Milk, by Emily Hammond
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“I wake up and remember,” begins Theodora Mapes, the narrator of Emily Hammond’s first novel. What follows is the story of Theo’s journey from Colorado to California in search of the truth about her past. Separated from her husband and newly pregnant, Theo has come back to California looking for answers, not only about herself, but also about her mother who committed suicide when Theo was a child. Answers that much include the circumstances of the mysterious death of an infant sister, Charlotte, so many years ago. In California, she reconnects with family members, her dotty and distant father, her Aunt Lyla, the sister of Theo’s dead mother, and Theo’s older brother, Corb, who is upright and successful, and determined to keep the door of their past firmly closed. Old friends resurface, in particular Gregg, a former boyfriend whose sexy and reliable presence offers Theo comfort. Within this tangled thicket, Theo finds herself increasingly drawn to solving the mysteries of her childhood. “Why would a baby die?” Our father gave the same long drawn-out explanation each time, about how children in the olden days weren’t as healthy as you kids now—and then he would list the illnesses. Diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox, influenza, consumption: I always listened for the name of our sister’s disease, wondering what she had, why she had died. Only once did I get up the courage to ask: did Charlotte have diphtheria or influenza? No, my father said, looking as solemn as I’d ever seen him. Sometimes babies died, he said. Died in their sleep. Impressively crafted, Milk is a complex story, by turns funny, sad, and inspiring. Award-winning short story writer Emily Hammond gives us a convincing, fresh heroine in the winning Theo who vividly examines the bonds that rattle family, past and present.
Milk, by Emily Hammond - Published on: 2015-11-10
- Released on: 2015-11-10
- Format: Kindle eBook
Milk, by Emily Hammond From Publishers Weekly Upon learning of her pregnancy, Theodora ("Theo") Mapes, a freelance catalogue copywriter, flees her husband, Jackson, and their Colorado home for Southern California and her family roots. The twin traumas of her childhood the death of an infant sister and her mother's suicide when Theo was seven years old linger with an almost physical presence, incessantly invading her thoughts and imprinting themselves on the novel's action. Still reeling emotionally, she starts an affair with Gregg, an old boyfriend, and attempts to decipher the reasons for her mother's suicide. Theo finds her father and brother taciturn on the subject, both having buried the tragedy beneath the trappings of financial success and new families. But Theo obsesses over her barely remembered mother, discovering medical records and personal letters that gradually reveal a history of intergenerational incest. Hammond, the author of Breathe Something Nice, a collection of stories, paints in broad, plain strokes, assiduously avoiding sentimentality. However, Theo is a woman flooded with emotion; she lives in a psychologically tumultuous state. Hammond relies primarily on dialogue to convey this feeling; she also uses flashbacks to fill in some of the blanks. The writing achieves a solid if unspectacular level that just can't convey the intended emotional impact of the narrative. The novel, ambitious in scope, suffers mainly from this dichotomy between plot and voice, as well as thinly drawn male characters (Gregg and Jackson remain little more than ciphers). What could have been an intriguing exploration of family emerges as a rather ordinary story with its potential unfulfilled. Agent, Kit Ward.
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From Booklist The long-term effects of a baby sister's death and a mother's suicide thread through this novel like a secret webbing, invisible but ever-present, providing unseen barriers to movement and happiness. Theodora Mapes, pregnant, leaves her husband in Colorado to return to her California hometown. Her father, brother, and mother's sister have built their lives around not knowing or not asking what happened in the past. Self-deception props them up so they can face the rest of life. Theo actively seeks the truth, rejecting her husband in the process and finding comfort in old relationships. The inevitable progress of the pregnancy mirrors the progress of her exploration, culminating with both an unexpected message from her mother and her daughter's birth. Giving birth reorders the universe for Theo, and her milk provides both nourishment for her baby and solace for her soul. Sad, funny, and startling in turn, this strong and appealing first novel explores family horrors and abiding love through unique and engaging characters. Danise HooverCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Poignant By A Customer I'm quite surprised there are no other reviews of this book. I stumbled upon this book accidentally and after opening to the first page, voraciously read it, in record speed. Hammond leads you through this troubled and profound time for Theo with great skill. The writing is fluid and descriptive and often humorous, yet leaves you wondering at the same time. The book is not ABOUT suicide, but rather the aftermath of a difficult, but not insurmountable, childhood. It is not a "Poor-me,-I-had-a-bad-childhood" book, but rather a success story of discovering, understanding and then attempting to overcome "bad things" in your past. As with a lot of books, the end came too quickly and I wanted more.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Complex Human Characters By Robert Boswell This novel should be getting a lot of attention. I don't understand why it isn't. Unlike so many novels, the characters in this book are as complex as anyone you might know. The past and the present sit on the characters' shoulders, each pressing powerfully - often in opposite directions. This is a remarkable book, understated and yet somehow lush. In the hands of most authors it would turn sentimental, but Hammond scrupulously avoids sentimentality and finds instead a dark, compelling, and powerfully human reality.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Superb By Hoods As the two earlier reviewers remarked, this book deserves much, much more acclaim - amazing that it appears to have slipped under the radar completely. After buying it on impulse quite some time ago, I've only just got round to reading it - and did so in one sitting. The prose is assured and a pleasure to read, the characterisation brilliant. Hamilton deals with complex familial and psychological issues with deft empathy, insight and enough humour to avoid the potential trap of falling into the 'slough of despond'. Brava, Emily! Disappointed there seems to be nothing else from this talented writer - I was in here hoping to find something. :(
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