There are always events in our lives that create a clear demarcation point; a point of reference where the before and the after is very clear. The most obvious, at least for me, was when our children were born; you are never quite the same person you were before and after that event! Others may be more subtle, like moving to another place, quitting a job, growing up in a foreign country, or visiting a place or meeting a person who made a big impact. In Commonwealth, Patchett explores these demarcation events in the life of a family, and how they impacted each person in very different and significant ways.

On the day of Franny Keating’s christening Ben Cousins showed up uninvited to the party. No one knew that the consequence of his arrival would be the dissolution of two marriages and joining together of two families, but that is exactly what happened and it all began with Ben kissed Beverly, Franny’s mother, before the party ended.

The upshot of this merging of families was a forced closeness between the children who had to commute between California and Virginia to visit their parents every summer. Disillusioned with their parents, the children’s common antipathy towards these adults who had so clearly failed them, created a bond which over time grew into genuine affection for one another even in the face of more tragedy and loss.

When Franny is in her twenty’s she begins dating the famous author, Leon Posen and without her realizing it he begins writing a novel based on the stories she tells him of her complicated childhood. When the novel becomes a huge success, Franny realizes that she has lost control of story and now she and her siblings must confront the secrets and lies so that now as adults they can heal and move on from the losses they have suffered.

Spanning five decades, Patchett charts the course of each child as they move from childhood into adulthood, showing clearly the impact of these clearly defining moments in their lives. For each child the impact is different, and their way of coping and trying to make sense of things is equally different, and yet the impact of these profound life events is significant for each one. Patchett gives each character a luminous quality which shines through their character flaws and faults making them feel genuine and relatable. I enjoyed it from start to finish!

Brenda’s Rating:

Recommend this book to: Marian, Sharon and Keith

Book Study worthy? Yes!

Read in ebook format.