Sept 18-Oct 10, 2018
Oof. Talk about having a great concept and letting it get out of control. This one went off the rails fast and hard. The first half, during the Spanish flu pandemic, was gut-wrenching and interestingly told. The concept of the family living and working in a funeral home and not being able to keep up with the deaths was a unique perspective. The amount of lives lost was portrayed in a way that often brought tears to my eyes. And then...“Life is wonderful and beautiful but oh, how hard it can be.”Flash forward seven years and I was left wondering what the point of the story was. Why should I care at all about these new characters/mental patients? How does that further develop the story line? And please, please, please don't reveal what I think you are about to reveal ... oops, too late. The final part was so contrived and gratuitous I nearly abandoned the book. Sure, everyone loves a happy ending, but this one couldn't have been anymore "of course" unless a unicorn showed up on the last page. I honestly don't see why there are so many glowing reviews {eye roll}. Three stars going into it, two stars coming out.
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