In Labor Day by Joyce Maynard, an escaped prisoner asks a boy if he and his mother (who are shopping in a grocery store) will take him home with them. It's clear that he's injured and something is not quite right about him, yet 13-year-old Henry's depressed and agoraphobic mother, Adele, agrees to take Frank home with her and her son. During the next 6 days, which encompass the Labor Day weekend, Frank boosts Henry's confidence, teaches the two of them how to bake a perfect peach pie and lifts Adele from serious depression. 30 years later, Henry reflects on this pivotal weekend in his young life and how Frank made a lasting impact on his family.
I took Labor Day along with me to Oklahoma and gobbled it down in a few hours. It's told from the viewpoint of a 13-year-old boy so it fits the "coming of age" mold, something I usually dislike because there tends to be a lot of focus on sex, which frankly bores me. In this case, however, the pages absolutely flew. Adele's dysfunctions are oddly fascinating and relatable: a woman has become so crippled by depression that her son has to do most of the shopping and she almost never goes out at all, a boy who is clearly struggling with his mother's issues as well as his own self-confidence, and a strangely magnetic murderer. It is both the uniqueness of the characters and the way one person makes such a huge impact in such a short time that make Labor Day such a compelling read.
There was definitely a lot of sex talk. But, it didn't matter. I was fascinated by Frank. I wanted to know what he did wrong in the past and why he was such a surprisingly steady, trustworthy guy. He was a murderer, after all. I also wanted to know what was going to happen. When you start reading the book, you can't help but think, "This is not going to end well." And, yet Labor Day is a stunningly uplifting read.
Highly recommended - Fascinating characters and an unexpectedly uplifting ending are the two most outstanding features of Labor Day. I'm not typically a person who goes rushing out to see movies based on novels but I'm curious how this story will be handled so I may end up seeing if I can drag a friend to the theater for this one. Labor Day is my first read by Joyce Maynard and it definitely will not be my last.
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I just finished reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I did not realize it was going to be such a boy coming of age story. It was not as weird as some of his other books. Although the old guy making fish rain from the sky was a little strange. I finished still not clear on some things but that is generally how his books end I think. I started The Wind Up Bird Chronicle but did not get far. I could not take al the s** stuff in it. Have you read either of those?
ReplyDeleteI've read part of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle but I abandoned it, at the time, because I had too many books going and Wind-Up was the one that required the most concentration. I don't recall a lot of sex - maybe I didn't get that far. It was definitely quirky; I remember that much. So far, I've really enjoyed his short stories and loved the two nonfiction books I've read by Murakami but I'm a little intimidated by his novels. Anyway, thanks for the warning! Labor Day does have that aspect but it was such a quick read and so compelling that I didn't mind. Very unusual.
DeleteIt's been years since I read a book by Joyce Maynard, and I loved it. I am glad you enjoyed this one so much, Nancy. I want to read this one at some point.
ReplyDeleteI have some book friends who have highly recommended Joyce Maynard for years. I don't know why it took me so long to get to her but I really enjoyed Labor Day so I'll be scouting out the one everyone's recommended most highly. Hope you like Labor Day, Wendy!
DeleteYeah I plan to see the movie of it in January. Perhaps I'll get to the book beforehand. cheers
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a good idea to read the book, first, but I say that partly because I like to compare book to movie, for fun. :)
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