Monday, October 17, 2022

Thinking about trauma

Waiting for Paint to Dry ~ by Lia Mack, 2015, fiction (California, Italy, Maryland), 328 pages, 6/10

Since sprinting away from her sister's wedding (and knocking over a bridesmaid in the process) Matty Bell has lived in a self-made monochromatic life of work-eat-sleep-survive.  In and out of work, she hasn't seen her family in over a decade, lives vicariously through her best friend's seemingly perfect life.  And the only goal she has (other than filling her stomach) is to avoid any and all reminders of her birthday.  It only brings her pain.  But when life catches up with Matty on the night of her surprise 30th birthday, she sets out on a nerve-wreaking last-minute trip home to confront her family that might just result in her coming full-healing-circle.  Except, showing up unannounced has Matty staying at her sister's ocean front home, alone, with only thoughts of that buffet-of-a-man she sat next to on the plane dancing in her head.  And there's also that pile of left over paint, daring her to take redemption into her own hands.

This book is on Donna's Kindle.  I started reading it before I saw on Amazon that it's about the trauma of rape.  I looked to see if Donna had read the whole book, found she had rated it four stars, and decided to keep reading.

The story pulled me in, and I can see why one woman left this comment online:  "The emotions are so real, so well written, that I read it in one sitting."

Added late in the day:  I finished it today, but I don't recommend it.  I gave it a 6 of 10 rating.

1 comment:

Helen's Book Blog said...

This sounds like an intense read!