Search - Local Girls

My least favorite of Hoffman's books - speedy read, forgettable characters, but good prose. Dreadfully sad.

My main problem with this book was the lack of a plot. Hoffman is usually so creative with her characters and what they do during the course of a novel; but this was about nothing and the characters were as ordinary as anyone you'd see on the street.

Recommended only for hardcore Hoffman fans.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Alice Hoffman evokes the world of the Samuelsons, a family torn apart by tragedy and divorce in a world of bad judgment and fierce attachments, disappointments and devotion. Hoffman charts the always unexpected progress of Gretel Samuelson from the time Gretel is a young girl already acquainted with betrayal and grief, until she finally leaves home. Gretel's sly, funny, knowing perspective is at the heart of this collection as she navigates through loyalty and loss with the help of an unforgettable trio of women: her best friend Jill, her romance-addicted cousin Margot and her mother, Franny, whose spiritual journey affects them all. Told in alternating voices, these tales work wonders. Funny and lyrical, disturbing and healing, each is a lesson of survival, a reminder of the ties of blood and the power of friendship.

A very quick, easy, enjoyable read.

"Named by School Library Journal as one of the Top Five Adult Fiction Books for Young Adults"