Don’t Be a Stranger

I ultimately loved this book, but it frustrated me (the author’s intention, I am sure!). Ivy is a 52 year old single mother. (Her son is around 9 or 10 when the book opens). When she meets Ansel Fleming at a dinner party, their chemistry is instant. Ansel has his own demons. Besides being twenty years younger than her, he spent seven years in prison for a minor drug charge. As he finally has his freedom, he has no intent of settling down or being with just one person. But Ivy cannot get him out of her head. He becomes an obsession. She cannot focus. She continually compromises, accepting what little he can give her. Meanwhile, she’s managing co-parenting with her ex, teaching, and writing. It’s brutal to read. You want to reach into the book and shake her, tell her, “you can do better!” And that is probably what makes the book so good but also so frustrating. We’ve all been her at some point. Or we have that friend. It’s hard to read at times, completely gripping, and beautifully written (seriously: the writing is beguiling). But also, you’ll want to throw the book at the wall. At least, I did!