The Woman Next Door
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
"Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbors. One is black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility, which they maintain with a zeal that belies their age. But, one day, an unexpected event forces Hortensia and Marion together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation, which yields a discovery of shared experiences. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is too late to expect these women to change? The U.S. debut of an Etisalat Prize Finalist, The Woman Next Door is a winning story of the common ground we sometimes find in unexpected places, told with wit and wry humor"--
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4 Stars. A book about two octogenarian women who have been neighbors (but not friends) in South Africa for 20 years. One black, one white, both had successful profession careers yet were personally unhappy; and, have delighted in perturbing each other for all of those years. The book begins in the present and continues for just a few months. Their animosity is immediately apparent and we are privy to their thoughts as each looks back on her life and what made them be the way they are. The women are forced together (one living in the other's house) by circumstances and throughout the long weeks they had more communication than in the 20 previous years. As the novel unfolds, we see a grudging respect developing for each other and we see that they are alike in a lot of ways. The story of their personal lives is sad . . . that they each became disappointed in their choice of husbands and the choices they along the way. But each chose to remain in their marriage and gave up a lot of themselves in the process. I found their stories very sad, even given the time and place that they lived. They did have choices but opted out of them. The developing relationship between the two is probably the most honest that each has had in her life, and a pleasure to spy on.
This is a sweet book, but unremarkable in my opinion. This is mostly, I think, because this isn't a genre I enjoy reading much.
I do love the characters so much, though. They're such hilariously mean old women. And the social context – post-arpartheid South Africa – is intriguing.
But this is basically a very domesticated buddy story. So, yeah. Not my thing really.
HOWEVER if you do enjoy stories about very human relationships and you want something light and fun by the pool this is the book for you. It's quick and cute.
