Western Lane
Ratings20
Average rating3.5
A quiet and slow meditation on grief and survival. I struggled to see the characters in my mind, with the Auntie the only one I could fully understand her motives and actions. One for the squash players.
This one left me with some mixed feelings. On one hand, I appreciated the unique way the book tackled themes of grief. It gave me a new perspective and made me think about things differently. However, I found the storytelling overly subtle at times, which made it frustrating to follow along. The characters, unfortunately, didn't quite click with me. None of them felt particularly likable or relatable, and I wished they had more depth to them.
Gopi's life becomes squash-centered after her mother's death. Her father enrolls her in a rigorous training program, and soon this is all Gopi does.
Unfortunately, I know little of squash, and I couldn't get deeply interested in the life of this child or this story. I've heard many people talk of this story with high praise. But you will not hear that from me.
I kept waiting for the trying to transcend herself part, I feel like it never quite happened.
Neutral 2.5 rounded up.