3 out of 4 stars
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Marley's Mothers by Billie Greene is a story of two ladies: Roxanne and Carolann. The first half of the book is dedicated to the life of Roxanne and the second part brings Carolann and her family into the picture. Roxanne is a teenager whose parents are very strict. She is not allowed to talk to boys. She must wear proper clothes (i.e. the clothes that are approved by her parents). She follows their rules until the day she meets a handsome man named Solomon. He is instantly smitten by Roxanne. Roxanne, too, finds him extremely mysterious and attractive. Of course, her parents try to "talk sense" into her but this time Roxanne does not yield. She moves in with Solomon and starts her life with him.
Carolann is an only child. Her mother, Ruth, loves and pampers her all the time. However, Ruth's personality has its flaws. Her temperament knows no bounds. When she gets angry, the hell breaks loose. Carolann gets whatever she asks (or not) of Ruth, but Ruth's fits of anger push Carolann's boundaries all the time. While Ruth is busy showering her only child with love and affection, her husband (Al) is getting frustrated with the money problems. Al does not care much about Carolann; however, he is afraid to voice his opinion out loud because of Ruth. To be frank, his opinions are generally sexist, and I was glad that Ruth kept him in check. The story takes an interesting turn when the paths of Carolann and Roxanne cross.
The plot of the story and the storytelling ability of the author are incredible. There are so many elements working in this book that the plot never gets boring. The story develops beautifully and there is no rush anywhere -- except, perhaps, in the last chapter. Without giving away a spoiler, I would mention that the revelation that I had been waiting for so long did not happen as dramatically as it should have. This revelation deserved more excitement than the author offered. It left me longing for more. There are a few wrong sentences here and there, but these did not take away the pleasure of reading this well-written story.
The author has subtly included his opinion against "blame the victim" policy of the society in Carolann's dialogues. His views are really praiseworthy. This is not the only issue that he has discussed through the dialogues of the characters; there are many others. The inclusion of his views in this manner is a clever strategy. It really enhanced the overall quality of the material. I liked the character of Carolann a lot. She stands her ground and believes in herself. She does not bend as per her rich boyfriend's needs. The author has portrayed a realistic image of a strong girl by defining Carolann.
The development of the story never gets monotonous. There are many twists to keep the pleasure of reading Marley's Mothers alive. The conversations flow smoothly. The author knows his characters very well, and their dialogues show the connection that they have with the author. For instance, what a teenage girl might be feeling while planning to have sex for the very first time is perfectly reflected in Roxanne's thoughts. Her fear of "farting" in the middle of it was hilarious.
This book is a perfect combination of humor, grief, joy, and revenge. I believe that there is something for every reader in it. If it weren't for occasional incorrect sentences and unsatisfactory revelation of the most awaited secret, I would have rated it 4 on 4. However, due to these reasons, I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
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Marley's Mothers
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