Good Harbor by Anita Diamant

This is the first novel I've read (re: finished) in years... at least since law school. This was the perfect reentry back into reading. Why? It's quick and interesting. Anita has a way of drawing the reader into the mentality of her character. I felt the emotions and thoughts processes the women had through every step of the book. I laughed quite a few times throughout the book as Anita brought cute little plot points to life.

The book itself goes through hard topics, such as cancer, loss, grief, loneliness, struggling family dynamics, and self love and self hate.Two unlikely women meet near Gloucester, Mass. and form a friendship at a time where both need to feel a connection to something. They find this friendship by meeting and taking walks along Good Harbor beach.

Kathleen finds out she had breast cancer and struggles with it not being the same deadly diagnosis that her sister had. Kathleen is the character in which the hits just kept on coming. She feels to complex to share her novel with someone else. Her story, in my mind, could fill her own book, and I almost wished it had.I think because Kathleen's were so much more and in the readers face. I can't relate the point of losing a child, but MAN did that point just come out of nowhere and kick me in the chest. It seemed to be intentionally understated but not given the time and nurturing that the point needed. Her sons come in and out so quickly that I'm not sure why they were necessary. I wanted her son to hook up with the Rabbi and when he didn't I felt let down. Too many plot points for Kathleen, not enough for Joyce.

I like Joyce. She's quirky, relatable, and every stereotype I expect of a middle-aged woman in New England to be. As someone who spent about four years in New England and majority of my life in New Jersey, I felt connected to the scenery of the beach and what that means to people. There is something soothing and connecting about walks on the beach (in a non-romantic sense just as much as a romantic sense). She's feeling out of touch with her family, she feels like her hidden career as a romance novelist is dragging, and she wants more from life. Great. Me too (minus the romance novel). She's wholly unremarkable. And that makes me sad. I wanted more from Joyce in the way that I got from Kathleen. Her conflicts felt so minor. She sleeps with a dude that's not her husband and it was weird. I feel like Anita wanted to make her not-a-boyfriend a character with much more depth and it just fell flat.

The theme of connection runs strong throughout the book. Connection to the past. Connection to family. Connection to their husbands. Connection to religion. So MUCH connection. But the relationships, while interesting, seemed unfulfilling to me. I wanted to dig deeper and feel more connected to the characters. I felt like every time the character got interesting, the chapter was over. I felt that the climax was more of a molehill than a mountain and I never really knew where the book was going. By time I got there, and the book was over, I was left wondering what this book was really about. I felt like I needed 100 more pages and would have been happier.

I told my mom she'd probably like this book more than I did, and not just because she can relate to having a bratty teenager (my brother clearly...).

Either way: ⭐⭐⭐out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐because its a quick read, it made me laugh, and there are scenes that will stick out. I read 80% of this book on an 18 hour drive. Probably wouldn't read again.