Undoubtedly this book has a slow beginning. But it is definitely worth the effort. The author brings a whole town to life - Waynesboro, Ohio. Each and every character is described so vividly that I felt as though I actually knew these people. The book follows post-Civil War "Waynesboro" (a fictional name for a real city - Xenia, Ohio) through the next 50 years of the townspeoples lives. The main group of characters are the members of the Waynesboro Ladies Club. The story unfolds when Anne and Sally are 18 years old and the character list widens as each gets married, has children, etc. Before the end of the book I calculated there were almost 40 characters to keep track of - but it was well worth the effort. By the end of the book (a hearty 1,400 pages ) I was sad because I didnt want to leave the town of Waynesboro and its inhabitants. The author had succeeded in making me feel as though I knew each and every person. Ive read this book 3 times in the past 15 years and will assuredly pick it up and read it again some time in the future. It took the author over 50 years of her life to complete this book (and finished it while living in a nursing home at the age of 80+ years). It was her lifes work and I wish she had known before she died how many lives this book would touch. )
This is one of those books that creeps up on you. If asked to summarize the plot -- there isnt one. But its nonetheless compelling to watch life unfolding for the characters. Neither of the two main women characters is extraordinary. In that sense, they could be any of my ancestors, the women who lived, loved, bore children without anesthesia, kept house without electricity -- and enjoyed their lives and their families. Reading it gave me a real sense of what life was like in post-Civil War Ohio, and the truth is, its not so very different now. The main subjects of the book are the things that lives have always revolved around: birth, death, love, marriage, sickness, betrayal, and faithfulness. This isnt a quick read or a thriller. It does enfold you in a different time and place, and when you finish, youll remember it.
The title of this magnificent book has undoubtedly deterred countless legions of male readers from reading what appears to be a "Chick-Flick" type of book. In actuality it is a fascinating historical novel of mid-America from the post-Civil War era to the Great Depression. Both men and women will find it delightful reading and worth keeping on the shelf for re-reading every 5 years...
