amy & isabelle

amy & isabelle
elizabeth strout
fiction
vintage publishing
published 2000

From Shelfari:  Amy Goodrow, a shy high school student in a small mill town, falls in love with her math teacher, and together, they cross the line between fantasy and reality. When discovered, this emotional and physical trespass brings disgrace to Amy's mother, Isabelle, and intensifies the shame she feels about her own past. The two retreat into silence. This conflict is surrounded by other large and small dramas in the small town. And with Amy and Isabella as her main focus, Stroud attends to them all.

At first I didn't like anyone.  Actually, for the first two thirds of the book I hated both Amy & Isabelle.  To me, Amy seemed like the biggest brat in the world and Isabelle was completely unyielding and harsh.  There didn't seem to be a loving bone in that woman's body. 

I started to understand Isabelle.  She was lonely.  She had, at one time, big plans for her life.  She put those plans aside and changed the course of things.  She ended up in this small town and began to make new big plans for her life.  Now, sixteen years later she realizes that none of those big plans have come true and she has been sitting there waiting...for something.

Now something has happened and even though it's not the thing that she wanted to happen it's something.  Something that has once again altered the course of her life and forced her to choose to do something.  And from this awful moment she has finally made a life for herself.

As I got to the end of the book I didn't care for Amy anymore than I had in the beginning.  She was still a selfish, delusional little brat.  But afterwards, I wondered, aren't all teens?  Or at least the majority of them?  It got me thinking....have I crossed that line?  That line in adulthood where you can no longer easily relate to teenagers anymore.  Quite possibly I have become that adult.  *sigh*

Anyhoo, that book was tough.  Barrel through it if you can.  There are some truly magical moments near the end if you can make it there.  And Fat Bev is awesome.  I loved Fat Bev.