Book Notes: Goldengrove

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had low expectations for the book based on the star rating. Upon close inspection though, very few people have actually read it on Good Reads(1300 in two years). This book was sure to be a downer, but I love my book club, so I took the hesitant plunge.

Francine Prose’s novel follows 13 year old Nico as she struggles to cope with the tragic drowning of her 18 year old super-star sister Margaret. Margarget’s boyfriend, Aaron, along with Nico’s parents all use different but believable coping mechanisms. Medications, unlikely friendships, hyper-focus or avoidance of tasks, to name a few. Prose takes the readers through the grieving process and ends with sunshine and hope.

I can’t give this book five stars because I’m not going to go around saying, “You must read this book!” I fear people would think I’m depressed and a little strange. I have to admit though, it is beautifully written and I think Prose does a magnificent job of getting to the heart of intimate grief while not bringing the reader down. I do think this book will stick with me as a reminder that the grieving process is tricky and involved.





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