Skylight Confessions
By Alice Hoffman
Back Bay Books February 2008
288 pages
From my shelves
Arlyn Singer is mourning the death of her father and vows that she will love and marry the next man she sees. When John Moody asks her for directions, they begin a passionate but tempestuous relationship. Together they move into "The Glass Slipper," an architectural wonder that is the Moody family home. The arrival of their son Sam does not bring them closer. Instead, John becomes more obsessed with his work and success and Arlyn and Sam are tragically lonely. After the birth of Blanca, Arlyn is diagnosed with cancer. Can this fragile family survive the pain of life and the hurt that they cause each other?
Alice Hoffman is well known for her novel Practical Magic and she infuses her stories with a bit of magic. This book is no exception. From the opening pages, Arlyn is captivated by the idea of fate and true love. Her grief over losing her father is enormous but she is certain that she is about to meet the man she will love forever. As she reflects on her dad, she remembers the stories he used to tell her about people who could suddenly fly away in moments of danger. Images of birds and flying linger around the edges of the rest of this story - Arlyn's son Sam often sits on the roof as if he might fly away and the characters find bird feathers scattered around their home.
While there is magic on every page of this book, it is also achingly real. Arlyn and John have a broken relationship and their children suffer because of it. When Arlyn gets cancer, she knows that her children will not get the love and support that they need from John. A sense of loneliness lingers throughout this story, as the characters cannot or will not provide what their family members need from them. No magic spell can save them from the mistakes they make and the repercussions that will resonate through generations of the Moody family.
Skylight Confessions is the perfect read if you believe that magic is in the everyday and the barrier between life and death is not impermeable. This modern-day fairy tale shows readers the possibility of magic and the strength of love.
While there is magic on every page of this book, it is also achingly real. Arlyn and John have a broken relationship and their children suffer because of it. When Arlyn gets cancer, she knows that her children will not get the love and support that they need from John. A sense of loneliness lingers throughout this story, as the characters cannot or will not provide what their family members need from them. No magic spell can save them from the mistakes they make and the repercussions that will resonate through generations of the Moody family.
Skylight Confessions is the perfect read if you believe that magic is in the everyday and the barrier between life and death is not impermeable. This modern-day fairy tale shows readers the possibility of magic and the strength of love.
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