Commonwealth

In this fictional representation of her own childhood in a blended family, Patchett shows how miserable the children were, but also the odd partnerships and roles they set up between themselves. Showing us both how their parents’ lives got tangled, and how the five remaining children interacted in later life, Patchett tells a tale of an American era.

I loved this book for its precision in both external details and the aching truths of how the characters feel. In refusing to ignore the cruelty of the children and the indifference of the parents, Patchett gets it right. But she also… show more.

In Commonwealth, Patchett weaves together flawed families who fail one another over the decades but keep trying and trusting in spite of the failures. There are no villains here–just complicated characters struggling with their own hopes and inadequacies, and desperate to move on from the difficulties of their pasts. This is not a fast-moving novel, but it is stunning, and it shows, more clearly than any other story I’ve ever read, the enduring power of loyalty, love, and forgiveness.