Queen Anne Books

As I was thinking about writing a review for Richard Russo’s newest novel, I kept thinking about Saturday by Ian McEwan; not Russo’s Empire Falls or The Bridge of Sighs as you might expect. It finally occurred to me why. Jack, in That Old Cape Magic, is filled with the same kind of thoughtful introspection and occasional obliviousness demonstrated by Henry, McEwan’s character.

The novel spans two summers and two weddings but uses flashbacks to tell the story of Jack and Joy Griffin’s life together. We first learn about Jack’s parents, Midwest university professors who always yearned for Ivy League status. Every summer they would leave their hated droll existence for Cape Cod, instilling in their young son an almost mythic appreciation for the Cape. Jack and Joy ended up spending their honeymoon on Cape Cod where they planned out their future and, except for some minor detours, they lived the life they dreamed. But over the course of the novel’s two summers, their somewhat staid life together begins to unravel.

One of the great strengths of That Old Cape Magic is that it seems so familiar -- the stories that make up Jack’s life are the same stories around us all. Living in a marriage that resembles a roller coaster -- one day up and the next day down. Watching your child grow up, experiencing heartache and hopefully finding a lasting love. Learning to cope with the failings of parents -- perhaps a problematic marriage, their aging and finally their deaths. The stories of life, if you’re paying attention, and obviously Richard Russo is a master at paying attention. ~Patti