Tara Road

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy is one of Oprah's choices for her Book Club, so when I saw it, I decided I wanted to read it. I found it a little too complex (though uninteresting) in plot, and definitely depressing. I couldn't seem to really connect too much with the characters, and therefore, I wasn't very emotionally involved with all the terrible things that were happening to them. Once I was into the book, I pretty much just wanted the story to be over.

Tara Road does take some surprise twists and turns that help to hold your interest. When by a chance phone call, two ladies decide to switch houses for the summer, each one takes on the life of the other, and begins to understand the heartaches and joys inherent in their surroundings. There's grief over the loss of an only son, and heartbreak over the indiscretions of a cheating husband. Each lady comes to know the other's friends, lifestyle, and personal information.

At first, they are jealous of each other, but as they begin to experience the joys and sorrow that each house brings, they forge a bond of lasting friendship.

It's certainly not the most memorable book that I've ever read, but it's an okay read.