Title: Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
The author of The Garden of Small Beginnings returns with a hilarious and poignant new novel about four families, their neighborhood carpool, and the affair that changes everything.
At any given moment in other people’s houses, you can find…repressed hopes and dreams…moments of unexpected joy…someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband…
*record scratch*
As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors’ private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton’s wife is mysteriously missing, and now this…
After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that’s a notion easier said than done when Anne’s husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families–and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage.
Review:
Abbi Waxman’s Other People’s Houses provides an entertaining and oftentimes thought-provoking peek into the intimate lives of neighbors.
Frances Bloom is the neighborhood carpool queen and ultimately, keeper of one of her neighbor’s secrets. She ferries her three children, 14 year old Ava, ten year old Milo and four year old Lally back and forth to school every day along with her neighbors’ children. When the truth finally comes out about her neighbor’s indiscretion, the rest of the neighborhood feels the reverberation of the destruction on Anne and Charlie Porter’s marriage in the wake of infidelity.
Frances and her husband Michael have been married for over twenty years. Their marriage has fallen into a comfortable and deep friendship as they navigate through Frances’ now tenuous relationship with Ava. Frances enjoys feeling needed so she sometimes overextends herself through volunteering for her children’s various schools and activities.
After Frances’s discovery, Anne recommits her to her marriage but it is too little, too late once Charlie becomes aware of what she has been up to. He is devastated, furious and the aftermath is not his finest hour as a husband, parent or neighbor. Although Anne and Charlie try to present a united front, ten year old Theo and six year old Kate are confused and upset about the changes to their lives.
Neighbors’ Iris Carter and Sara Gillespie are facing their own hurdles as Sara’s acting career means long hours away from home and their six year old son Wyatt. They are very happy and communication is one of their strong suits yet Iris is worried about broaching a subject because she is unsure of how Sara will react.
Another neighbor, Bill Horton, is dealing with the absence of his wife, Julie, and trying to ensure their son Lucas remains connected to her while she is gone. He keeps to himself so everyone is a little curious about where Julie has gone and why. They keep their questions to themselves and Frances is more than happy to assist whenever Bill needs a little extra help.
Other People’s Houses is a humorous novel that offers an engrossing and honest glimpse into parenting, friendships and marriage. The characters are well-developed with true to life strengths and weaknesses. The storyline is engaging and Abbi Waxman brings the novel to a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion.
