Evvie and Ben are in their forties. Evvie works in a frame
shop and attends protests for animal rights. Ben works as a medical equipment
salesman and likes wearing a suit and tie. When Ben announces one day that he's
leaving her, Evvie is bereft. Told from alternating points of view, we see
Evvie slowly unravel as she plots more and more elaborate schemes to get Ben to
come back.
The author, Jane McCafferty, realistically captures the
guilty elation of the one leaving and the obsessive self-doubt of the one being
left. We admire Evvie's determination, but sympathize with Ben's frustration. We
worry over her trust in strangers. We fume at his enchantment with a new lover.
And cheer when he realizes she too is less than perfect.
Where is the line between being persistent
and perverse? First You Try Everything charmingly offers a satisfying answer.
1 comment:
may I borrow this one? The S.T. is still waiting for your resume.
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