She's Come Undone

A book has not captured my attention as much as She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. The moment Ms. Fletcher handed me this book I knew I would be hooked just by looking at the front cover. You should not judge a book by its cover of course, but the face of a women floating amidst clouds and a sea of blue sparked my interest.

We meet Dolores Price as a four year old in 1956 and travel with her until her forties. When she is introduced to a television set as a young girl, life throws her onto a rough journey. Dolores must deal with her father's abandonment and her mother's mental illness; she loses herself in the processes of coping with her family issues and trying to continue living her own life. Constantly sitting in front of the television, she eats her troubles away and eventually becomes obese. She struggles with accepting the events of her youth and goes through life never truly being content. I do not want to give away too much, but Dolores does manage to find peace and happiness in an odd way.

It took me about a week and a half to read it from cover to cover. Wally Lamb did an excellent job as a male writing in a female character's voice; I sometimes completely forgot that it was written by a guy! I found myself laughing at Dolores' smart aleck attitude. I was not able to go to sleep without at least finishing a chapter or two. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading novels about overcoming personal obstacles.