- Dovetail

Dovetail

By Karen McQuestion

This is one of the greatest fiction books I have read recently. The story is set in Pullman, a small town in Wisconsin and has dual story-line. The first, is in 1916 that is told by Pearl and the second is in 1983 that is the time Joe who is Pearls grandson.

Pearl is the second oldest of seven daughters living with their father and has recently lost their mother because of influenza. the oldest sister, Alice, is the one keeping the household together, always moving from the garden to the kitchen taking care of all the chores. She is a sweet girl who is trying to take care of her sisters and their father. She plays piano very well and is the pianist on Saturday nights for the Victory Theater. Pearl, on the other was the dreamy sister who didn’t want to do housework and was mostly doing things she likes to do.

Joe is at the Trendale Psychiatric Treatment Center. He is going through therapy because of the repeated disturbing nightmares that he has, that make him shout while sleeping which is scaring his family (he lives with his father, stepmother and his sister Linda). His father decided to send him to this mental institute to get help and get better. The therapy is not really helpful, but his doctor believes he is a risk to himself and others and he is nowhere near to be discharged.

Joe is in a group therapy when he is being called because his grandmother and her lawyers is waiting for him outside and want to check him out. “Joe rose to his feet, puzzled. There was no way someone had come to check him out, and especially not his dads’ mother, who’d died before he was born” (Chapter two, page 10).

Karen has perfectly handcrafted details in this book. I felt like I was part of the story. The characters are thoroughly developed, and the story is very well penned. For me it was a page turner and I enjoyed every single page. I loved this book and will recommend it to those enjoying a good fiction.

For those of you who doesn’t know what a Dovetail is (including me before reading this book), when Pearl’s father was making each one of the seven sisters a hope chest to keep their wishes and secrets he used Dovetail joints to hold the chest together. The corners of the chest are contented with dovetail joints. The edges are cut in a pattern so one side slides into the other.

Thank you, Karen McQuestion, for giving me a chance to be amongst the first readers enjoying this amazing story.

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