An odd sort of story . . .

I go to Curves about 4 times a week. They have shelves for your bags and purses. And many people put magazines and books on these shelves for others to borrow and then return. I can never pass a pile of books without going through them, and I came across The Accidental Tourist in late January. I enjoyed reading it - when I returned it, I was hoping there would be something that might catch my eye.

Alas, there was nothing but pulp fiction, tawdry romance, lackluster mystery novels, and some questionable aging best sellers of no particular note!!

Until the other day when I saw this one - and the book jacket said it had started out as a short story in the New Yorker. The New Yorker does indeed have some good fiction - sometimes. Mostly it's odd or strange. Sometimes it's right "on the money" though. I don't recall reading this one, but the book itself, though odd and strange, had some redeeming qualities.

I had never heard of it before - and the author's sister is Aimee Bender - the reviews mentioned that fact as if it was a fact of some note - and I'd never heard of either Karen or Aimee Bender!! So maybe you've all heard of it/her/them and I'm just a "day late and a dollar short" once more.

I would not go out and buy it - but I would check it out at the library. It's about a woman with a mentally retarded daughter - growing up in the early 50's in LA - the families are Jewish. In the course of one actual day, the stories of three generations are told. It was pretty insightful in its portrayal of mental handicaps and how society used to deal with them. And it is also an insightful portrayal of love and family dynamics.

You could put it on your list - but maybe not at the top!