Infinite Home by Kathleen Alcott

"A tender, honest study of aging, family and what people will do to insure the ones they care about are safe and secure."

4 Stars.

Pros: All the characters are different, relatable and the relationships they form with one another are heartwarming and true.

Cons: The ending wasn't exactly what I was expecting but at the same time, it worked, just in a more melancholy way than I had hoped.

Full Review:

Edith is a widow, her husband Declan having died of a sudden heart attack decades earlier. She's estranged from her children bus does her best to take care of the tenants in her building, that she and Declan bought together when they were first married. It's a motley crew, to be sure but they're all kind and genuine in their own way.

There's Edward, a washed up comedian, Paulie, a thirty something year old with a developmental disability but whose heart is innocent and pure, Thomas, an artist who suffered a stroke and Adeleine, a reclusive, Agoraphobe who hasn't left her apartment in years.

Through all of their trials and tribulations, Edith has been there to help. After Thomas suffered the stroke, she brought him food and made sure he took care of himself. She's a constant presence, always ready with a kind word, a warm cup of tea and a gentle, encouraging smile. It's not until the night of the fire, when the building across the street starts to burn and Edith tries to walk into the flames that the tenants realize, her mind is starting to slip.

What follows is a heart wrenching and emotional tale of people trying to take care of a woman who's always taken care of them. They'll go to extreme lengths to insure that Edith is safe, away from the money hungry hands of her son, who wants to put Edith in a home and evict them all.

They work together to figure everything out and though the end isn't particularly happy, it's honest and heartfelt. This was a beautifully written book and I greatly enjoyed it.

Comments

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