I loved this book. It might be the best epistolary novel I've ever read. I much prefer the clear, straightforward devices Lee Smith uses to move her story along to the complex machinations of so many writers that leave me feeling manipulated as a reader. Her writing is anything but simplistic, though. One of the best examples of this is the ebb and flow of colloquialisms in main character Ivy's writing. Smith uses this to show us where Ivy is emotionally and developmentally, and it works really well. She makes her characters feel real, and that was important to me in this particular book.

Plus, I couldn't believe how closely Ivy's descriptions of her late 30s compare to how I feel now that I'm entering that age myself.

Dear Ivy,

All is lost, for I have finished your book, and I miss you already.

I remain,
Cathleen