Summary: Natural Order begins with Joyce in a nursing home. She's elderly and reflecting back on her life, and in particular the life of her only son who died in his 30s. The book is a collection of memories which stand out to her, and how they impacted her as she grew up.
This book makes you think, and it definitely makes you feel. It's about relationships and how we view other people, as well as how we treat them. It's about how we learn to deal with life and its difficulties.
The story was heartbreaking to read. The constant fear of rejection and feelings of isolation on both the parts of Joyce and John ring so true to real life. Francis raises questions regarding the parent-child relationship and how expectations can be so harmful to it.
That being said, I didn't particularly like this book. My main complaint about this book is how disjointed the story feels as the author moves between time periods from Joyce's present to her past. I would love to see more indication as to what time period the sections of the book are referring to. As well, I felt that the author spent too many pages trying to drive his point home about how the reader should feel towards Joyce. I almost felt like the writing was trying to force a reaction out of me, which was tiresome as a reader.
I was kindly provided with an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway for this book.
Natural Order by Brian Francis
Release Date: August 23, 2011
ISBN13: 9780385671538
2.5/5 Stars
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