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Insightful,
Slow,
Dramatic

6 reviews

The Widower's Tale: A Novel
by Julia Glass

Published: 2010-09-07
Hardcover : 416 pages
1 member reading this now
18 clubs reading this now
3 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 2 of 6 members

In a historic farmhouse outside Boston, seventy-year-old Percy Darling is settling happily into retirement: reading novels, watching old movies, and swimming naked in his pond. His routines are disrupted, however, when he is persuaded to let a locally beloved preschool take over his barn. ...

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Introduction

(

In a historic farmhouse outside Boston, seventy-year-old Percy Darling is settling happily into retirement: reading novels, watching old movies, and swimming naked in his pond. His routines are disrupted, however, when he is persuaded to let a locally beloved preschool take over his barn. As Percy sees his rural refuge overrun by children, parents, and teachers, he must reexamine the solitary life he has made in the three decades since the sudden death of his wife. No longer can he remain aloof from his community, his two grown daughters, or, to his shock, the precarious joy of falling in love.

One relationship Percy treasures is the bond with his oldest grandchild, Robert, a premed student at Harvard. Robert has long assumed he will follow in the footsteps of his mother, a prominent physician, but he begins to question his ambitions when confronted by a charismatic roommate who preaches?and begins to practice?an extreme form of ecological activism, targeting Boston's most affluent suburbs.

Meanwhile, two other men become fatefully involved with Percy and Robert: Ira, a gay teacher at the preschool, and Celestino, a Guatemalan gardener who works for Percy's neighbor, each one striving to overcome a sense of personal exile. Choices made by all four men, as well as by the women around them, collide forcefully on one lovely spring evening, upending everyone's lives, but none more radically than Percy's.

With equal parts affection and satire, Julia Glass spins a captivating tale about the loyalties, rivalries, and secrets of a very particular family. Yet again, she plumbs the human heart brilliantly, dramatically, and movingly.

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Book Club Recommendations

Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
  "Character-driven novel"by Julie O. (see profile) 03/09/15

This was very hard to get into at the beginning because of too many characters' back stories. The pace picked up but there were still too many stories going on at once. This would be good for discussion... (read more)

 
  "the widower's tale"by Barbara F. (see profile) 10/30/14

This novel covers everything from illegal immigration to gay marriage and all things in-between. The story generated definite division between liking and disliking the book. Our club members were so apathetic... (read more)

 
  "The Widower's Tale"by Karen H. (see profile) 10/29/14

The way the author jumped back and forth between characters, I found confusing. It was difficult to follow many of the characters as there was so much going on and you couldn't find a thread in this dysfunctional... (read more)

 
  "A Page Turner Selection"by Machelle H. (see profile) 04/12/13

Overall, the group liked the characters, the setting and the story. A rich read if not a very fast one.

 
  "Widower's Tale"by Shirley H. (see profile) 08/28/12

 
  "Club Members Had Mixed Opinions."by Martha L. (see profile) 06/22/12

Wonderful character development and dialog. Some club members thought that there wasn't enough story to keep them really interested, although they enjoyed the book. I would read anything that Julia Glass... (read more)

 
  "language"by Abby T. (see profile) 05/03/12

Excellent use of language for dialogue and description

 
  "The Widower's Tale"by Patti D. (see profile) 01/29/12

Very boring. Many characters and stories within the story. Did not flow. I would not recommend it.

 
  "The Widower's Tale"by Kathryn H. (see profile) 01/27/12

I thought that this book was well written. The characters dealt with many issues including family relationships, death, grief, anger, the environment, homosexuality etc. I enjoyed the authors use of... (read more)

 
  "I see you Everywhere"by Colleen R. (see profile) 03/16/11

Not the best Julie Glass novel she has written.

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