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A review by teriboop
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It's 1984, and Lillian Boxfish is about to ring in another new year. The 84-year-old, or 85-year-old if she's telling you the truth, is at home in her New York apartment with her constant companion, Phoebe the cat, eating Oreos, contemplating her evening plans and her life. Lillian is a former advertising executive for the R. H. Macy company and, in the 40s at the height of her career, was a well-known poet celebrated for her quirky, humorous quips. Decades later, she's a divorcee with a grown son who spends more time with his dying stepmother than with Lillian.
Keeping tradition, Lillian decides to take a walk to Grimaldi's for her annual New Year's Eve dinner before heading to her friend Wendy's place for a midnight party. It's a cold night, so Lillian bundles up in her fur coat and heads out to the streets of Manhattan. Along the way, we are exposed to Lillian's innermost thoughts and conversations with friends and strangers she meets along the way. She reflects on her storied and troubled life in the course of one evening.
Based on the real-life of advertising executive and poet Margaret Fishback, Lillian is quite a character who seems to be able to talk herself out of almost any situation and circumstance. The author utilized the personal records of Fishback to create a completely fictional character in this gem of historical fiction. It's not a riveting tale, but Lillian is an interesting woman with a lot to talk about.
Keeping tradition, Lillian decides to take a walk to Grimaldi's for her annual New Year's Eve dinner before heading to her friend Wendy's place for a midnight party. It's a cold night, so Lillian bundles up in her fur coat and heads out to the streets of Manhattan. Along the way, we are exposed to Lillian's innermost thoughts and conversations with friends and strangers she meets along the way. She reflects on her storied and troubled life in the course of one evening.
Based on the real-life of advertising executive and poet Margaret Fishback, Lillian is quite a character who seems to be able to talk herself out of almost any situation and circumstance. The author utilized the personal records of Fishback to create a completely fictional character in this gem of historical fiction. It's not a riveting tale, but Lillian is an interesting woman with a lot to talk about.