A review by rachelhelps
Maggie's Place by Annette Haws

4.0

This novel centers around a older lady and a homeless young women in Salt Lake City during the holidays. Haws included lots of details in the setting, giving it a strong sense of place and time. Things like the smell of wool in a knitting shop, a couch with a rip in one cushion, and the care older people take when walking in icy conditions. I liked how many older women characters there were and how they were distinct from one another.

I felt a little confused about the book's point-of-view a few times, since it seemed to follow a limited perspective most of the time, but not all the time. Maybe I'm bad at reading?? There were some delightful turns of phrase in the descriptions and I enjoyed reading it. A few people told me that the ending was a little trite and I agree with them, but I can forgive that since the book dealt with some other issues without sugarcoating them, like fraud and suicide. I also felt like Maggie's relationship with her children was not fully explored. That said, this is the best holiday book set in Salt Lake City I've ever read :-).