A review by perry417
Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt
5.0
Oh, I loved this book so much -- and yes, it made me cry big wet tears at the end.
The brief description on the flap does not do this book justice, as it focuses only on one aspect of a much deeper story about love. On the surface, the story is about Lucy, a teenager, who runs away from home with her thirty-something teacher William.
But throughout the book, the narrators change (Lucy; her sister Charlotte; their mother Iris; William, the teacher; and Patrick, a farmstand owner) and their histories are revealed and interwoven through beautiful, nuanced writing. I didn't expect the chapters devoted to Iris's marriage or Patrick's heartbreak, but they were beautiful and some of my favorite aspects of this book.
I loved the setting in the late 60s / early 70s, with the Manson case always in the background (and because of this, I was reminded a little of Emma Cline's The Girls, which I also really liked). This book touches on love, passion, desire, dreams, family, responsibility, loyalty, companionship... so much. Loved it.
The brief description on the flap does not do this book justice, as it focuses only on one aspect of a much deeper story about love. On the surface, the story is about Lucy, a teenager, who runs away from home with her thirty-something teacher William.
But throughout the book, the narrators change (Lucy; her sister Charlotte; their mother Iris; William, the teacher; and Patrick, a farmstand owner) and their histories are revealed and interwoven through beautiful, nuanced writing. I didn't expect the chapters devoted to Iris's marriage or Patrick's heartbreak, but they were beautiful and some of my favorite aspects of this book.
I loved the setting in the late 60s / early 70s, with the Manson case always in the background (and because of this, I was reminded a little of Emma Cline's The Girls, which I also really liked). This book touches on love, passion, desire, dreams, family, responsibility, loyalty, companionship... so much. Loved it.