A review by sonia_reppe
Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt

4.0

The title is perfect for this because there is tragedy but also hope. This is a tender tale of sisters coming-of-age in the late sixties. The younger one, Lucy, runs away with her high school teacher and the reality is not all she imagined; her older sister tries to find her, and is helped by a college drop-out who is full of regret for a tragedy in his past. Also we get the bittersweet backstory of their guardian, Iris.

I was really enthralled by Lucy's story, and how her oppressed situation became slowly and steadily unbearable. Teacher man is hiding her away in the country until she turns 18. It makes me wonder if he would have been so controlling if she hadn't been underage. My guess is yes.

I was disappointed when the character I really liked was

Spoiler

taken out with still a third of the book to go.

I will overlook the convenient coincidences that Charlotte came upon

Spoiler

(like finding that postcard which led her to William).

But I could have done without the octogenarian sex scene. I didn't buy that this woman was content to be celibate her whole life and then want sex when she's 80. Overall, though, this is the type of story I like.