A review by novelgossip
Five-Part Invention by Andrea J. Buchanan

4.0

I’ve read a few books about generational trauma recently and there is something completely fascinating about this concept to me. This is the part of the synopsis that got me 👇🏻

Spanning five generations of women, Five-Part Invention wrestles with the question—if trauma echoes through generations, can love echo, too? Is the love we transmit enough to undo the trauma of the past that we unwittingly carry with us and often re-enact in the present?

It starts with Lise in the 1920’s and 1930’s the in subsequent chapters you hear from four other women in the next generations. I really liked the way this story unfolded and slowly told a tale. There was something both quiet and intimate about both the writing and the format and it really captivated me. I don’t always mesh well with literary fiction as sometimes it’s too wordy and flowery but this one really worked well for me. It was a complex story with many triggers and some disturbing content but I also found it to be oddly inspiring and at times wise. I loved the focus on art in various forms and found myself forming connections with all five women in some manner. Overall it was profound, deep and really beautifully written.