One for Sorrow, Two for Joy

Juska is very good with character development. I almost gave up on it because in the first half I found Claire to be the most boring, uptight, and stuck up character but as she looks back on her past and learns some important "life lessons" in Ireland her personality improves and she becomes more likeable. However, I liked her previous book "The Hazards of Sleeping Alone" much better.

I know I'm always in for a great read when I sit down to one of Juska's novels. This one in particular kept me glued to the pages. I really enjoyed getting to know Claire (main character) through her relationships with her husband, sister and mother. Juska's descriptions are vivid and often humorous. I loved the entertaining way that she punctuated a moment with various definitions of a word. I really truly enjoyed this book and want to offer my congratulations to the author on a beautifully written story.