Artie and Evie are living a lie. One has never told the other about their son, and they can never talk about it. Set in the contemporary political chaos of the United States, which lingers in the background, (also never spoken about by some in the story because of the divide and hostility it can create), it’s a simple story, revealing a lot about human nature, society, aging, and the shape of lives.
Artie is a quietly powerful teacher. His pupils do say the things that the adults never say, which may be the impetus for the unravelling of Artie’s life. It isn’t exactly brimming with joy, but it’s quietly poignant. Others may well call it bleak.
I enjoyed some of the little snippets about the lives and thoughts of other characters. A nice little device used throughout.
