Saint Mazie

Title: Saint Mazie

Author: Jami Attenberg [Website][Twitter][Facebook]

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

ISBN: 9781455599905

Length: 321 pages

Obtained: Library book club copy

Why this book?:

For book discussion.  This was this group's last time having a discussion. :(

Comments:

I found this interesting, although it wasn't quite what I had expected.  I did check out the book that contains the story that inspired this, though I did not get around to reading it.  I'll try again.  Anyway, with spoilers I guess, though I think I'm glossing over the biggies...


Told in the perspective of interviews and journal entries, Mazie was a young girl taken in with her younger sister by her older sister and brother-in-law.  She lived a decent life at first, but she wanted to spread her wings, and in response she was put to work helping with the family's ticket booth at the theater.  Her younger sister, who always seemed so good took off to live the life.  And her older sister became increasing agitated and clingy as she was unable to have a child of her own.  So Mazie, caged in her booth, became the stable sister, despite her wild ways.  With her stability (and money from her brother-in-law who may have been involved in shady business), she was able to hold steady through the Great Depression, doing what she could for the homeless men.  Despite her own anxieties, depressions, and family drama.


Obviously the book made something of an impact as I am writing all of this many months after reading it and I still remember much of it, if not the fine details.