Nora Webster
by Colm Toibin
Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.
Nora Webster by Colm Toibin depicts a mother of four, struggling with grief and financial hardships after the death of her beloved husband, She struggles to support her four children and clings to secrecy in the intrusive community of her childhood before finding her voice.
Most members of the group enjoyed the book. We discussed the relationships between Nora with her mother as well as Nora's relationship with her daughters. No surprises there as the similarities passed through the generations confirm that history continues to repeat itself.
It was interesting for us to note that all of her family members, worked around her. Was everyone trying to protect her in her grief? Did they just not want to deal with her? Reactions were mixed on this topic! Nora was very well protected (insulated?) while married to Maurice which caused her to become very focused (or was she actually just self-centered?).
We also discussed her relationships with her two younger sons. Why did she not discuss selling their vacation home with them? It was clear that she understood the importance of the Cush house to the boys. Was she "protecting" them from dealing with adult financial problems? Or perhaps, she just didn't want to deal with it.
All members appreciated the excellent job that the author (a man) did writing from a woman's perspective; however, we also all agreed that there were too many unfinished stories started throughout the novel.
When asked if this is a book you would recommend to a friend, no one jumped up with a resounding "Yes!!"....which I interpret as, "Hmmmm... maybe, depends on the person."
