Received from sister Mary today with a note: "Let me know what you think of this book!"

And I will!

As in The Lovely Bones, Sebold begins with a shocking statement:

When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.

You might think that this is going to be a book of dark humor or that it just might not be palatable. I have spoken to several people who started this book or The Lovely Bones but "couldn't finish". They said they were "creeped out" or similar words.

You have to give it more time. This is one of those instances where you may not be able to tell from the start whether it's for you.

Helen is the narrator. Clair is her mother. In the course of the book we learn a lot about what the relationship between the two was like, which has a lot to do with the ultimate end. But killing her mother does not remove Helen's worries, of course; it adds to them. She is not as cavalier as that first sentence suggests. While the killing was easy, the rest is not. We watch as Helen calls on her ex-husband to help her, putting her in a position of dependence that contrasts with her usual self-controlled self. We see how she engineers encounters with acquaintances and children. Nothing is untouched and by the end we are not really sure how well she has recovered.

I enjoy Sebold's willingness to shock us, to take sensitive subjects and treat them in a way that is almost taboo - but not quite.

Gave to daughter Mary.

I liked it but I can see why some people would find it off-putting.

Gave to an employee to leave in the break room.