Wednesday, July 06, 2011

The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs

by Christina Hopkinson

There is a pile of stuff at the bottom of the stairs, and it irritates the heck out of Mary Gilmour. Her husband, Joel, ignores the pile and climbs right over it. And adds to it daily! For Mary, the piles and messes in her home have become overwhelming. So overwhelming that she’s actually considering divorcing Joel.

Then she has an idea: the list. Mary creates a list of all of Joel’s housework transgressions. By documenting all of his domestic don’ts, Mary seeks some clarity. What she achieves with her list is completely different.

Mary is a whiner, and the first third of the novel is difficult to read just because of that negativity. But the story progresses, humor surfaces, and Mary makes some important discoveries about herself and the seemingly flawless domestic diva with whom she is friends.

6/17/11

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