The Good Daughters

I’m b-a-c-k. I was asked to continue submitting and at first I said no. Then “someone” said “I can see you in a coffee shop with your laptop writing on the blog”. So – here I am (and I’m in a coffee shop). Just finished “The Good Daughters” by Joyce Maynard. It’s a 7 day book, which I read in 1 1/2 days. It captivated me. Have you ever felt you didn’t belong in your family? You don’t look or act like your siblings. Well, Ruth Plank and Dana Dickerson were born on July 4, 1950, which connected their 2 families forever. The Planks were a farming family and Ruth was daughter number 5. The Dickersons were nomadic, never staying in 1 place long. Val Dickerson was an artist and her husband George, well George was an idea man. He was always thinking up new inventions (which someone usually beat him to), he tried his hand at running restaurants, songwriting, etc.

Over the years the families stayed in touch and felt that Ruth and Dana should be good friends. A birth date was really all that connected them. That and Ruth’s interest in Dana’s older brother Ray.

The twists and turns had me guessing and re-guessing as to what was the real connection between theses families. I changed my mind several times. It’s a quick and enjoyable read. A perfect break from the winter doldrums. Enjoy. And have a Happy Groundhog Day. Karen