Gail Godwin's Newest Novel

Flora by Gail Godwin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked Flora, but it's not one of my favorite Gail Godwin books. It's interesting, I noticed in the reviews of Flora one person saying how much they disliked the Father Melancholy's Daughter, and yet this rates as one of my favorites.

Helen is a 10 year old girl whose mother died when she was just a toddler. While her father is away, Flora, her mother's 22 year old cousin, is caring for her. Helen and Flora are pretty much quarantined in their home as there is a polio scare, and Helen's father wants to keep her safe. Flora is described as being "simple hearted" and Helen doesn't really respect her. In fact, as the book goes along one could easier see Helen as the somewhat cynical adult figure, and Flora as an innocent.

I am distracted from my review having just read a review by Leah Hager Cohen in which she points out that the whole book is full of orphans. It's true! I am kind of tickled, for some strange reason, by this observation. To read Cohen's review visit the NY Times book review go  here.

Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was how Helen loved her house. Her home used to be a place of recovery for TB survivors and others and many of the rooms were named after the "recoverers", keeping their stories alive. In fact, you could say the house was a character in the book.

Why should you read this book? Well, the writing is good, and despite Helen's condescending behavior towards her cousin, I liked her.

I do like Gail Godwin as an author. This isn't my favorite of her books - I loved Father Melancholy's Daughter and Evensong. I liked "The Good Husband". I wasn't so crazy about Evening's at Five. Flora was good enough that I recommend you give it a try.


View all my reviews