Book 19: Big Little Lies
Is Liane Moriarty secretly from Vancouver West Side? Or are all groups of parents simply made up of the same characters? Can this cast be found in any disparate group of parents brought together because of the common activities of their kids? I suppose it can, and that is likely the appeal of this book. It’s just so familiar. The thing about meeting people through the happenstance of having kids the same age is that these people will be part of your life for a very long time, regardless of how you feel about them. They will turn up a school events, sporting activities, summer camps and, of course, fund-raisers. If you end up in a conflict, like the main character in the book, it can make for a painfully difficult time. But, if you manage to make life-long friends in the process, as she also does, it is one of its greatest rewards.
So perhaps this is a book about friendship. It’s certainly not a murder mystery, although it’s easy to believe it is, since there is a murder and a mystery around who did it. But don’t be fooled. The murder investigation is just the thread along which this story travels.
I read this for my own book club (of course I did), 3 of whom do not have kids. I am very interested to hear their thoughts!
Rating: Borrow it. Probably not a re-read.
