THE OUTSIDE OF AUGUST
Joanna Hershon
Ballantine
Fiction
ISBN: 0345441834

THE OUTSIDE OF AUGUST by Joanna Hershon is the story of one woman's search for the truth about her mother, a woman who was unavailable emotionally and physically, yet had great influence on a family that was being torn apart from within. The book is divided into two sections and centers on Alice Green, the daughter. Told from her point of view, the story line through the first half of the book gives the reader a somewhat skewed picture of what was happening with her family during her childhood years. The reader will find that this was intentional on the author's part, as things come to light in the second half of the novel when Alice goes in search of answers.

The first part is comprised of several key events that take place in Alice's youth, snapshots of what her life was like growing up. In one scene, Alice describes a party she attended, where at one point her mother and father seem to be subconsciously competing against each other for the attentions of a man. Two people couldn't be more different. Alice's mother is a free spirit who disappears for weeks on end doing who knows what, coming home with interesting souvenirs and claiming she was working or doing research for some project, while her father is a scientist, buried in his work. Alice never does accept that her mother Charlotte is taking these trips for any legitimate reason, except to enjoy traveling and living the life she can't experience at home with her family. There's a sense that Charlotte needs to escape, and on each successive trip she comes home looking older and more haggard. Sometimes she is found in bed all day, unable to function, deep in a depression that Alice does not understand.

On the other hand, Alice's father Alan is an enigma, often withdrawn and not taking part emotionally with the family. He buries himself in his work, his personality befitting that of the neurobiologist that he is. His obsession with work makes it even harder on the two children during those weeks when Charlotte is away from home.

The book opens with a chapter in which an uncomfortable confrontation between Alan and Alice's brother August occurs, during one of Charlotte's absences. It is freezing cold in the house because of unpaid bills, and August is wearing a parka at the dinner table. The tension between father and son is a clue of things to come, and representative of their relationship. Alice looks on, always acting as the middleman, trying to make things better for everyone as her brother and father yell back and forth across the kitchen table. It becomes obvious in later chapters that Alan prefers Alice over Gus, and is probably the parent who she feels closest to, but it is her mother who Alice yearns for, a mother who is often not there, physically or emotionally.

August's attitude about things in general is opposite to that of Alice. While Alice is always the good child, August seems to be looking for trouble, tempting fate with his wild behavior. His anger rages inside him, and as he grows older the anger and feelings of alienation is evidenced by his promiscuity and careless attitudes toward sex, along with his desire to be as far away from his family as possible. As the author paints a somewhat blurry picture of what makes August tick, the reader is left with a puzzle, knowing that there is something missing that Alice is not aware of and therefore the reader is also left in the dark.

Their lives fall apart after Charlotte's sudden death in a house fire, and August leaves home. He disappears from their lives, and it is much later that Charlotte goes in search for him. What she learns when she finally finds him shakes up her world, but it ultimately explains her dysfunctional childhood, her parents' relationship, and the reason why August left in such a rage.

THE OUTSIDE OF AUGUST was my introduction to the writing of Joanna Hershon, and I was deeply impressed. Written in a very descriptive style, she successfully creates a mood and atmosphere throughout the book that matches the story line. Other words that could describe this book are "haunting" and "dark." Her writing style made this book a fast read, despite the difficult and somewhat cryptic story. I highly recommend this novel, and will probably count this as one of my favorite books of 2003.

   --- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org)

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