Sunday, August 20, 2017

Lillian Boxfish takes a walk

Lillian Boxfish takes a walk / Kathleen Rooney, read by Xe Sand, 287 pgs.

Lillian is 84 or 85 if you add back that year she has been lying about for a LONG time.  She is still living in New York, the city she moved to in her twenties and has loved ever since.  She came as a youngster and made her mark.  At one time, she was the highest paid woman in advertising, she is a published poet and a force.  Now, in her old age, she has fewer remaining friends and acquaintances but is certainly not opposed to making new ones.  She is walking on New Year's eve.  First going to her planned dinner and then probably home but instead, she continues on.  She meets new people and she reminisces about her life, her loves, the good times and the bad.  We learn a lot about Lillian on this walk.  Mostly we learn that she is an interesting woman who has seen a lot and knows a lot.

I listened to the audio version and Xe Sand does a great job of capturing Lillian's voice.  I also enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the audio where I learned Lillian is based on a real person, Margaret Fishback whose papers were donated to Duke University. A great listen.

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