Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (2018) 453 pages

Nine people converge on Tranquillum House, a health resort run by Masha, a highly driven woman with a type-A personality who had survived a massive heart attack ten years prior. The guests have responded to the ads for the expensive resort either to lose weight, improve their health or their personal relationships, or gain spiritual nourishment. One young couple have relationship issues stemming from having won the lottery. One family is there to heal as the 3rd anniversary of their son's/brother's death nears. One woman is there to pamper herself because her latest romance novel has not been purchased by her publisher, making her concerned that she's all washed up in her fifties. Plus she's lost her American boyfriend, which is another story in itself. All of the guests have fascinating backstories, as does Masha, the owner of the resort.

The guests are surprised to start the ten-day regimen with five days of silence, punctuated with frequent smoothies and diets tailored just for them, along with meditations, yoga, massages, and more. By the time I'd gotten just beyond the halfway point, I felt that the book had already given me a full experience, as the characters learned about themselves and their fellow guests. But there were 200 pages left. Where was the author going to go next? All I can say is to expect the unexpected as the revelations continue!

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