Around the turn of the last century, a woman suddenly appeared in the cemetery of a small town just outside of Boston. The odd woman was Bertha Truitt, and had soon built Truitt's Alleys, a candlepin bowling alley where the people of Salford gathered regularly. And while Bertha and her family feature heavily in Bowlaway, the book isn't really about the Truitts. It's really a story of the bowling alley and the people who came to call it home during the 20th Century. It's a story of love and frustration and friendship and marriage and cooking and all of the things that make up a community. McCracken presents this story with a vague sense of time but a sharp sense of humor, full of quirks and clever phrases. I loved reading it, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
