SOMEWHERE OFF THE COAST OF MAINE (Ann Hood)

This is Ann Hood's first novel and was originally a set of connected short stories.  I think that this shows a bit, to tell you the truth, but I'm not a critic!  I did enjoy this story of three friends, Rebecca, Claudia, and Suzanne, who attended college together in Maine in the late 1960's.  Rebecca and Claudia are true children of the era, embracing all of the lifestyle choices that parents feared during that era - pot smoking, free love, rebelliousness.  Suzanne, the most traditional of the three, is a reluctant participant until she falls in love with a handsome poet named Abel and moves in with him, keeping the relationship a secret from her straight-laced parents.

Rebecca is truly in love with Howard, her soul-mate, and eventually gives birth to Rebekah, a difficult, moody child.  Claudia seems more to be in love with the idea of love and family rather than besotted with Peter, who doesn't really seem sure of where he fits into Claudia's scheme for her life. Peter doesn't really believe that he is baby Simon's father until he is born, and the couple goes on to have 2 more sons.  Claudia envisions spending her life raising her 3 handsome and exceptional sons, Simon, Henry, and Johnathon, until tragedy intervenes and she and her life begin to unravel  Suzanne eventually finds herself pregnant, only to discover that Abel, whom she considers the love of her life, is not interested in marriage, security, or a baby, and would like to continue on as they have been.  Suzanne refuses to get rid of the baby and returns home in disgrace to raise her daughter on her own.

While Suzanne's daughter, Sparrow, and her quest to find her father seems to be the focus of this novel, it's really about the three women, their choices and eventual consequences.  Most of the action takes place in the 60's and early 70's. then in the early 80's when Sparrow is in her teens and desperate to connect with the man who fathered her.  All of the women are struggling in one way or another, with physical and mental illness, grief, or the need to prove that they have made the right decisions for their lives.  This is an interesting little novel that raises a lot of questions about choices and their ramifications.  I didn't like it as much as Hood's The Book That Matters Most, but it was definitely worth the time.