Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life: when she was eleven and her mother disappeared, being proposed to at twenty-one, the accident that would make her a widow at forty-one. At each of these moments, Willa ended up on a path laid out for her by others. So when she receives a phone call telling her that her son’s ex-girlfriend has been shot and needs her help, she drops everything and flies across the country. The spur-of-the-moment decision to look after this woman – and her nine-year-old daughter, and her dog – will lead Willa into uncharted territory. Surrounded by new and surprising neighbours, she is plunged into the rituals that make a community and takes pleasure in the most unexpected things. A bittersweet novel of hope and regret, fulfillment and renewal, Clock Dance brings us the everyday life of a woman who decides it’s never too late to change direction, and choose your own path.
Paperback, 304 pages
Published July 12th 2018 by Chatto Windus
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.72 Stars
I was not impressed. This captured the life of a woman not living. It was a slow build to the heartwarming spark at the end. A mid-life crisis/coming of age/awakening having her wonder if she was really just sitting back taking the easy road and letting life pass her by instead of accomplishing what she wanted.
It was a sweet theme to capture that money is not everything and relationships might be the truest wealth a person can hold, but it was almost monotonic. The supporting characters held the color and when they did showcase their colors, it just brought more awareness to how drab the main character was.
I'll be interested to share my thoughts and hear my communities at the Barnes & Noble book club tomorrow.
“I always think it’s a good sign when a man likes cats. It shows he doesn’t feel the need to be in constant control of things.”