“It’s not that he was despised or feared as Lupita knew many Mexicans were in the other parts of the United States, it was that he was not considered. The Goss family relied on him but they did not care to know him. The men he hired to work at Edgeweather were grateful for the jobs; but as he got older he became bossier, pestering and second-guessing them more frequently. It hurt her to think of him as someone who was either ignored or tolerated.” (p. 219) Kindle Edition.
I am attracted to books set in Connecticut since I spent 40+ years of my life there. Through his characters, Bill Clegg portrayed both the charm and beauty of northwestern Connecticut as well as the enormous chasms in socioeconomic status among its residents. Main characters Dana Goss and Jackie live near each other in one of the towns served by the real Housatonic Valley Regional High School, the first public regional high school in Connecticut; it serves the sparsely populated northwestern area of Connecticut. Clegg uses the economically diverse characters to inform readers about access to private schools in that area of Connecticut. Only a few of the privileged citizens attend public school along with the farmers and children of domestic workers.
In Wells, a fictional town, Dana’s family lives in an estate called Edgeweather, and Jackie’s family lives in a more modest house within walking distance. Despite warnings from her mother, Jackie is allured into a friendship that Dana engineers. To serve Dana’s wishes and interests, and for most intents and purposes, they become best friends and remain close for much of their childhoods. However, there was a horrible falling out between the two women when they were young adults and haven’t spoken to each other for more than forty years.
During high school, Jackie is in love with Floyd Howland, a farmer from the area, and she traps him into marrying her with an unplanned pregnancy. It is clear that Dana disapproved of Jackie’s marriage to Floyd. Clegg uses several characters’ viewpoints to develop a story replete with misinformation and a slew of contradictory stories related to what happened so many years ago to destroy the relationship that Dana and Jackie had as youngsters.
Another prominent character, Lupita Lopez, daughter of the hired help at the Edgeweather Estate, is about the same age as Jackie and Dana but indeed a member of a different social class. Lupita is abused by her father and tormented at school. The reader learns early in the story that she has moved to Hawaii and chauffeurs tourists around.
Clegg creates nuanced relationships, yet much of the story is dark. Each character has secrets and regrets. Dishonesty and manipulation prevail as the characters’ stories unfold. He uses powerful New England symbolism such as the “Great Elm” tree and brick walls swarming with ivy to represent the steadfast lives of the wealthy people who own multiple homes, usually in Connecticut, New York, AND Florida, and employ foreigners as servants. Connecticut is often called the “Land of Steady Habits,” This book forces one to wonder how much has or has not changed among the real people living in old Yankee towns like the fictional Wells.
