Are You Willing to Let a Friend Go?

Anton Discalafani’s The After Party is one of the best novels of the summer according to PopSugar.  This novel entertains us with a tale of friendship between to two women back in the 1950s.  The story is set in the 1957 and through flashbacks of the two women’s childhood.   The women are both named Joans.

Synopsis:

Joan and Cece have been together since elementary school.  They share a history that is hard for many to understand even her husband.    The story is told from Cece’s point of view, and her role in Joan’s life as her caretaker.  When her mother died she went to live with Joan’s family.  Joan’s parents expected her to keep tabs on their daughter.  The story flips between Joan and Cece’s growing up years to the present of 1957.  Now that Cece has her own family and baby how can she keep the same role?  Does Joan want her to?   Can she break the ties of her past?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story.  The author focused the setting in Houston and the Shamrock hotel.  A whole community evolves from the author's creative mind.   Then we the readers are introduced to the two Joans.  The theme of the story is who is Joan?  Cece and her parents think they know.  But do they really?  The only part of the story that I didn’t love was Cece’s obsession with Joan, in their relationship.  It is a great coming of age story.

  Rating:

4/5

Please visit Anton on her Facebook page and her Website.