The Gathering

Incredible in a twisted and dark way, Anne's book is the dark sister to books like the Mermaid Chair. Brutally honest and deliciously interwoven, the story moves back and forth through the past and present, and from created and remembered memories in a fluid and simple way. While this book is not written in glowing prose, the effect is nevertheless engaging and immersive. There are numerous points of connection throughout the story that help to draw the reader in to what is otherwise an (arguably) tragic story. Yet at the same time, the unreliableness of the narrator encourages a detachment in the reader that compliments the overall mental state of the main voice. The result is both moving and dramatic, making this one of the few books that I felt deserved a standing ovation when I was finished.