From the New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark comes an unforgettable novel that illuminates the sweet and brittle bonds of family, the tenderness of growing up, the heartbreak of longing for what we’ve lost, and the poignancy of finding love.
FACT: Unbeknownst to eleven-year-old Theresa “Tessie” Finley, she’s in over her head.
PROOF: After hearing a scream and catching a glimpse of a mysterious man carrying a body beneath the flickering streetlights in the cemetery behind her house, Tessie adds solving a murder case to her already quite full to-do list.
Tessie has elected herself president of the crime-stopping Mutual Admiration Society—as if dealing with her “sad madness” over the tragic drowning of her beloved father; showering tender loving care on her “sweet but weird” younger sister, Birdie; and staying on the good side of their hard-edged mother weren’t enough. With partner in crime Charlie “Cue Ball” Garfield, Tessie and Birdie will need to dodge the gossips in their 1950s blue-collar neighborhood—particularly their evil next-door neighbor, Gert Klement, who’d like nothing better than to send the sisters to “homes.” And, of course, there’s the problem of steering clear of the kidnapping murderer if they have any hope of solving the mystery of all mysteries: the mystery of life.
A rich and charming tour de force, The Mutual Admiration Society showcases Lesley Kagen’s marvelous storytelling talents. Laced with heartwarming humor and heartbreaking grief, this novel is nothing short of magical.
Rolling, delightful read that continues Lesley Kagen’s unique voice As a Wisconsinite who grew up hearing the cadence and descriptive flow of Lesley Kagen’s characters, this was a delightful read that suspended me back to hearing my old great aunts, with their beehive hair and shrilly Polish giggles and sideswiping whacks, and their lively explanations and observations.
Depends on what you’re looking for… This book wasn’t really my cup of tea, though I’m sure other people may like this. The story is told from a child’s point of view — this will delight some readers, but I prefer books with complex characters, particularly when the characters are facing those classic grown-up scenarios we all face, like betrayal, loss, time passing, etc. So this just really wasn’t the book for me from the get go, and I should have picked something else to read.
Cheryl Such a poignant story of a little 10-year-old girl growing up poor in the 1950’s in Milwaukee. In addition, Tessie has to deal with harsh neighbors, a distant mother, and her mentally-challenged younger sister, Robin, among other things. And even though tears threaten to spill, you cheer for this little spitfire who is just trying to make sense of her narrow and repressed little world. This book is really a-day-in-the-life-of and by the end you hope that she can continue to forge ahead in…