New Book - Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan (Pages 1 - 58)

 First Published: 2011

This novel is told from different perspectives. 

The first character we meet is Alice Kelleher, a woman in her eighties. In Maine she has a cottage that she has been going to on holiday for fifty years. Her husband won the piece of land in a bet, and they build the cottage. Alice had three children: Kathleen, Patrick and Clare. Over the years the cottage has been frequented by her family as well as her extended family. And then the grandchildren also came. Yet, Alice feels that her children have grown apart, and she doesn't like the fact that Patrick built another house, and Kathleen, Patrick and Clare divided the summer to go, and Alice hates the idea that they can't come as a family. Now her husband, Daniel is dead, and Alice is disappointed. She is a religious woman and is disappointed that her church in Massachusetts has been closed, so she needs to go to another one. That is what she doesn't want for the church in Maine where she is a frequent visitor in summer, and when the priest comes to visit her and mentions the problems the church has, she says that when she dies, her property will go to the church and she has talked to her children and they agree, which is a lie. 

Maggie is Alice's granddaughter, Kathleen's daughter. She lives in New York and is in a relationship with Gabe. They are getting ready to go to Maine, and Maggie plans to tell him that she is pregnant. This makes her very nervous because Gabe tends to avoid commitment and she worries what is going to happen. It is encouraging that some months ago he asked her to move in with him in August as his flatmate has decided to go and live with his girlfriend. When Maggie is packing her bag for Maine, the flatmate, Cunnigham, appears and says that  his girlfriend has found a job in another town, so he won't be moving in with her after all. After that, Maggie and Gabe talk, and he says that it isn't such a good idea to live together, and their discussion turns into an argument. Gabe tells her that they should take a break, and he concludes that he wants them to break up. Before she knows what is happening Gabe has slammed the door shut and finds herself outside. Maggie waits a few minutes in case Gabe realises he has made a mistake, but Gabe never reappears.