I was on the outside looking in at you: MAINE CHARACTERS.

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes you just need to escape into other people's wild problems. MAINE CHARACTERS allows just that!

Vivian and Lucy are each the (now adult) daughters of Hank. Lucy lived in Maine with her mother, seeing her father mainly for a month in July at his vacation cabin. She grew up aware of her half-sister, though they never met. As for Vivian, she has no clue Lucy exists. Raised by Hank and her mother, Vivian, in New York City, she only visits Maine once a year.

When Hank suddenly passes away, Vivian heads to Maine to sell the cabin. She's shocked to discover Lucy there, who has come up to spend the month of July with her father. Vivian must grapple with the idea of a half sister, while Lucy must come to terms with their father's death.

This book is certainly not a "Parent Trap" for adults--these sisters are not trying to reunite their parents! But it's a great, dramatic look at fraught parental relationships and secrets layered on top of terrible choices. Vivian is struggling with her own romantic partnership and career decisions, while Lucy is going through a divorce. It makes this story seem incredibly serious--and it certainly has plenty of emotions--but it's also a fun look at sisterhood that will make you yearn to visit Maine immediately! 3.5 stars.

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