A Book of Common Prayer
Writing with the telegraphic swiftness and microscopic sensitivity that have made her one of our most distinguished journalists, Joan Didion creates a shimmering novel of innocence and evil.A Book of Common Prayer is the story of two American women in the derelict Central American nation of Boca Grande. Grace Strasser-Mendana controls much of the country's wealth and knows virtually all of its secrets; Charlotte Douglas knows far too little. "Immaculate of history, innocent of politics," she has come to Boca Grande vaguely and vainly hoping to be reunited with her fugitive daughter. As imagined by Didion, her fate is at once utterly particular and fearfully emblematic of an age of conscienceless authority and unfathomable violence.
Reviews
maariyah @drugstorecowgirl
👎🏽
Marisel @marisel
My first read by Didion, I found this book fascinating for its very unique delivery, which I suspect may be one of her great gifts. There is nothing predictable in the way the story develops or in its conclusion. I love that the characters are written as almost caricatures of themselves, rendering them almost irrelevant, thus forcing the reader to focus solely on the protagonist and to care only about her. They and their character flaws exist only to make us care about her, her storyline, her ultimate fate— and (at least for me) her relationship to the narrator. I found this book extremely compelling, from page one. There is no writer I’d even remotely think to compare Didion’s writing to. Very unusual.
Audrey Kalman@audkal