Rating: 4/5
This is a great book. Lillian Boxfish is a very interesting lady, beginning with her name. She worked in advertisement for Macy's in the 1930s and holds herself to a stylish standard despite being in her 80s. She is so strong willed, which would not work quite as well if we didn't get an opportunity to see inside her head. We get to see her vulnerable multiple times. I love her approach to these situations, especially later in the book because they show off her personality so well. The fact that she is based on a real person tops things off nicely.
It is the last day of 1984 and we get to see Lillian reminisce about her life: work, love, family, ups and downs; pretty much everything. This is her life present for the reader in all its normalcy. And that might sound boring, but it is told so well. The book is very compelling. Her walk around Manhattan is wonderful because it presents a balanced view of the city. There are good, bad, and mundane things that happen to her. It is an interesting journey that she takes, and I'm glad I got to ride along.
There are a few minor points that I want to discuss though. First, the book is split between the past and the present. At first this isn't really made clear. It works as it is written, but I feel like there could have been a little bit added to the first couple chapters to help clue the reader in to that distinction. Second, there are a few times where the writing feels odd. There are a couple times that I can remember where a sentence was laid out in a way that felt out of place. Not a big deal, but it was noticeable. Lastly, the scene from the first chapter is fantastic. While it is very simple and short, it informs a lot of what happens throughout the rest of the book. I was glad to see it tied into the story without drawing attention to it.
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