And When She Was Good: A Novel
This is the first book by Ms. Lippman that I have read. I will admit that initially, I had a hard time getting into And When she Was Good. But as the book progressed, I was intrigued to find out what makes a woman choose to become a madam. I liked the way the story alternated between the past and the present. The author does a great job of showing the reader how Heloise evolves into "the mother" and "the madam". Heloise keeps her life ordered and compartmentalized. Few people know what she really does for a living. She manages to keep it all from her son and has been raising him in a nice, homey environment. The problem is that her normal life and her hidden life are slowly crashing together.I think this book will be met with mixed feelings. The book is well written and the characters were very well fleshed out. I'm just not too sure many of them are likable. For me, that includes the main character. I could see how she made her early mistakes. Many abused, naive girls fall into situations that they can't find a way out of and I can understand that. What I didn't understand is why Heloise chose to stay in the life. She had several opportunities to make herself into something different. Many single mothers manage to go back to school and find jobs with which they can support their family. When she is making money as a madam, she chooses not to funnel it into an education for herself. I lost some respect for her because of this.
The subject of prostitution is a very controversial issue. Heloise feels she is providing a service, but how many families is she helping to tear apart when the husbands come to her? I had a hard time reconciling that in my mind. Despite all of that, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it. And When She Was Good is a book that I believe will be talked about for a long while. I did like the ending and I know it is a book that will stay with me for a long time. If you are a fan of Laura Lippman, give this new one a shot.
