Every Last One

“Most of our fears are petty and small. . . . 
            Only our love is monumental.”In Every Last One, author Anna Quindlen gives us a monumental—yet quietly reserved—look at the life of a typical American family, before and after the family is rocked by an unimaginable tragedy.  This is the story of Mary Beth Latham, basically a stay-at-home mom who operates a landscaping business; her ophthalmologist husband, Glen; daughter Ruby; and her fraternal twin sons, Max and Alex.  Although we observe their lives through Mary Beth’s eyes, we come to know Ruby the best.  She’s a senior in high school who is about to leave the nest for a yet-to-be-determined college.Mary Beth at one point ponders whether it is a woman’s role to persevere after everyone she’s loved has left her.  But she thinks about this at a time when everyone she loves is still close to her.  This is when she’s the woman who worries about the smallest of concerns, when her life goes on as normal.  But normal is not lasting. . . .Daughter Ruby has known her boyfriend Kiernan since childhood, and he becomes obsessed with her and all of the Lathams.  Kiernan finally becomes less of a boyfriend to Ruby than a stalker, and someone who uses any excuse to keep company with the Lathams.  Ruby realizes that she’s going to have to reject Kiernan soon—and before she departs for her future life.When tragedy strikes Mary Beth must become a survivor.  Everyone around her fails at offering comfort; instead, they impose their expectations on her as to how they believe she should act.  The people she worked so hard to please, to impress, to be close to—all let her down.  Eventually Mary Beth comes to realize—as we all must—that she cannot live her life in a manner that pleases others.  She simply must continue, even if the reason for doing so is not completely clear.  “It’s all I know how to do now.  This is my life.  I am trying.”   It is impossible to describe the nature of the tragedy that Mary Beth experiences without betraying the story, and this summary does not disclose it.  Suffice it to say that when it occurs the reader will think that the story is over.  In the hands of a less skilled writer it would be.  But Quindlen is at her best in writing the tale of a woman who is strong when the world believes she has been stripped of the reasons to continue living.  In the end, this novel tells us that you never know what you might be capable of until the situation is there, staring you in the face.  In Mary Beth we find a character who is a stronger person than she ever believed herself capable of being, back when life was relatively untroubled and easy.“The silence is as big as the sky. . . .”Author Quindlen teaches the reader that life is not predictable and, further, that one must be prepared to start over at any time, at any point.  It is—after all—the nature of every life.  Life, for better or worse, every year, month, day, and each and every minute.  It is all to be treasured. Readers will value this message in this impressive work from the subtly gifted pen and mind of author Anna Quindlen.     Reviewer Joseph Arellano has worked as a government Public Information Officer, and has done pre-publication review and editing work for a publisher based in England.  His book critiques have appeared in several publications including San Francisco Book Review.