A midlife fiction book recommendation
In this story, Alice and her husband Ken are close to seventy when he punches her in the face for the last time.
The Other Son by Nick Alexander is a story of domestic abuse, but that’s just a catalyst for the main theme, which is how we adapt or change over time. The accommodations we make, in this case desensitizing ourselves to our losses, to our lifelong capitulations. The rationalizing we do. How much is too much? And can we truly change, especially when we’re old?
In the beginning of this story, I was solidly on Alice’s side. Then I saw how cold and judgmental she was to her son and DIL, but later in the story you realize that’s not the real Alice. That’s the Alice who made herself numb to be able to deal with her life. I felt that was really relatable!
Her two sons are still, in middle-age, crippled by their need for parental approval; one of them chases materialism while the other is virtually estranged. When Alice finally makes a big decision, it’s gratifying to see how she begins to thaw and grow.
Nick Alexander does a great job of getting us inside the characters’ emotions. Alice’s horrible life with Ken resonates. Brought back bad memories for me, and that’s a testament to the writing. Especially when we see how Alice glosses over what happened to her and the boys. Chilling, but with redemption. I recommend it. Here’s the link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V28WSHR/
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