Ken Kimble passes through life being all things to all people - a minister, a hippy, a Jew, a philanthropist builder - for as long as it suits him. And then he leaves. In the meantime the age disparity between him and his partner widens with each marriage.
The novel examines the lives of the three wives of Ken Kimble - the fragile Birdie, left to fend for herself when he abandons her and their two young children with no means of support; damaged former journalist and secret cancer survivor Joan; and Dinah, the scarred formed babysitter turned waitress that Kimble turns into a society beauty.
I found it hard to warm to most of the characters, and it took ages to feel engaged with the novel and interested in what happened next. The standout in the first section is Charlie, the son of Birdie and Ken, who has gumption and character. I wanted to slap both Birdie and Joan, and I suppose that strenght of feeling is to Haigh's credit.The ending leaves more questions than it answers, predominantly about why Ken turned out the way he did. There are glimpses of hope, as some of the characters seem to be rebuilding their lives, but those who like everything wrapped up will be sorely disappointed.
I'm writing this about a month after I read the novel, and I'm still not sure whether I enjoyed reading it or now, but it certainly gave me food for thought. - Alex
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