Books I've Read: Love May Fail

I have mixed feelings about this one.  On the one hand, it was a quick, easy read and the characters were quirky and interesting.  On the other, they were kind of annoying a lot of the time.

The book begins with Portia Kane drunk in a closet watching her pornographer husband screw a much younger woman.  After destroying his property and the ragged remains of her marriage, Portia leaves him and flies home to her mother in New Jersey.

Her home remains unchanged, her hoarder mother still living among piles of collected detritus and wearing the same filthy pink track suit she has always worn.  The town is also largely unchanged and Portia runs into an old school friend at the local diner.  Their friendship re-ignites and so does a quiet romance with the friend's ex-junkie older brother.

But Portia's mission at home is to reconnect with the English teacher who was part father figure and part inspiration during her high school years.  Discovering he retired after a scandal, finding him is more difficult than she imagines.  And if she does, will it be the inspirational re-union she was hoping for?  

The book begins with Portia narrating the story, but moves through several other perspectives as the story unfolds.  Coincidences and chance meetings link these characters in many places, but their lives become inextricably linked, for better or for worse.

This was one of those books that seemed like it was a light, breezy, fun read, but actually had some much heavier stuff lurking under the surface.  Some of which worked, and other parts that really didn't.  But overall, I enjoyed it and it certainly made me think about my role as a citizen of the human race.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

Portia Kane is having a meltdown. After escaping her ritzy Florida life and her cheating pornographer husband, she finds herself transported back to South Jersey, where things remain largely unchanged from her unhappy childhood. In need of saving herself, she sets out to find and resurrect a beloved high school English teacher who has retired after a horrific scandal. Will a sassy nun, an ex-heroin addict, a metal-head little boy, and her hoarder mother help or hurt Portia's chances in this bid for renewed hope in the human race? This is a story of the great highs and lows of existence: the heartache and daring choices it takes to become the person you know (deep down) you are meant to be.