O's 2010 Summer Reading List
Lush historical novels, wise contemporary tales, thrillers that will scare the dickens out of you. (And speaking of Dickens, we've got him, too.)
15 of 20
Father of the Rain
By Lily King
384 pages;
Atlantic
Early in Father of the Rain, 11-year-old Daley experiences a
moment she'll treasure for decades: "My father grinning his biggest grin
and looking at me like he loves me, truly loves me...." Never mind that
he's high on martinis and the thrill of pulling a stunt that humiliates
his wife and insults her dinner guests. Lily King's luminous novel
centers on a child's blinding hunger for a parent's affection. King
makes this well-worn theme seem fresh with her vividly drawn
characters—especially Daley's father, Gardiner, a narcissistic alcoholic
with an ugly temper and a magnetic charm—and a clear eye for the
details of their singularly messed-up relationships. Set in the affluent
East Coast seaside town where Gardiner was raised, in a world of Wasp
privilege he takes for granted, the novel covers three decades starting
in the mid-'70s. Daley's mother leaves Gardiner, but Daley can't give up
hoping he'll change. "You want the daddy you never got," her boyfriend
says. Obvious? Maybe to us. The uplifting ending comes as Daley finally
sees for herself what's been clear all along.
— Karen Holt
Published 06/17/2011