A Hundred Small Lessons

October 30, 2017
Hay’s engaging third novel (after The Railwayman’s Wife) explores the lives of two women connected by a house. In Brisbane, Australia, Lucy Kiss; her husband, Ben; and their young son, Tom, have just moved into the home where Elsie Gormley lived for more than 60 years. Elsie’s children decided that it was time for her to move to a nursing home because of a recent fall after which she lay helpless on the floor for hours. Through flashbacks, Hay recounts Elsie’s life with her husband, Clem, and twins Don and Elaine. Elsie’s memories are cleverly juxtaposed against Lucy’s early motherhood, and though Lucy has traveled the world with her husband as he changed jobs and Elsie lived in Brisbane her entire married life, the similarities in the two women’s lives gradually come to the forefront. Hay’s perceptive prose illuminates both Elsie’s and Lucy’s lives, resulting in a rich dual character study that spans generations.

Narrator Fiona Hardingham's soft tone and Australian accent set the mood for this character-driven story about two Brisbane women on opposite ends of family life. The audiobook is told from dual perspectives: that of Elsie, who has just moved to an assisted care facility, and that of Lucy, who with her husband has bought Elsie's house. Adding a slight tremor to Elsie's voice and using a brighter tone for Lucy's, Hardingham clearly distinguishes their ages, and her expressive delivery highlights their unique challenges as they each come to terms with a change in circumstances. This quiet story juxtaposes beginnings and endings, showing how lives can cross in surprising ways. Hardingham's gentle, engaging performance captures Elsie's and Lucy's private struggles with losing independence. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine