You Could Be Home by Now

October 6, 2014
Manaster’s debut novel revolves around Seth and Alison Collier, young teachers whose newborn dies. Seeking a change of pace, they uproot from their Vermont home and move to Arizona. They take over roles at a retirement community, the Commons, where no residents under 55 are permitted, and soon they drift apart as they deal with their grief. Other residents have their own trials to face. Sadie, a recent widow, is visited by her teenage granddaughter, Lily, a disgraced blogger. When Lily saves the life of a young boy who secretly lives next door with his grandmother, Mona, his unlawful residence comes to light, making Mona eligible for eviction. However, Mona can’t afford to leave her home because of the housing market. Complicating matters further are the antics of the recently divorced neighbor Ben, who acts out on television to call attention to his own plight: a long-missing daughter. Manaster weaves these disparate tales of strife and grief eloquently, impressively depicting an adolescent girl and an aging man with equal fullness and depth. She also resists the urge for easy resolution, denying her readers the simple feel-good solutions and instead offering small amounts of emotional satisfaction that feel realistic and earned.

November 15, 2014

Seth and Alison are a couple with a recent devastating loss, adrift in their marriage. Lily is a teen-blogging sensation, doling out fashion and beauty tips until a scandal shuts her website down and she is sent to stay with her widowed grandmother. Ben is dealing--badly--with both the longtime loss of his daughter and the breakup of his marriage. All of these characters converge in the Commons, an upscale retirement community in southern Arizona created strictly for the over-55 crowd. When Lily inadvertently uncovers a neighbor's housing infraction, the community's chain-reaction responses expose the innumerable ways in which we suffer, survive, hold fast to what is most dear, and protect what we love. VERDICT Manaster's debut is an adventurous undertaking, both light and insightful. The wide range of characters (teen, young couple, retiree) is well depicted and appealing. For fans of realistically written, flawed-human narratives--with a flair for fun.--Julie Kane, Sweet Briar Coll. Lib., VA

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