Like Family; Paolo Giordano

Like Family; Paolo Giordano

Pamela Dorman Books - 2015

Like Family is simple yet powerful story that leaves the reader with plenty to think about in its 146 pages.    

The story is told by an unnamed narrator that we know learn very little about other than he is married and a physicist.  When his wife Nora, a decorator, requires bed rest for a difficult pregnancy, Mrs. A., a recent widow, sometimes referred to as Babette, comes into their lives as a caregiver to Nora. 

Mrs. A sits at Nora's bedside and chats with her, prepares meals and assumes housekeeping responsibilities and quickly becomes an integral part of the family.  When the couples infant son, Emanuele, is born Mrs. A's role expands to nanny, and is often mistaken for his grandmother.  She IS the glue that binds this family together.  

So when Mrs. A quits one day after some eight years, telling the family she's too tired to continue, it comes as a shock to a family who just does not know how to function and interact with each other without this woman's guidance.  So what becomes of the family and their relationship with Mrs. A. when her cancer diagnosis is revealed?

The story begins with the death of Mrs. A. and, a look back on the key role she played in the lives of this family. While Mrs. A. is rigid and set in her ways, tough and frank - never tempering what she feels she must say, she's just what this family needed.  The parents come across as shallow and cold and almost embarrassed that their young son does not seem to be as bright as his physicist father.

I loved everything about this story.  It's beautifully written (translated nicely from Italian) and comes across as a realistic portrait of what "family" is all about.  It's a story that left a lasting impression.  Highly recommended.

5/5 stars

(review copy)

Note - I also loved the debut novel by this author, The Solitude of Prime Numbers.