Somebody

Somebody is a novel about mother-daughter relationships. It is about the daughter of a distant father and an ambitious, egocentric mother. It is an unusual novel in several ways. There is the author's command of the language. As James Welch notes, her images and metaphors are amazing, so lush and lyrical that, paragraph by paragraph, the reader wants to go back and reread them. Then there are the people who populate the book. None are less than completely drawn. The most minor character is presented with such knowledge and compassion that his sorrow and humor are entirely understandable. It is a remarkable book. As Welch says: 'Somebody' is special in the way all very good novels are-simple elements in the hands of a very good writer create a complex brew. In this case, those elements involve mother-daughter relationships, mostly absent fathers, deceitful or indifferent lovers. Laurie Blauner, a fine poet with a masterly command of language and imagery, has written a wonderfully poignant novel of growing up, of getting out to seek a life of fulfillment and, possibly, happiness. I was absolutely taken with the language and the amazing images and metaphors.