>
Blame — Michele Huneven‘s third novel — grips you with its guilt-laden plausibility, especially if you’ve ever known a smart, capable addict whose self-destructive behavior seems unstoppable.
Patsy MacLemoore is a smart, functioning alcoholic — a professor at Hallen College in Altadena, California — known for loud, lascivious behavior at faculty parties and for missing the occasional class after a night of drinking and pills. She plays the odds, partying when she knows she shouldn’t, until her luck runs out. Patsy, who has a suspended license, is arrested and jailed for killing a mother and daughter – Jehovah’s Witnesses — in her own driveway. She remembers nothing about the accident, but has to live with the guilt and remorse, facing the bereft husband and brother in court.
The hard, manual labor and indignities of almost two years in jail come as a relief to Patsy, but the desire for a drink never leaves her.
If you like literary novels by authors like Sue Miller or Ian McEwan, you should discover Michele Huneven ASAP.
Michele Huneven talks with Publishers’ Weekly here:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6671669.html&
Suggestions from a Massachusetts Librarian
I’m so glad you posted about this! I read it right after it came out and really liked it, but it seemed to miss the PR boat. Recently I put it on Staff Picks at my library, so hopefully some lucky patron will discover it!
I just updated an old post with a little new tagging, etc. I didn’t realize it would show up anywhere. I was surprised to hardly hear anything about this book too after it came out. Some readers wouldn’t be able to feel any sympathy for the main character, I suppose.