Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Political scandals have become commonplace in the news recently. We are actually surprised when political figures don’t have secrets or skeletons in their closets. But what we don’t take into consideration is the personal toll these scandals take on the innocent victims involved; the wives, daughters, mothers, and sons. Jennifer Weiner tackles political scandal and the ultimate destruction it forces on relationships in her novel, FLY AWAY HOME. Sylvie Woodruff is the ideal political wife and has been for the past 30 years. She has stood patiently by her husband’s side, carrying his mints, reminding him of forgotten names and holding his business cards. Sylvie, a lawyer in her own right, has ignored her own personal passions and transformed herself into the perfect wife and mother. Which is why she is more shocked than anyone to discover that her husband has been carrying on an affair with a young legal aid half his age. When the scandal becomes public, Sylvie and her two adult daughters are unwillingly thrown into the spotlight.
While Sylvie’s life begins to unravel, things aren’t going smoothly for her daughters either. Lizzie is 24-years-old and a recovering addict still trying desperately to win back the trust and respect of her older sister, Diana. When she meets someone who could be “the one” she gets an unexpected surprise that could ruin everything she’s been working towards. Diana is a successful doctor with a perfect husband and a happy son, but things are never how they appear. Diana is carrying on an affair and watching her own marriage crumble around her.
Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the three female characters; Sylvie, Diana and Lizzie. Weiner has created real characters and impeccable dialogue that keeps the story entertaining, authentic and honest. The characters don’t feel flat at all and their internal struggles are extremely relatable. What’s wonderful about Weiner’s story telling ability is that she creates enough suspense to keep you rapidly flipping the pages, while at the same time making you want to slow down and savor the pitch perfect dialogue and thought-provoking themes.
