The Red Car, by Marcy Dermansky. Pub 2016
My second taste of Marcy Dermansky was even better than the first. Dermansky creates characters real and recognizable, with a heroine (Leah) you want to like but don’t always. And despite Leah’s bad choices and missteps, you end up rooting for her throughout and cheering her at the end.
Like Bad Marie, this story’s central character is a woman in a tolerable but not exactly pleasant situation. Not very happily married, on a life path a bit off track from where she wanted to be, she gets a chance at change. Watching her test out that change is entrancing, and the quasi-supernatural elements of the story, while never explained, make sense in this world. That voice we should have listened to gives us a second chance to pay attention. A little distance and time gives us some much needed perspective and strength. And fulfilling a wish for someone shows us a new opportunity. The ending is open and hopeful.
Unlike Bad Marie, Leah’s missteps are neither illegal nor tragic, and she’s a more worthy heroine for our affections and support.
An easy read, and while the story is a page-turner, there’s nothing substantial or challenging about the language or story. The characters are so very real, you feel like you know them or might know someone just like that. And as a woman, like you’ve been down some of those paths before, too.
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