Sunday 8 January 2012

Vital Signs

Finished January 7
Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt
This short novel is written in first person by a man faced with his wife's sudden illness. Mike's wife Anna has begun to speak in apparent nonsense as a result of a brain aneurysm that could kill her at any moment. As the couple and their three adult children (Fred, a doctor; Charlotte, self-possessed and private; and Sasha, an eager to please dancer) deal with the reality of the illness and the treatment choices, Mike also deals with his guilt over an affair he had years before.
Mike is a commercial designer, specializing in logos, and he attempts to use such drawings to communicate with Anna. He struggles with the urge to confess his guilt while knowing that his motivations are selfish and ill-timed. This is a book about relationships and the secrets and confessions change it. It is interesting being inside Mike's head as he goes through this process and struggles with things.

1 comment:

  1. This does sound like a story that so many have to deal with. I mean the kids and issues families need to deal with when one is in NEED. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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