Laws of Love and Logic
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By Debra Curtis
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1 review
‘Sweeping and intimate… a gorgeous meditation on roads not taken’ SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
‘A magnificent, spellbinding love story’ CLARE LESLIE HALL, author of Broken Country
__________
1976, Rhode Island.
Lily has two loves.
There’s the boy, in whom she finds a kindred spirit. And then there’s Jane, her brilliant but troubled younger sister and best friend.
Lily has a plan.
She’ll graduate, go to college, marry her high-school sweetheart and start a family of her own, her future unfolding before her as a bright, clear path.
But the laws of love and logic are not as simple as Lily thinks.
When one fateful night throws Lily’s life on an entirely new course, she’ll discover just how fragile the futures are that we so carefully plan and imagine for ourselves. Because the universe has a plan of its own – and what seems to be the end of one great love story might just be the beginning of another…
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The novel tells the story of two sisters, Lily and Jane, and examines how they negotiate love, loss, grief and guilt. They are brought up in Catholicism and those beliefs affect their choices and values.
Jane is a brilliant mathematician but despite understanding logic and complex concepts of time and space, she cannot manage her own grief and loss and uses drugs and alcohol to numb her feelings. She is unable to maintain relationships or truly commit to any one person.
Lily tries to bury her loss and seems to find her healing and support in her relationship with a fellow pupil – The Boy. Their future together seems certain and idyllic. But a catastrophic event occurs which disrupts everything and Lily’s life takes a less expected course but she can never leave behind the guilt she feels. Her love story with Marshall has it’s own challenges and she never forgets The Boy.
I think the novel is well written and tackles some difficult issues. It is maybe overlong in places and too detailed. In places the story loses momentum. However, it has a strong ending.
I think any readers who like family sagas and a love story will enjoy this book. It’s a strong first novel. It feels like Debra Curtis is very familiar with the material she explored.
