Pictures of You

After reading and seeing numerous review of Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt, I decided to find out for myself what all the fuss was about. It certainly was not the cover that led me to this book (even my daughters commented on how "weird" the cover was).

Although I have only seen positive reviews about this one, I was not totally in love with it. Leavitt's writing drew me in right away, and I was very interested in the story- a car accident that changes lives and brings strangers together by this tragic connection. However, at 320 pages, I felt the story drug on and on and could have been shortened up.

Isabelle, a photographer, is leaving her husband when she hits a car parked in the middle of the road on a foggy day. The woman in the car, April Nash, is killed. Her nine year old son, Sam, is injured. Although the accident takes place three hours from their homes, it turns out that Isabelle and the Nashes live just blocks from each other. Sam, who saw Isabelle briefly at the accident site, believes her to be an angel that will return his mother to him. Charlie, April's husband, is devastated by his wife's death. When he finds out that Sam has been seeking out Isabelle he discourages the relationship, yet is unable to stop it, and eventually begins a relationship of his own with Isabelle.

There are a few more twists and turns, such as why April is driving three hours from home with a packed suitcase, that reveal themselves along the way. I think it is a natural reaction that I hoped for Isabelle and Charlie to find happiness, and yet by book's end, I am not sure that either has. While I did feel the book was too long, there are some aspects that I wish I could discuss with others who have read it. Since this one is already available in paperback, I anticipate many book clubs will snatch this title up and find it an easy (if slightly too long) read.