Rhoda Taber is 4 months pregnant in 1940 on the first page, and the book follows her until the end of her life. The narrative voice is vivid — you somehow hear the protagonist's voice even though the narrative is in the third person. There are other oddities, contributing to an almost unnoticed tension: the scope is epic (birth, death), but the story is almost totally confined to the house and to one point of view. Satellite characters are fully rendered and yet mysteriously unknown. The protagonist is judgmental but the narrative voice isn't.

It's a very thoughtful book, in many senses. I wouldn't read it on a rainy day, unless you've got a big ice cream sundae waiting for you on the other end. ( )