"Songs of the Humpback Whale"

This was a most unusual book. It is the same story told from the viewpoint of five different characters. In many cases, the exact scene is repeated at scattered places throughout--and to complicate matters, the mother tells the story in a normal, forward-moving manner, but the daughter relates everything chronologically backwards. So while Jane tells what happened on July 3 in the front of the book, daughter Rebecca is relating what happened on August 2. This is the pattern followed throughout, so by the end of the book, Mom is telling about the events that took place on August 2 and Rebecca has completed the circle and made it back to July 3. It was somewhat disorienting, to say the least.

Basically, Jane has left her husband and with Rebecca is driving in a meandering way across country from San Diego to her brother who works in an apple orchard outside of Boston. Once there, they fall for a couple of 25-year-olds...one way too old for Rebecca, and the other a bit on the young side for Mom...never mind the fact that she's still married!

This book definitely did not have a happily-ever-after ending. Jodi Picoult is a wonderful writer and I've enjoyed the other books that I've read by her, but wasn't crazy about this one. It felt like an experiment for a writing class.

The background paint used was Anita's brand, 'Emerald' thinly brushed with 'Nubby Linen'. The title strip was art paper with botanical inclusions which I wrote on with Schmincke burnt sienna gouache with a #6 Mitchell nib. The author's name was written with a brown Micron .005 pen. I cut the strip with some wavy scissors and brushed the edges with a Colorbox "Bisque" fluidchalk inkpad.