FefferBooks

There were parts of this book I absolutely delighted in, and others I just felt lukewarm about. I'm not generally much for short stories--I like my reading to have some thread of plot or continuity. Happily, Hoffman accomplishes exactly this with Blackbird House: each story moves forward a generation, but takes a character from the last, and each centers around the same house on the Cape in Massachusetts. The house, itself, becomes a sort of character, and the idea is truly lovely. Most of the stories are filled with emotive elements and ethereal detail. My only beef was with the few characters I simply didn't relate to. Hoffman is an extraordinary writer, and I'll be looking for more from her. One story with a couple of f-bombs. 3.5 stars.