Domestic Affairs
Eileen Gouge
Eileen
Goudge’s latest novel, Domestic Affairs,
is a great beach read. It offers a
melodramatic story that spans several decades.
Goudge weaves three stories together into one very interesting
novel. Characters seem to be the key
element of the novel. The characters
seem as if they could be ripped from the headlines.
Abby is a Martha Stewart-like style and
entertaining maven. Her former friend,
Lila, is the widow of one of the lead players in a corporate scandal
(think
Enron). The third major thread belongs
to Concepcion, a Mexican woman who loses her daughter in a fire at
Abby’s
factory. Goudge
skillfully ties these three plotlines
together in an impressive climax. As
expected, things do work out for the main characters, but not in the
typical fashion.
The
relationships between the characters are complex, particularly in the
case of
Abby and Lila. As the daughter of the
family housekeeper, Abby grows up with Lila and her twin brother,
Vaughn. At the start of the novel, Abby
and Vaughn are
well on their way to becoming more than just friends.
A shocking secret involving Abby’s mother and
Lila’s father results in a traumatic departure for Abby and her mother. A rift develops between Abby and Lila when
Lila doesn’t stand up to her mother. Consequently,
Abby and Lila do not have any contact for almost thirty years. By that time the roles are reversed. Lila joins Abby’s family as the new
housekeeper. Their twisted relationship
grows more complicated with the return of Vaughn. Goudge
does a wonderful job of creating the
characters of Abby and Lila. As the
story progresses, the real reason for Abby’s anger with Lila emerges. Both characters are well-written and
multi-faceted.
Domestic Affairs is more than just a
light summer novel. There are some
very
dark moments. Goudge makes great use of
the symbolism of fire throughout the novel.
At each occurrence, fire signals a new beginning.
Goudge adds a modern twist to the age-old
symbol of fire by using it in distinctly modern settings.
The fires lead to new relationships, the
healing of old wounds, and even redemption.
The dark moments also serve as a contrast to some to the other
moments
of sheer joy. Clearly, these moments
were created for more than just drama.
The
importance of appearances is another key theme in the novel. While Abby’s current world looks perfect,
things are actually falling apart. Her
marriage is crumbling, and her daughter is dealing with her own demons. Her company is also struggling.
Abby even points out that she spends a great
deal of money to keep this out of the papers.
Similarly, Lila and Vaughn grew up in a picture perfect world
that
actually masked the alcoholism and infidelities in the family. Goudge juxtaposes the perfect images with the
real turmoil in both cases. This creates
an interesting setting and contributes to the characterization of the
main
characters.
Domestic Affairs
is a fun, entertaining novel. It has a
good plot and complex characters. Eileen
Goudge has written a novel with great deal of emotion, but it never
becomes
sappy. Overall, this is a must-read for
the summer.