Aside from my own personal geographic longings, 'The Arrivals' offers a great deal to woo readers. Moore's novel follows several members of a large family, each of whom has chosen a very different life from the others, as they return for one reason or another to their parents' home in Burlington over the course of several weeks, descending en masse on aging parents who are alternately thrilled with their adult children's return and despondent that they will never leave. One nice facet of the story is the generational spread that the characters represent; the youngest 'child' who returns home after a difficult breakup in NYC is in her early twenties, while her older sister, who also has fled relationship issues with her two children in tow, and older brother, who ends up planted for the duration of the summer with a wife suddenly put on bedrest during what was supposed to be a short visit, are respectively in their early- to mid-thirties. This range in age, combined with the parents' perspectives, casts a wide net for readers, providing a niche for everyone.
Moore presents the novel in perspective-driven chapters, rotating tales and characters with each change. Because we are shown so many different lives, at first it is slightly difficult to keep people straight, but that quickly clears up, and from that point on there is little time for even the most ADD reader to get bored. While there was one particular plot line that I didn't care for, surrounding one of the character's semi-subconscious decision to become entangled with a priest - the character herself had other aspects that I found interesting and endearing. This is another perk to Moore's storytelling; the characters are multi-faceted, making even their least desirable traits less irksome because there are other areas to focus on. Also interesting are backhanded references to real-world events, such as the Wall St. crisis and various military situations. These events aren't belabored in a way that would reduce the applicability of the novel in future years, and are more mentioned in relation to certain characters rather than specifically discussed in their own right.
I would actually be interested in reading a sequel to The Arrivals, to see how things eventually turn out for the characters in the decisions they make at the end of the novel. I have purposefully not given much of a summary here, because it's too delicious to unravel on your own. I had a good time with this one, and I think many of you would, too. It's a casual, positive adult family relationship book, in a time where as a culture we seem to celebrate the darker, seedier side of family interaction.
Some discussion questions for The Arrivals could be:
1. Which of the novel's many characters did you relate to the most / least? Why?
2. Jane and Stephen share their decision for Stephen to be the full-time caregiver early in the story, and are adamant that it's what they want. How do Jane's actions reflect a potential rethinking of this strategy after the baby is born? On what circumstances could her reaction to the ringing phone be based, and what do you think this may indicate about the author's perspective on parenting?
3. Jane, Lillian and Rachel have vastly different experiences with and expectations of motherhood. What are their commonalities, and how do their situations influence their relationships?
4. Ginny and William both start and end the book alone in their home. How do the experiences of the summer influence their perspectives on their children, their partnership and their own identities?
Rating: four stars. Deeply interesting character-driven novel that embraces the family as a source of strength and growth.
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