1986, ISBN: 9780525243427

New York: E. P. Dutton/Seymour Lawrence. Very Good. 20 x 20 x 20 inches. Hardcover. 1986. 159 pages. dj has cut across front.<br>The Vincents, a New Englan d family of nine, struggl… Meer...

New York: E. P. Dutton/Seymour Lawrence. Very Good. 20 x 20 x 20 inches. Hardcover. 1986. 159 pages. dj has cut across front.<br>The Vincents, a New Englan d family of nine, struggle to keep up appearances amidst the unde rlying tensions of the squabbles of seven children, a father with a drinking problem, and a marriage being torn apart Editorial R eviews From Library Journal Minot chronicles the family life of Gus and Rosie Vincent and their seven children, dubbed monkeys by their mother. Rosie, or Mum, is the most vibrant character, crea ting a secure home for her children as she tries to mask her husb and's alcholism and counter his withdrawal from the family. Minot has a fine eye for detail and a talent for creating tension thro ugh half-revealed clues in dialogue. However, because the book is very short, involves many characters, and spans roughly 13 years , the development of other characters is not satisfying. The chap ters are rather disparate, the first, in fact, having a different narrator than the others. The final chapter, Thorofare, was incl uded in The Best American Short Stories of 1984 and is perhaps th e strongest section, providing a moving ending to an otherwise un even novel. Lucinda Ann Peck, Learning Design Associates, Gahanna , Ohio ., E. P. Dutton/Seymour Lawrence, 1986, 2.75<