The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift

Elinor Lipman

Very funny - painfully so at times. This is so easy to read but oh so true.

Extract
'I must have been thinking about my grandmother,' I said.
'Of course you were," said their mother, 'but she's in Jesus' house now and free of pain, God rest her soul.'
Still, I was hoping to prove myself the kind of pleasant conversationalist who gets invited back. 'Where does purgatory come in?' I asked. 'I mean, under your afterlife guidelines, wouldn't she still be there?'
All the Frawleys were taking sips from their respective milk glasses or searching inside their potato skins for neglected morsels.
'Alice needs a weekend off,' said Leo.
Parallels
  • The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
  • The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler