Finding Out

Secrets come to light for two very different women living in very different times in this novel. Thirty-six-year-old Sheila Davenport, senior account manager for Goodliving.com in New York, appears to have it all until her live-in boyfriend of seven years dumps her. But Sheila has little time to recover as she juggles a high maintenance boss and ineffective, backstabbing coworkers. Sheila begins spending time with her neighbor, 86-year-old Ruth König, who shares stories about her experiences during World War II. Sheila and Ruth’s lives and how they deal with discoveries and obstacles are contrasted, though Ruth is the stronger protagonist. Sheila’s narrative takes a comic route with flat, hackneyed characters, whereas Ruth’s story is more inspiring and intriguing, with pithy observations and some surprising elements that show Ruth’s spunk. What Sheila learns from Ruth’s poignant stories is unclear until the final chapter and an epilogue that conveniently wraps up loose ends. (BookLife)