Women are often put in boxes and expected to make compromises. Primarily by men who want to possess, to own. Men who refuse to take no for an answer. It could not have been more true in the case of Edie, the protagonist of The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson.

Set primarily in Montana, the story spans decades and is divided into three sections. The first section is set in the late 1960s. It is about Edie stuck between two men, her high school sweetheart (and now jealous) husband and his twin brother who is still smarting from the ‘rejection’.

The second section is set in the late 1980s. A middle-aged Edie is still searching for her identity. It also explores her relationship with a possessive second husband and her estranged daughter.

The third and final section, set in the late 2000s, is when the character finally comes to her own and is at peace with herself. But as a grandmother, Edie struggles to stop her granddaughter from making the same mistakes she did. To avoid history repeating itself.

“I mean, all of us are someone else in the eyes of others. And for all I know, maybe that other is as true, as real, as the person we believe we are.”

It is always interesting to read a book by a male author writing from a woman’s point of view. I liked the writing style. It is quite descriptive and easy to read.

There were a few things that did not work for me. I found Edie’s character unlikable and superficial initially. The last section when Edie claims her identity was when she finally redeemed herself. Also, I wish the third section did not move the primary emphasis of the narrative to her granddaughter.

Overall, I did like the book. Characters are the backbone of a story, and I could never really invest in Edie’s. But I enjoyed the writing style and would love to check out more books by the author. Pick up the book if you like character-driven stories. One about a woman’s journey over the decades to self-discovery.

The Lives of Edie Pritchard is the story of a strong independent Montana woman. She is beautiful but refuses to let this define her. The book is divided into three parts: Edie is first a wife and a bank teller, later a mom and wife again, and eventually, a grandmother.

I liked all three timelines, the first which did a great job of introducing Edie and the Linderman brothers, one of whom was her husband, Dean, the other, his twin, Roy. I appreciated seeing Edie grow as a person over time and enjoyed her interactions with her granddaughter, Lauren.

The characters are well-written as are the family dynamics, small town vibes, and other relationships in this multigenerational story. The vivid descriptions of western life in Montana were also fitting. The Lives of Edie Pritchard is my first Larry Watson book and it won’t be my last!

THE LIVES OF EDIE PRITCHARD by Larry Watson is exceptionally well-written. The Montana setting is fully realized. Characters are vivid and believable. The plot flows in the logical illogical of a woman's life, Edie Pritchard Linderman Dunn with the daughter, granddaughter and complications that ensue in a small community with long memories. While I enjoyed the language, the truly beautiful turns of phrase and pithy comments, I did not enjoy the read. I wanted to. Quite badly. But the Edie Pritchard of the title, the woman at the center of the story of her life as lived in relationships with brothers, husbands, and friends, is hollow, unknowable and unknown. She is reputed to be beautiful -- and I'll have to go with what the characters say because I knew so little about her, her motivations, and her experience of her life that I did not have a firm grasp on her story. Secondary and even walk-on-through characters are vivid, as real as anyone I've ever known, but Edie was not. Watson is an accomplished writer - and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about a part of the United States I do not know - so I'll trust that other of his works are a more enjoyable read and give them a chance to redeem this one.

A sweeping story about Edie Pritchard spanning from the 1960’s through 2007. Edie, is an independent woman who cannot get love right. Told in three parts, Watson tells us the story of Edie Linderman, Edie Dunn, and Edie Pritchard.

Edie Linderman is married to Dean. Dean has a twin brother Roy, which you will quickly figure out there is a love triangle going on. When an incident with Roy, leaves him broken and in the hospital, Edie really begins to evaluate her marriage and life. While she has moments of happiness, she knows in the end this will not last.

Years later Edie is remarried and has a seventeen year old daughter which at times their relationship is strained. Her husband becomes extremely possessive when she tells him she has to go back home to face her past. That incident will forever change her life and she makes the decision to leave her daughter with her husband to restart again.

We come to part 3 where we meet Lauren, Edie’s eighteen year old granddaughter. Lauren is coming for a visit with her boyfriend. She get’s a surprise visitor with them, the boyfriend’s brother. Instantly she sees a resemblance to her past and will do anything to save her granddaughter the heartache. What ensues is a bit of an adventure with an old friend.

Edie is such a rich character and when the book ended, I just wanted to spend more time with her. Larry Watson is such a brilliant writer, it is hard to believe that he did Edie such justice. The story was easy to read and Edie was just so interesting and simple to read about. It was like I was spending time with an old friend.

I would recommend this book who loves strong character driven narratives. I think you will find Edie will become a friend to you too.

In honor of this new release, I am giving away two copies of this book. If you are interested please leave a comment to enter and I will pick winners at random. Please residents of the US only.

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not often that a male writer gets it the way that Larry Watson does. My thanks go to Net Galley and Algonquin for the invitation to read and review, as well as the gorgeous hardcover copy. This book will be available to the public tomorrow, July 21, 2020.

Edie’s story is divided into three periods. When we first meet her, she is a young adult, married to Dean. Twenty years later, we find her in a different marriage. The last third finds her a senior citizen. When I saw how the first and second parts were structured, I thought I spotted a formula and that I knew more or less what the last third would look like. I’m delighted to say I was incorrect.

The style in which it’s written is unusual. There’s almost no inner monologue; everything is either action or dialogue. There’s no shifting point of view, either. It’s straight forward and linear. The author takes his time establishing character and setting, and so for a long time, there’s no noticeable plot curve. At about the point where I begin to be nervous, that perhaps I’ve agreed to read and review a book that isn’t very good, it wakes up. I’m not generally a fan of spare prose writing, but this is different.

Edie has married Dean Linderman, whom she dated in high school. He’s a nice guy, but his twin brother Roy is a player. Where Dean is introverted and reflective, Roy is extroverted and aggressive; and one of the ways Roy shows aggression is in trying to seduce his brother’s wife. It never stops. Every single time they are alone together, even for a few minutes, he starts in on her. And every stinking time, she tells him no. Stop it, Roy, I am married to your brother. I love Dean, not you. But getting the guy out of her hair is like trying to herd mosquitoes. And yet, a couple of times I see Edie do or say something that, while not openly encouraging, sends mixed signals, and I think, Aha. Maybe that’s why Roy keeps trying.

Watson uses nuance and subtlety in a way not many authors do. It makes Edie come alive, because I don’t know what she’s thinking, and Watson isn’t going to take it apart in front of me. I am left to wonder…now why the heck would Edie do such a thing? And while I read, I wonder. And when I am no longer reading, I’m still wondering.

Twenty years later, we find Edie Dunn. She’s married to someone else, and she has a teenage daughter. Like Dean before him, Gary doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about what Edie wants. Edie is his wife, and she should do what he wants her to do. And I won’t give any more of this bit away, but once more, Edie surprises me.

Within the last section, Edie’s granddaughter is going to move in with her. Edie’s companion who’s in the car with her asks if she isn’t out of practice with teenagers. Edie says, “It’s like riding a bicycle. Once you’ve fucked up as a parent, you never forget how to fuck up again.” I love this.

When I am sent a physical book to review, as opposed to digital or audio, the book goes into the bathroom. I know that I am hooked if the book comes back out of the bathroom with me at some point. Edie came out at about the sixty percent mark, and after that she didn’t get left alone unless I had to sleep.

The thing about this story that may get in the way of good reviews here is exactly the thing that makes it so good. The way that Roy—and later, other men—follow Edie around and pester her, trying to control her and later, her granddaughter, is repetitious and maddening, and that. Is. The. Point. Though it’s conveyed subtly, we know that Edie is very attractive. And again—I love that we don’t hear constantly about her clothes, her figure, and so on; rather, we know she’s gorgeous by what others say about her, and how they respond to her. And not one living male takes her seriously. They see her, and then they want her, not because they care about her or even know her, but because it would stoke the fires of their self-esteem. And all along, Edie tries, initially, to explain what she wants instead, and not a damn one of them will listen to her. But she does what she has to do, and by the end of the book, I like Edie a great deal.

Those that enjoy strong feminist fiction should get this book and read it.

This is an interesting character study of a woman at three stages in her life- her youth, at middle ages and as a grandmother. Edie is defined here by her relationships with others, mostly men but also her daughter and granddaughter. I'm going to be an odd one out in that I never lost sight of the fact that the author is a male- I felt it reflected in his descriptions of Edie and in the way her relationships were portrayed. Oddly, though they were not the focus of the novel, I felt the male characters were especially well done. That said, Watson's depiction of small town Montana was wonderful. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Watson has a legion of fans who will be thrilled to see this. It's a good read that will be especially appreciated by fans of literary fiction.

This was my first Larry Watson book and also the first book I've read that took place in Montana.

The Lives of Edie Pritchard gave off an old-time vibe that I love, especially with the first setting in the book, when Edie is with her first husband, Dean. It's not often that a male author can write female character that is strong-willed well, but Larry definitely accomplished that and I appreciate it because she was a very well written character.

I have to say that I did enjoy Part 3 the most, as Edie was older and obviously more developed as a person and it showed that Larry had her character develop throughout the book.

Please note, while the title may seem like a time traveling book, it is NOT time travel. The three timelines in which we follow Edie - 1967-68, 1987, and then 2007, are three distinct times in her life, but were very well interconnected with the inclusion of the Linderman brothers. Dean, the first husband, and Roy, the fraternal twin of Dean. Throughout the whole book, Roy was there to help Edie along the way when she needed help, but he wasn't a complete lovesick, jealous man. Each timeline did not get boring. I enjoyed the family dynamic of Edie with her daughter and her granddaughter in parts two and three as well as the growth in the relationship between Dean and Roy between parts one and two.

A few years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed Larry Watson’s brilliant novel, "As Good As Gone." Set in 1963, it examines the eruption of violence in a small town in Montana and its effect on a middle-class family.

In Watson’s smart new novel, "The Lives of Edie Pritchard," the heroine Edie is haunted by the fear of violence. In small-town Montana in 1967, men constantly harass her. Edie is cool, dignified, and smart. She ignores the comments and halts the passes  with the coolness and poker face of a cowgirl. (Actually, she works at a bank.)  She also deals with harassment from her husband Frank’s identical twin brother Roy, who is said to be charming. I don’t see it.

The novel deals with three eras of Edie’s life: 1967-68, when Frank becomes pathologically jealous:   Edie saves Roy’s life after two redneck brothers run Roy off the road because they objected to his buying their grandfather’s truck . In 1987, Edie has left town and is now the wife of Glen, another jealous husband. One day Roy calls her to say Frank is dying of cancer and would like to see her again.

As you can imagine, jealous husbands do not like their wives to visit ex-husbands. Glen grabs her wrist and sprains it, so the next day she  takes off with her teenage daughter Jennifer, meaning to leave Glen forever. In her hometown, she visits her ex-husband, weak with cancer.  Roy has become less obnoxious, now married to Edie’s old friend Carla. (There is no jealousy between women.) Unfortunately, Edie’s husband Glen tracks her down and things turn ugly. But in 2007, at age 60, Edie is single and serene.

Does history repeat itself?   When her granddaughter stops to visit on a road trip from Spokane, Edie recognizes that the two vagabond brothers who accompany her are moody and violent.

The structure of the book is nearly perfect. There are three parts, and Three is the magic number  with brothers: twins Frank and Roy,; the two brothers who ran Roy off the road in ’64; and now the two brothers with her granddaughter in 2007.

I have one criticism: there is too much objectification of women. Edie constantly goes to bed with abusive husbands, and we see, in my opinion, too much of her figure. Like Edie, I object to the word “tits.” And Edie’s granddaughter’s sundress straps fall off her shoulders while she eats pizza. Now how many times have I seen a woman’s sundress straps fall off while she is eating pizza? Zero.

Well, many great male writers, from Philip Roth to Jim Harrison, have had similar obsessions. Still, I liked Edie, who does take care of herself and has more control as the times change.
Overall, it is an absorbing summer read.  Watson is an excellent read, and Edie is a strong woman.

We meet Edie, the protagonist, at three different stages of her life twenty years apart. In 1967, she is Edie Linderman, married to Dean, an insecure man who represses his jealousy of his fraternal twin Roy. Dean knows Roy is attracted to Edie, but he does nothing to stop Roy’s constant attempts to pull Edie away from her husband. In 1987, Edie is Edie Dunn, married to Gary, a controlling, possessive man, with whom she has a teenaged daughter Jennifer. In 2007, Edie is 64-year-old Edie Pritchard, living contentedly alone until her granddaughter Lauren arrives with her boyfriend Billy and Billy’s brother Jesse.

Edie is a beautiful woman and that beauty is used to define her. People draw conclusions about her because of her looks. Roy, for instance, constantly makes comments about Edie’s appearance to her; he mentions her hair, her clothes, and her body, even though the comments make her uncomfortable and she tells him so. Edie tells Roy that he sees only what he wants to see or what he wants her to be: “’It’s not me. It’s some idea of me’” because “’you turned me into this, this ideal.’”

Edie’s hometown is Gladstone, Montana, and growing up in a small town means people formed an opinion of her that never changes: “’I mean, all of us, are someone else in the eyes of others. And for all I know, maybe that other is as true, as real, as the person we believe we are. But the thing is, when you’re back home, you never have a chance to be someone other than who you were then. Even if you never were that person.’”

For the longest time, Edie’s life is defined by the demands of others, especially men. She tries to get Dean to move away from Gladstone but he refuses. Dean never seems to consult his wife for her opinion, as his brother points out: “’But you never talked any of this over with her, did you? . . . You never asked her what she wants, did you?’” Edie’s marriage to Gary puts her in another trap where her movements are controlled by her husband. She constantly has to compromise because her wishes never seem to take precedence. Even being a mother seems to mean not being able to be herself; Edie tells a friend, “’I don’t believe Jennifer ever forgave me for wanting to be anything besides her mother.’”

Edie is a dynamic character who eventually finds independence and contentment. In the last section, she lives alone but is happy: “’I’ve learned how to live alone in an apartment . . . I have my routines. And I like my apartment.’” She learns to speak up for herself; she tells one man, who keeps walking by her workplace so he can get her attention, “’you need to find yourself a different street to walk up and down.’” She won’t even let a man stay on the couch for protection: “’If you don’t leave, I might get used to having you here – needing you here – to feel safe. No, I have to get through the night without you here. If I don’t I’ll feel like I can’t make it without you here.’”

Edie also learns that it’s not always possible to keep others from making mistakes. Jennifer wants to return to a man who cheated on her even though Edie tells her, “’If Patrick cheated on you once, he’ll do it again. Cheaters cheat.’” Lauren is involved with Billy, but they can go nowhere without Jesse. From experience, Edie knows that there will inevitably be problems when a couple is actually a threesome, but will she be able to rescue her granddaughter from repeating Edie’s mistakes?

From the beginning, there is a feeling that things could go terribly wrong, that violence could occur at any time because of male ego and guns. Roy’s encounter with the Bauer brothers and the road trip Dean proposes to Bentrock create suspense, especially because guns are present. Guns again come to the forefront in the third section.

I found it interesting that a male author chose to focus his novel on a woman and her conflicts, including men’s misperceptions of women. Many writers would not dare, but his portrayal is very realistic. I found Edie a relatable character in whom I could see some of myself. Watson’s thanks to his wife, “my inspiration and my test case for all things Edie,” are undoubtedly deserved.

The book is written in Watson’s typical understated style with prose that can only be called restrained.
He writes like an Impressionist painter, focusing the reader’s attention on gestures and actions and letting him/her figure out the significance. This style may not appeal to all readers, but it works in suggesting that Edie can be known - if proper (not superficial) attention is paid to her.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley. The book will be released on July 21.

In his newest book, acclaimed novelist Larry Watson, takes a reader through the decades of one woman’s life and her attempts to navigate life on her own terms. The Lives of Edie Pritchard, which comes out on July 21st, simultaneously shows the simplicity of humans and the complexities of everyday life through three moments in Edie’s life.
This novel is simple in its delivery, but also shows depth in the way these three portions of Edie’s life parallel and intersect one another. This story is not just about one woman: it is about relationships and how they get built up and time down over the years. It also examines all of these things happen within one small town and how the perceptions of a community can influence an individual.
Even though there are no chapters in the book (only three parts), it allows for the reader to be even more sucked in to Edie’s life and what makes these three moments in time so important. That’s the other thing about this novel: we only get to see Edie at three points in her life. While some characters give clues as to what transpired in the gap years we don’t get to read about, the focus remains solely on living life in the present. Roy and Dean try to hold tight to what they had years ago yet Edie is always looking forward. None of them make an effort to live in the moment and be defined by who they are currently, as opposed to who they were in the past. Watson forces the reader to pass judgement on these characters and develop opinions on them while only seeing a small part of the whole picture, which I think is the point. This close examination really forces the reader to analyze what it means to be a good or bad person and how to live life in your own way when others constantly expect something else from you.
Filled with rich and complex characters, Watson has developed a story that will suck you in and be grateful for the little moments in life. Timeless, engaging, and real, The Lives of Edie Pritchard is a must-read!

*I received an ARC from Algonquin Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Lives of Edie Pritchard follows our heroine through three major periods of her life: during her twenties while she is married to her high school sweetheart, in the midst of her forties as she contemplates leaving her second marriage, and in her senior years as she tries to impart her wisdom to her granddaughter. Edie is an indelible character at any age and over the course of her lifetime we see how she holds onto her sense of self despite what others try to project on to her.

When I picked up this book I was curious how a man would handle the headspace of a woman. Would he understand the nuances of a woman navigating her way through a male dominated society? Would the novel address feminine sentiment in a way that was respectful and honest and true? Does Larry Watson get "it"? Although I do not think he entirely gets us, I did not find myself offended. Perhaps because I expected the book to be through a male lens, I was grateful that he showed her development over time. Watson's writing is simply stated; cognizant of this woman's singularity and sense of purpose.

One scene that really made an impression on me was where Edie is talking to Lauren and Roy about how girls in middle school perceive themselves and how their self esteem goes down just about the same time they start getting attention from boys. She asks them why they think this is the case and finally Roy has to admit that "It must be something about the way we look at you."

This scene takes place when Edie is in her sixties and has come full circle. She has come to accept that people may have their own perceptions of you, that this sense of identity may be caused by false memory or long held views of what they think you should represent. But she is no longer bound to what other people need or want her to be.

When she was in her twenties an offhand comment from a little girl would have prompted her to examine her features and double check that she is not wearing too much makeup and contemplating her hairstyle. A plea to help make a car sale might have her unbuttoning her blouse. In each of these cases she self corrects, disgusted with herself for allowing others to impose their views on her.

By the time she reaches her forties she knows that with her beauty comes expectations from men -- including her husband. Even though she wants change in her life, she does not want to forsake her identity to get it.

As a mature woman she is not only self aware, but she also has come to realize that we cannot control what others think of us:
<i><blockquote>"All of us are someone else in the eyes of others. And for all I know, maybe that other is as true, as real, as the person we believe we are. But the thing is, when you're back home, you never have a chance to be someone other than who you were then. Even if you never were that person."</blockquote></i>

Like Watson's other novels The Lives of Edie Pritchard is reminiscent of place. Small town Americana comes alive in the form of Gladstone, Montana and is its own character in the book.

<i><blockquote>"It might not seem like much, this country. A few bare hills, each seeming to rise out of the shadow of the one behind it. Miles of empty prairie, and all of it, hill and plain, the color of paper left out in the sun. You might be out here alone someday with what you thought would be your life. And a gust of wind might blow your heart open like a screen door. And slam it just as fast."</blockquote></i>

<i>Special thanks to Sara Winston from Algonquin Books for bringing this book to my attention.</i>

It's a life story of Adie from her adulthood to her being a grandma. The plot revolves around Adie her marriage, her surroundings, her emotions. A historical fiction set in the 60s. The writing is smooth, and I loved the characters. The narration was flat at some places I will recommend the book to historical fiction lovers.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Lives of Edie Pritchard

Author: Larry Watson

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: multigenerational novel, feminism

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Genre: Contemporary

Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, TW domestic violence, TW sexual harassment)

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Pages: 368

Synopsis: Edie—smart, self assured, beautiful—always worked hard. She worked as a teller at a bank, she worked to save her first marriage, and later, she worked to raise her daughter even as her second marriage came apart. Really, Edie just wanted a good life, but everywhere she turned, her looks defined her. Two brothers fought over her. Her second husband became unreasonably possessive and jealous. Her daughter resented her. And now, as a grandmother, Edie finds herself harassed by a younger man. It’s been a lifetime of proving that she is allowed to exist in her own sphere. The Lives of Edie Pritchard tells the story of one woman just trying to be herself, even as multiple men attempt to categorize and own her.

Review: Overall, I thought the book was really well done. The book had a lot of good writing and the world building was very well done. I also liked the concept of the story and the plot was intriguing to me.

However, I didn’t like that the book had a lot of holes in Edie’s story. I feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities to give us more history on her. I also am not a fan of the “will they won’t they” and the tease of the romance wasn’t good for me. The book expected you to have this knowledge of this character that was a mystery throughout the whole novel. I also feel weird about this slight feminist novel being wrote by a male author.

Verdict: It was a good book!

DNF @40%

I'm sorry but I couldn't get into this novel. I felt confused by the narrative and I didn't like Edie in the slightest. I found her extremely irritating, and the various men that drool all over her were not much better either. Everyone was written in a pretentious or self-centered way. It was hard for me to care about anyone or anything that occurred within the plot. I really didn't enjoy the writing style either. Awkward dialogue and not enough descriptive imagery.

Release date: July 21, 2020

Why is Montana home to so many great writers? Thomas McGuane, Ivan Doig, Jim Harrison, Norman Maclean --and, of course, Larry Watson. Perhaps it is the scenic drama of the state: the endless horizon, lush valleys bracketed by walls of craggy, majestic mountains. The people who live there seem intimidated by the beauty; they lead tough lives, never reach their potential. Edie Pritchard is one of them, a beautiful, intelligent woman who attracts men who are trying not to be bad as well as those who just don't know how to be good. Edie doesn't really need either sort of man but she can't seem to get out of their way, like a deer waiting for the next set of headlights. Watson tells Edie's story in three eras, each time trying to outrun her past -- but that past is her present and her future, too, overpowered by Montana. "But the thing is, when you're back home," Edie says at one point, "you never have a chance to be someone other than who you were then. Even if you never were that person." Watson has given us an indelible character, struggling against a current of life that never will let her go.

A DNF at p58 for me. Couldn’t get into this narrative (there’s a scene on p50 that was quite cringeworthy and pretty much confirmed why I didn’t want to continue reading)

This novel has an old-fashioned feel, in the best possible way. It's a thoughtful character study of a woman in Montana, beginning during her first marriage in the 1960s. Larry Watson knows what he's doing and knows how to write a sentence and the entire novel was a delight to read. Edie marries the quieter twin brother and deals with both her husband's insecurity and her brother-in-law's constant attempts to win her over. As the years pass, Edie develops from a woman who had a contentious relationship with her own daughter to one who is willing to go to bat for her granddaughter, and from a woman who runs away from a bad situation to one who is willing to stand up and speak her mind clearly.

Edie is a wonderful character who does her best to be a good wife and who is also willing to leave when the situation becomes intolerable, something she'll have to do more than once in her life. Edie feels constrained by life in a Montana town and yet she returns to it. She's pursued by men, but refuses to allow that to determine her life's path. This novel is an excellent character study of a woman who grows more secure in herself and less willing to compromise to meet the needs of men, as well as an evocative picture of rural Montana in the second half of the last century.

I got really excited when I saw Larry Watson has a new book coming out this summer - The Lives of Edie Pritchard. Even more thrilled when the publisher provided me with an ARC. It’s like Christmas in June! Watson is a fantastic novelist. He hooked me with the first book I read of his - Montana 1948. A master of time, place and characters, he has no need to embellish and put a lot of fluff and filler in his stories.

In his newest work, we get to know Edie through three different periods of her life. In 1967-68 when she was young and married to Dean Linderman, but also deeply connected to his twin brother Roy. Moving on to 1987 when she is Edie Dunn married to a domineering man who wants to possess her with a 17 year old daughter. Finally we end up in 2007 when she is back to Edie Pritchard and her newly high school graduated granddaughter comes to shake up her life a bit.

Edie has struggled through life feeling like all the men she is with want to own her. Like many women, she continuously wonders if she can stand on her own and not be needed by or defined by a man. Throughout these three key time periods of her life, her first husband’s twin brother Roy is weaved in as a constant. He’s always loved Edie and he can’t and won’t let go of the idea that she should have been his.

I enjoyed this book about Edie. It’s always brave when a man takes on writing a female point of view. Could Watson have dug a little deeper into Edie on an emotional level? Yes, but one of the things I love best about his novels is matter of fact writing style. Because of that, this arms length storytelling just works!

I had twin uncles. They were identical in appearance. One joined the navy. The other worked in an auto factory and built a cabin. When one died, his twin divorced his wife and married his brother's widow.

It was more complicated than that, of course. But the gist of their story was that, in the end, they both loved the same woman.

In The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson, Edie is loved by twin brothers. Her story is revealed through three road trips across Montana.

She leaves home to become her own person; then returns home to confront her past escape her present; and last of all, she goes on a quest to save her granddaughter.

Dean Linderman was unsure that Edie had meant to marry him and not his twin brother Roy. Roy was the hunk, the chick magnet. Dean was quiet, introspective. Why would the most beautiful girl in town choose to marry him when she could have had his brother?

Dean was jealous but passive, even knowing that Roy still carried a torch for his wife. Edie pleaded to move away, hoping to separate the brothers to save her marriage. They needed a fresh start.

Dean assumes that Edie wants to move so she won't fall into bed with Roy. No, Edie replies, "What I'm afraid of is that you'll end up with him."

Edie Pritchard did not ask for the attention of men. She resented their unwanted attentions. Her first marriage ends because Dean's repressed jealousy came between their love. Her second marriage ended because Gary didn't truly love her; he only wanted to possess her.

She's done with complications. She's done with men, including the nice guy who stalks her at work, and especially the younger men who come on to her. It seems that no sees or care about who she is, just their projections they create based on her beauty. No one ever asked Edie what she wanted.

Edie knows she failed as a mom to her and Gary's daughter, Jennifer. Jennifer's teenage daughter Lauren shows up with her boyfriend Billy and his best friend Troy, escaping her unhappy home. Troy is deeply insinuated into Lauren's relationship with Billy. No one understands better than Edie that when a couple is a threesome, there is trouble ahead. And Troy is trouble. One more complication has entered Edie's life.

Lauren moves on with the men, later sending a cry for help. Roy shows up to help Edie rescue Lauren, still insisting it was always and only her that he loved.

In a climatic scene, Edie makes a dramatic stand, hoping to save her granddaughter from the men who would use her.

Watson's book explores the boxes men put women into, the compromises women make, and what it takes for a woman to live authentically. Easy to read, with detailed descriptions of the past and the landscape and great characterizations, I loved this story of Edie Pritchard and her individuation quest for self-realization.

I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

4.5 Stars

’It might not seem like much, this country. A few bare hills, each seeming to rise out of the shadow of the one behind it. Miles of empty prairie, and all of it, hill and plain, the color of paper left out in the sun. You might be out here alone someday with what you thought would be your life. And a gust of wind might blow your heart open like a screen door. And slam it just as fast.’

This story begins in the late 1960’s, in an ordinary small town in Montana, a woman, Edie, riding as a passenger in a car driven by her brother-in-law, Roy Linderman, who is the twin brother to Edie’s husband, Dean. They’re on their way to bid on a 1951 GMC half ton that’s up for auction, with Edie along so she can drive Roy’s Chevy Impala back home. In the meantime, Roy spends the time making comments about how she looks, or the miniskirts she wears to her job as a bank teller, knowing how uncomfortable it will make her. She knows he has feelings for her, as well as Dean does, and while neither one welcomes it, Dean – most of the time – acts like he is oblivious.

Edie is beautiful, which is all that most people seem to see, but she’s also smart, not afraid of hard work, and confident of her abilities. She wants nothing more than a good life, a life where she is appreciated for who she is and her contributions more than how she looks. But the thing about living in a small town is perceptions and attitudes, once formed, are hard to change, until pretty soon you feel unseen and unknown and it feels like nothing you can say or do will change that.

The second part of this story takes place in the late 1980’s, Edie and Dean divorced years ago, she’s remarried, her husband’s name is Gary and they have a teenage daughter, Jennifer. When Edie gets a phone call from Roy telling her that Dean asked him to call her, that Dean wants to see her one more time, and for him, time is fleeting. As the third part begins, it’s 2007, and Edie is in her mid-60’s, a grandmother, living in an apartment on her own until her granddaughter arrives, having recently graduated High School, along with her boyfriend and his brother.

Mothers and daughters, the battles and quarrels between them during those years of seeking independence, to be seen as a complete person on your own, to never being seen for who you truly are – but a culmination of all of the mistakes made, the mothers dreams for their daughters unfulfilled. The people who have known you since childhood, also never truly seeing you for who you really are. And in this story, maybe also in life, that is especially true, with some men only seeing what they want to see and creating their own story based on who they want you to be.



Pub Date: 21 July 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Algonquin Books #TheLivesofEdiePritchard #NetGalley