Fellowship Point
By Alice Elliott Dark
579 pages
What’s it about?
Agnes and Polly are now in their eighties and have been dear friends since childhood. They grew up together in Philadelphia and spent their summers in Maine on a shared family compound called Fellowship Point. Their lives have taken different trajectories but their friendship has never wavered. Agnes chose the path less taken and never married. She became a writer- famous for a series of well-known children’s books. Polly was the ultimate wife and mother to four children. Both devoted their lives to what they loved. As these two women look forward they both have a strong calling to keep Fellowship Point from landing in the hands of developers. As they look backward we see how time changes our perceptions of the world.What did it make me think about?
Aging and old friendships.Should I read it?
“Patience is a virtue” and this is a book that requires patience. At 100 pages I was not so sold on this one. It just seemed so old-fashioned and somewhat irrelevant. Boy was I wrong! This book takes on so many subjects- aging, feminism, elitism, marriage, parenting, and friendship to name a few. The story’s slow pace and well-drawn out characters were something to be savored- not rushed through. You do have to suspend disbelief at times as some of the plot lines seem coerced- but it all works together for good. If you like well-written characters then don’t miss this book.Quote-
“Younger people always thought they’d never change, and that the diminishing eyesight and hearing loss and groping for names that was typical of everyone who lived long enough wouldn’t happen to them.” “We were, we are, relentlessly, prideful, stoical. We admire fortitude. We were raised to think a person has a right to be upset, in the event of loss or disappointment, but there are ways to acknowledge it without plodding through the embarrassment of a scene. Stop crying. Pull yourself together. Be brave.”What’s it about?
Agnes and Polly are now in their eighties and have been dear friends since childhood. They grew up together in Philadelphia and spent their summers in Maine on a shared family compound called Fellowship Point. Their lives have taken different trajectories but their friendship has never wavered. Agnes chose the path less taken and never married. She became a writer- famous for a series of well-known children’s books. Polly was the ultimate wife and mother to four children. Both devoted their lives to what they loved. As these two women look forward they both have a strong calling to keep Fellowship Point from landing in the hands of developers. As they look backward we see how time changes our perceptions of the world.
What did it make me think about?
Aging and old friendships.
Should I read it?
“Patience is a virtue” and this is a book that requires patience. At 100 pages I was not so sold on this one. It just seemed so old-fashioned and somewhat irrelevant. Boy was I wrong! This book takes on so many subjects- aging, feminism, elitism, marriage, parenting, and friendship to name a few. The story’s slow pace and well-drawn out characters were something to be savored- not rushed through. You do have to suspend disbelief at times as some of the plot lines seem coerced- but it all works together for good. If you like well-written characters then don’t miss this book.
Quote-
“Younger people always thought they’d never change, and that the diminishing eyesight and hearing loss and groping for names that was typical of everyone who lived long enough wouldn’t happen to them.”
“We were, we are, relentlessly, prideful, stoical. We admire fortitude. We were raised to think a person has a right to be upset, in the event of loss or disappointment, but there are ways to acknowledge it without plodding through the embarrassment of a scene. Stop crying. Pull yourself together. Be brave.”
