Evensong

There are so few books out there written about women of a certain age which don't turn them into amateur detectives or murderers, that to find one which treats them seriously as actual people makes it a rare treasure indeed!  Evensong (#1,371) by Stewart O'Nan is indeed such a gem!

Set in Pittsburg, the story centers around the relationship between four women, the youngest of whom is a sprightly sixty-three.  What binds them together is Calvary Church where they are, or were, choir members, bridge partners, and active members of the Humpty Dumpty group.  The HDs, as they call themselves, perform a myriad of "church lady" functions: visiting the sick, bringing meals to shut-ins, sending cards, picking up groceries and medicines and bringing people to doctor's appointments for those who cannot drive.  

These activities have always been managed by the dynamic Joan.  But when Joan takes a tumble down her stairs and is incapacitated for weeks, her responsibilities are delegated to Kitzi, a member of the central quartet.  With Kitzi taking on added responsibilities, the dynamics of this group are shifted, and Evensong deals with the subtle changes and losses each member of the group endures.

It's so real that I felt Mr. O'Nan was channeling me.  Much of the ladies' social life revolves around the choir.  Although only Susie is still singing, the others are always in attendance supporting her.  For me, it was fun reading about the Anglican  (Episcopal) traditional services and musical selections for Evensong, Requiems and Lessons and Carols; Charpentier? check!  Faure's Requiem? check!  Jesus Christ the Appletree? check and why didn't the ladies know this one?!  But mostly it was the sympathetic way the characters are portrayed that appealed to me so strongly.  

I understand that Emily and Arlene, two of the main characters, are not new.  They are apparently in some of Mr. O'Nan's earlier books.  I look forward to spending more time with them there!