Evensong

A Novel

By: Stewart O'Nan

Narrated by: Nancy Linari

“Stewart O’Nan has been one of the best chroniclers of the lives of American women.” —Susan Straight

An intimate, moving novel that follows the Humpty Dumpty Club, a group of women of a certain age who band together to help one another and their circle of friends in Pittsburgh as they face the challenges of their golden years.

The Humpty Dumpty Club is distraught when their powerhouse leader, Joan Hargrove, takes a bad fall down her stairs, knocking her out of commission. Now, as well as running errands and shepherding those less able to their doctors’ appointments, they have to pick up the slack.

Between navigating their own relationships and aging bodies and attending choir practice, these invisible yet indomitable women help where they can. They bake cookies, they care for pets, they pick up prescriptions, they sit vigil by the sick, and most of all, they show up for the people they’ve pledged to help. In the face of death, divorce, and the myriad directions our lives can take, the Humpty Dumpty Club represents the power of community and chosen family.

Weaving together the perspectives of the four cardinal members as they tend to those in need, Stewart O’Nan revisits beloved characters from his past work—most notably Emily Maxwell—to fashion a rich and moving novel that celebrates our capacity for patience and care. Vivid, warm, and often wryly funny, Evensong reminds us that life is made up of moments both climactic and quotidian, and we weather those moments with the people we choose to keep close.

Critic reviews

"Nancy Linari impeccably narrates this exquisite story featuring many characters from Stewart O’Nan’s Pittsburgh novels. A group of elderly female choir members form the Humpty Dumpty Club to ensure that those struggling with life’s challenges will never go unaided. Linari optimistically depicts the characters’ delightfully different perspectives. When Joan, their vital longtime leader, breaks her leg, Emily, Arlene, and Kitzie try to fill her shoes. Linari artfully portrays the lifelong friends as they experience cancer, dementia, and loss, which are often coupled with major holidays. The women’s beloved church and precious Pittsburgh are atmospheric characters, and wry political comments abound. Vignettes include tame “curse words,” and the antics of a pet cat provide belly laughs."

Too meandering

This was a very slow paced and bland book. The characters were ok but the writing of their day to day lives just dragged on and on. The pace didn’t pick up. Not for me.

I was bored

The story was tedious and a downer. Sweet concept about the HD’s and realistic, not overly sentimental but very little fun.

So boring. Talks about everyday life, old ladies and cats. Very disappointed.

Boring. Slow. No good plot or character development. Old ladies and cats with medical issues. Slow day to day report on boring lives.

Evensong

So boring. Characters not interesting enough to remember. Like a boring diary. Don’t read it.

These girls age well

Interesting format, with short readable chapters. Got lost in all the characters, but shall look forward to rereading

If only such community were available