The Year She Left, by Kerry Kelly

Book 36

I found The Year She Left, by Kerry Kelly, in that awesome used book store next to The World's Biggest Book Store in Toronto.  Local author, souvenir book.  And it was pretty good.

Each chapter is a month that follows two people.  Stu was left by his girlfriend in a bad way.  Kate left Mr. Awesome, who was very nice about it.  So you read their stories and start to figure they are going to end up together, but you keep reading anyway.  And pleasantly enough, it doesn't go quite the way you think.  The game-changing twist was genuinely shocking to me.  But in the end, the back of the book actually gives it away by saying, "Is it a happy ending?  Define happy."

Kelly has a few moments of interesting language.  One that I remember hovering over was:

"that he had given his heart to a woman, and while it was something that she made clear she didn't want, she hadn't been able to return it.  It was still there, with her, beating quietly, unwanted, apologizing and trying not to cause offence."

Oh, hell.

The characters have an annoying way of referring to people with whom they are impressed as "rock 'n roll".  Is that a Canadian thing?

I rather enjoyed this book and would read Kelly again.  If I should ever come across another of her books, I mean.  And now, it is just me and Dostoevsky.  No kidding.  I shall not pick up one more thing until I have conquered that bastard.