Elizabeth Stuckey-French

This tale didn’t exactly lack focus, but it sure was headed in that direction. It touched on a lot of things. It included a runaway wife, a feminist business woman, her somewhat deceitful employee, an unfaithful husband, an unfaithful wife, actually make that two of each, a young child definitely on the spectrum but as of yet, not being helped by any doctor, a kind of reclusive carver of large wooden dolls, and of course, the aging “merhags.” Oh! And Elvis. Can’t forget him. The characters are definitely quirky and flawed. And even though the book’s dust jacket claims Elizabeth Strout said the novel was hilarious and wacky, I didn’t see it that way. Wacky, yes, but not so funny. Weird characters in weird situations that are sort of resolved, but in a weird way. Not a lot of closure at its end. Maybe I just missed a deeper meaning, but the novel just never seemed to build to anything. I’m not sorry I read it, but I can’t imagine recommending it to any of my book friends.… (altro)

Who would've guessed that a novel about an elderly victim of unethical medical experiments who sets out to kill the now doddering doctor who administered the radioactive cocktails fifty years ago would be funny. But it is! Humorous, quirky, and offbeat all describe the unusual, but like able characters that inhabit the Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, by Elizabeth Stuckey-French.

Stuckey-French's characters are sympathetically drawn. They're quirky, but never so quirky that they feel unreal. The writing is quite lively and truly original. Don't let the title fool you: This is no sci-fi tale. It's a comic family drama with warm characters who aren't so flawed they might not be redeemed.

The 77 year old Marylou Ahearn is determined to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs to avenge his involvement in the medical experiment that cost her her only child Helen. When Marylou finally tracks Dr Spriggs down, she moves to his neighborhood and takes on a new identity and introduces herself to the family. Not that the family wants anything to do with this nosy old biddy....

She then discovers that Dr. Spriggs has major memory loss - and doesn't seem to recall much of anything. So, instead of murder, Marylou plans to disrupt his life through his family. She finds a way to meet his grandchildren. Then she falls for young Suzi - a sporty, outgoing and slightly tormented young girl. As Marylou gets to know Suzi and her sister Ava, and their brother Otis, she finds a closeness and friendship she hadn't expected. And her carefully laid plans go awry. This family needs help, not more mistakes. And Marylou may just be the one who can help them all.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady has been compared to the movie Little Miss Sunshine because of the quirky, unusual characters and unexpected situations. Elizabeth Stuckey-French's novel is entertaining, engrossing and hard to forget. It kept me coming back the whole of my confinement because of illness, nearly desperate to find out more. And hoping, against everything that's gone wrong in this family, maybe they all can set things right again...?

Very recommended.… (altro)