Alice Boldly Goes

Philadelphia area native Alice Sebold's books tackle some pretty hefty topics. Her memoir, Lucky, confronts the rape she experienced as a freshman in college. Her first novel, The Lovely Bones, is told from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl who is raped and murdered. She narrates the story from heaven, watching as her family deals with her death. Sebold's novel may have been a hit at a time when chick lit ruled the shelves, but brightly colored covers were about the only thing Sebold's books had in common with many of her female counterparts.

Sebold kicks it up another notch with The Almost Moon, a novel concerned with matricide and mental illness. We aren't deep enough into the book to fully review it, but we can say that despite the dark subject matter, the narrator's voice is strong enough to make us keep coming back for more.

She will discuss her latest novel at the Central Library tomorrow. The appearance will likely be lively. How could it not? The book begins, “When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.”

We have to give kudos to Sebold for tackling subjects that many people would rather avoid. By exposing some of the darker parts of the psyche, perhaps the light of understanding can shine through.

Alice Sebold
Wednesday, October 17, 7:00 PM
Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Free