When we come into Majella's story, a culmination of new and old grief has been raked up in such an ugly way. She has lost her grandmother brutally and unexpectedly, her father has been missing for years and, she is left holding her life together while her mother drinks herself into oblivion. As far as plots go, Big Girl Small Town doesn't really have one. This is a completely character driven novel that follows Majella through the familiar rhythm of her life at the Chipper-- a little fast food joint who specializes in everything fried and delicious-- The strength of this novel comes in the steadiness of Majella's character. Her life is maybe the worst it has ever been, but she keeps going to work, serving the regulars in her small town.
Despite the events surrounding the sorted parts of her life, I felt a detached numb feeling when details of her past began to unfold. The numbness was so subtle. As a reader I relaxed into the pattern of her nights, taking comfort in the way it unfolded with little to no change. When the bits and pieces began to come together, I felt myself wanting to reject them in favor of the comfort Majella has found in her predictable schedule. This was such an interesting way to allow readers into the pain of Majella's existence without unleashing it unnecessarily.
Big Girl Small town had a very strong sense of place. The Town Majella occupies is so much apart of Majella. Getting a glimpse of what it is like to live in the town helps us understand her even more.
There were parts of this novel that felt like sort of a slog to get through. The redundancy of her schedule is a necessary part of telling this story, but it becomes kind of a chore at times. If you enjoy a novel with a clean resolution and lots of interesting plot details to keep the story moving, this may not be for you. As far as character driven novels go, this is one was unique!
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5stars
Content Warning: Alcoholism, animal abuse, murder,
Thank you to Algonquin Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Big Girl Small Town will be available for purchase on December 15th!!
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