The Painted Table by Suzanne Field
Reviewed by: Sylvia Shults, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Listed as Inspirational, but it’s really literary fiction.
Suggested age: Adult
What is the book about?: This is actually the story of two women: Joann, the daughter of Norwegian immigrants, and Saffee, her own daughter. Joann grew up on the frontier, and lost her mother at an early age — finding out much later that her mother died in an insane asylum. Joann, not all that stable mentally to begin with, worries at that information until it drives her completely around the bend. (From the narrative, it looks like Joann’s mother had been committed for distress at losing her youngest child, and wasn’t actually insane as we would recognize it today.) One of the defining moments of Joann’s life revolves around hiding under a dining room table. Joann later inherits the table, and projects all of her issues onto it, obsessively painting and repainting it over the course of the rest of her life. Saffee, Joann’s daughter, assumes that she is destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become mentally ill herself. But she manages to break free of the generational curse of mental instability, and strike out on her own. She goes to college, meets a great guy, and makes a solid, stable life for herself, despite her mother’s mental issues.
My review: I really enjoyed this book. It started out rather slowly, building a life from Joann’s perspective. I found the details of Saffee’s life to be much more interesting to read … and that’s really as it should be, since the reader is supposed to cheer for Saffee and her gradually dawning realization that she is not necessarily doomed to a life of mental instability like her mother (and her unknown grandmother). Mental health issues are a very personal, important subject for me … so it was a real pleasure to read a book in which at least one of the main characters triumphed over her difficulties.
Rating: 4/5 because it does take a while to really get rolling.
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!