The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott

How I Heard About It:  A member of my BBC (Boy's Book Club) chose this novel for our current section.  I knew nothing of it and was interested in reading it.  I actually listened to it via the "Audible" app during my commute each morning and afternoon.  

What It Is About:  After a man commits suicide, he leaves his pregnant wife Annie alone and poor.  After she gives birth to Sally, they find refuge with a group of nuns living in New York City.  These two woman begin a life inside the "walls" of the convent and devote themselves to helping the poor.  The story follows each of them throughout their lives while introducing the reader to a variety of other characters.  

What I Thought Of It:  What can I say?  The beginning of the story grabbed me right away and lead me to believe I was in for a real treat.  But as the story continued, I lost interest and had a hard time following the plot.  I know if I had been reading it, it would have been a "skim and scan" type reading for me.  At first I was glad that I was listening, but then it was even hard to pay attention to the audio.  I know my mind wandered and I didn't catch everything that was going on.  It was a slow moving story.  I couldn't keep track of the characters.  All and all it just wasn't the novel for me.  

Who Should Read It:   Looking at all the reviews on Amazon, it looks like people either really loved the novel or didn't.  I would probably be somewhere in the middle.  There were moments when I was interested in what was going on and other times when I wasn't sure what was going on.  I would imagine that readers that have read other works by Alice McDermott would be an audience for this novel.  I look forward to our book club meeting.  I'm curious to see what the other members thought of it.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars