Memphis Reads Archive

Doris Dixon reviews ANYBODY OUT THERE? by Marian Keyes (William Morrow, 2006)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. In fact, most reviews of this book blow the surprise and I agonized over whether I should reveal what I wished I hadn't learned from those others...

Anna has survived a horrific taxi-cab accident and is recuperating with her family in Ireland. Things don't look good: broken arm, busted knee, nasty scars. And her family is wacko. She has four sisters, each with their own special "issues" including broken marriages, kooky careers, and recovery from assorted addictions. Mom is a bit theatrical. While caring for Anna, she assumes the mannerisms of her favorite soap opera nurses. With all of these personalities, who can blame Dad for staying in the background? Worst of all, Anna cannot get in touch with her husband Aidan back in New York City.

Frustrated by the unanswered e-mails and cell phone calls and only partially recovered, Anna returns home to track down her hubby. She finds an empty apartment and dozens of answering-machine messages from friends and loved ones. But no Aidan.


Here's the spoiler: Aidan died in the accident that left Anna so severely injured.

After weeks of denial, she finally faces the sad truth. However, instead of grief counseling Anna tries to contact Aidan through various spiritual mediums. She's convinced that he was planning to tell her something important the night of the accident.

It seems that many of the bestsellers in the Popular Library are plot-centered, quick reads. ANYBODY OUT THERE? is not one of those books. Its charm is in the description of all the crazy things that Anna goes through coming to terms with Aidan's death. We also learn how they met; meet their eccentric friends and neighbors; and follow Anna's career with a top PR firm specializing in cosmetics. Check out pages 61-64 for Anna's humorous speed-dating experiences.

Marian Keyes has gained a wide following with her funny novels about young women struggling with some of the rougher aspects of life including drug addiction and depression. Born in Ireland in 1963, Keyes admits to suffering from insecurity for most of her life. She began drinking at an early age and often made career decisions that reflected her insecurity. For example, she did not think that she was good enough to use her law degree professionally. She attempted suicide in 1994. Luckily, that low point was the impetus for Keyes to seek treatment for alcoholism. Although she had done some writing before her suicide attempt, after treatment she began writing more seriously. Her life improved with her marriage and the publication of her first novel Watermelon, both in 1995. Her subsequent novels have built on the success of the first.

Keyes' Walsh-sister novels include:

• 1995--Watermelon--After her husband abandons her--he thought it was best to wait until she gave birth--Claire Webster returns home to Dublin and her wacky family.
  
• 1998--Rachel's Holiday--Rachel Walsh lives in New York City. Her self-esteem is at an all time low. Her father insists that she return to Ireland and seek treatment for her drug addiction. Recovery involves confronting how she's hurt the family.
  
• 2002--Angels--Claire and Rachel's sister Maggie is separated from her cheating husband. She relocates to Los Angeles after losing her job. Working as an screenwriter's assistant, Maggie explores what it means to be a "bad girl."
  

You might also like IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW by Cecelia Ahern.

Source for Biographical Information: "Marian Keyes." Newsmakers, Issue 2. Thomson Gale, 2006. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006. Biography Resource Center is one of the Library's Online Databases. Call 415-2700 for login help.

Doris Dixon, Raleigh Branch Library

Labels: Reviews by Doris Dixon