I just really, really like the way Rainbow Rowell writes. I think I have officially read every novel she’s written, and I just find comfort in her prose. Heck, even the 1999 setting of Attachments filled me with a happy nostalgia rather than annoyance.
In this novel, we are presented with two storylines. Beth and Jennifer are writers and friends at The Courier. We get interactions from them through their email, which is a newer thing for The Courier. Jennifer is a copywriter, so she works late, and Beth is a film critic, so she works odd hours in between movie viewings. Though they do talk about work sometimes, their emails mainly lean toward the personal. Jennifer has been avoiding getting pregnant until one day she is. She’s conflicted about the whole thing for quite some time. Beth is lamenting about the fact that her super hot rock star (local) boyfriend hasn’t proposed and seems like he’s never going to.
Their lives cross paths with Lincoln, a man in his late 20s whose moved back into his mother’s house recently. He’s got a number of degrees but has settled for a job in IT at The Courier working nights. He doesn’t have much to do, but one of his main job duties is to read through emails flagged for unsuitable content. As you can guess, almost all of Beth and Jennifer’s exchanges run through this folder. Lincoln is so amused and interested in their conversations that he never gives them a warning. He kind of lives vicariously through them, as he feels like his life is kind of stuck at the moment.
The real growth in this novel happens within Lincoln, who very slowly begins to try and better himself. He still doesn’t know if anything he’s doing will make him feel less stuck, but it’s better than doing nothing. Along the way he reconnects with old friends, makes new friends, and strengthens the bonds of friends he’s had for a while. All of them want to see him succeed, including his mother and sister. It’s just that none of them really know how to steer his ship for him. That’s just as well, because I think everyone needs to figure their shit out on their own. It’s good enough to just have support.
Over the course of reading Beth and Jennifer’s emails, he develops a crush on Beth and he learns that she’s got one on him. At least, from a physical perspective. The two have never interacted and Lincoln feels conflicted as to how that could ever happen in the future. I’m not sure I’m totally satisfied with how it all turns out, but overall the book was a pleasant read. I know Rowell is busy with TV writing at the moment, but I hope she puts out another novel soon.