Dysfunctional, emotional, wrenching and so disturbing. Twisted, wrong and yet…..does he know better? I think that is the words I can think of to describe my first book by David Vann. Galen (22) lives with his mother; I take that back, not exactly lives but co-exist with his mother in a secluded old house living off trust money from dear old grandma. His mother’s sister and daughter want some of the money from dear old grandma but it seems that Galen’s mother holds the purse strings to some of the money and she’s not letting go. Galen is not aware of the amount of the trust because the life that they are leading, they are barely scraping by. A trip to the cabin with this group of 5 has suddenly brought the reality of Galen’s life into the light and there is no going back. The sister tries to get grandma to sign a check for some of the trust money. Everything is out of control. Words are spoken, harsh and from the heart and the group will scatter like balloons cut from their string. What a twisted family. I felt sorry for grandma, being in the nursing home but after reading the book, that was the best place for her. Jennifer and Galen were cousins, really? I thought things might be different at the end, the suspense was killing me as I turned the last couple pages. I guess it had to be- but now what? Who really won?
