Literary fiction is a genre I am always willing to experience more of, and yet the amount of books that can be labeled as such are somewhat few and far between on this blog. These more character driven stories move at a different pace, and are often viewed as books where 'not a lot happens,' though that is not necessarily true. Morgan Talty's Fire Exit has the 'literary fiction' tag attached to it in Goodreads, and it makes sense. With the focus on a man who must come to terms with the past, it explores our relationship with the truth, and whose right it is to share it.
The Situation: Charles Lamosway has spent many hours on the porch of his home, watching another family's life unfold from across the river. That family lives on the reservation, where he himself grew up with his mother, Louise, and stepfather, Frederick. Charles has watched that family since the day the couple brought home their daughter, Elizabeth, from the hospital. It was a day that changed his life in more ways than one, mostly because the man who ends up raising Elizabeth is not her real father, and Charles has spent the years wondering if she should know the truth.
The Problem: Now Elizabeth is an adult, and is clearly struggling. But she is not the only one. Charles not only wrestles with the truth about the daughter he did not get to raise, but also the guilt he still feels over his stepfather's tragic death. His primary relationships include his often-drunk friend Bobby, and his still living mother Louise, who everyday sinks deeper into dementia, and may still harbor resentment over what happened to her husband. When it becomes clear that Elizabeth is in trouble, Charles makes a decision that will effect more lives than his own. The truth is important, but may not be his to share. And could it be too late?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction, set in and around the community where Charles lives near Overtown, Maine. The character of Charles grew up on the Penobscot Reservation with his mother and stepfather, but had to move off the land once he turned 18. With no family of his own, and a strained relationship with his mother, Charles has spent much of his adult life observing and wondering about the family across the river, where his daughter lives with the man she believes is her real father. While Charles mostly wrestles with his own guilt over the past, and remorse for what his life could have been, he also struggles with the truth and how to handle it. Plus, there is the extra layer of caring for a parent with dementia.
My Verdict: With Charles as the first-person narrator, there are many moments that are not overly descriptive, and several actions are completed seemingly without much forethought. He simply knows something to be true - or at least believes something to be true - and acts accordingly, having to deal with the consequences later. With most of the page-turning action happening in the final quarter of the book, Talty holds the reader's attention throughout the story by carefully revealing Charles' past, and why the characters are how they are now, including Elizabeth. I enjoyed the exploration of our relationship with the truth, and how both sharing it, and withholding it, can be a dangerous thing.
Favorite Moment: After reading that individuals with dementia often enjoy having something to take care of, Charles gives his mother a stuffed elephant, which remains by her side for the rest of the book.
Favorite Character: Bobby is a mess. But he can be a helpful mess, and he does care a great deal for Charles' mother, Louise.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera. It is a different kind of story that also looks at complicated family relationships, and how communities attempt to hold onto the area where they live.
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