A review by laramie_moore
Elegy, Southwest by Madeleine Watts

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Netgalley comped this to Death Valley by Melissa Broder, and it is similar except the husband and wife are both on a trip across the southwest. Eloise is narrating the entire book and speaking/journaling/writing a letter to Lewis, her husband. She is speaking from a distant future where everything happened has happened and more. It is unclear why they are apart for most of the book until the end and even that is a mystery. She talks about their journey from Vegas to LA and into Utah and New Mexico, places they visited, how Lewis and herself was feeling. She also tells secrets she kept from him during their trip. Lewis and Eloise navigate their own marriage perils and the death of Lewis' mother and his family and work. The pace of the book is slow but I liked that. It went the pace of a long car trip, where the roads wind around and not a lot happens and then a lot happens. I can't wait to hear other people's reviews.