The Measures Between Us- Connections Continued

I recently posted my review of The Illusion of Separateness and how it is a beautiful story on the effect of those seemingly minor connections between people.  Ethan Hauser does the same in his debut novel, The Measures Between Us.

There are several players in this powerful novel, but young Cynthia finds herself in the middle.  She is currently living in a mental facility, at the behest of her parents, but she has a very profound effect on others, whether directly or indirectly.  Her father, Vincent, is a high school shop teacher who struggles with the decision of what to do with his troubled daughter.  He seeks the help of pscyhologist, and former student, Henry, who is dealing with the trials of starting his own family.  Jack, Cynthia's on-again, off-again boyfriend, is interning on a project dealing with climate change and a major storm that is threatening the East Coast.  There are others involved here, but the connections between each person, which may seem minor at first, says a lot about the human experience and how we each affect one another in some way.

I really enjoyed the writing style and was not put off by the changes in narrating viewpoints.  The story flows very well, though the language is not as poetic as The Illusion of Separateness.  Still, if you are interested in how people who seem to have nothing in common are still connected, pick this one up.

Chris May- Manager of Adults Services