Rosie by Anne Lamott

Rosie is the first of the three "Rosie" books and the last one I read. I already loved the characters and knew some of the plot, as it was referenced in the subsequent books. What I noticed more in this book than the others was the domesticity and female-focus that was present all the way through. We know all the delicious meals Elizabeth makes; someone more knowledgable around a bar will also appreciate all she drinks. We know what music she listens to, what books she reads. I love staying home at my house and I loved being in Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth is often referenced throughout the three novels as someone who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. But readers see her doing careful, impactful, and, for many, very relatable things on nearly every page. She gardens, she cooks, she cleans, she daydreams and worries. Elizabeth may be fictional but she's also a real woman and I liked getting to know her.

Getting to know Elizabeth's "real life" involves some heartbreak as real life does. Anne Lamott does not shy away from showing how many things can be true at once. Elizabeth and James' relationship left me thinking about what we overlook and avoid to get what we need and want. If we knew the full truth, would we avoid all the good, too?

My favorite part of Rosie is is the friendship between Rosie and Sharon. Anne Lamott takes us into their imaginary worlds, their long afternoons of play, and it's easy to get lost remembering how it felt to be six. 


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