Sea Glass

This was actually a pretty good book. I should pick through the last books of the year before the book sale before I start re-reading what I already know is going to be bad. I generally don't like those books that start with "in 1929. . . ." This is an exception. It was about the recession, but it was more about friendship, love, betrayal and loyalty.

Honora has married Sexton after only dating for a few weeks but that's how it goes in those days. They move into a beach house that is very very very run down but she sees the potential and begins to work on making this house their home. She scrubs the walls, the windows, decorates on their extremely thin budget. And, in her spare time, she scours the beach for sea glass.

Down the beach, Vivian has occupied the residence of her boyfriend because in the crash of the stock market, he has lost it and she buys it so they can have a home. However, her boyfriend cannot live in a house that a woman owns. Obviously. That would make you inferior. Dumbass. Anyhoo. Vivian and Honora become friends.

Sexton was a traveling salesman. He sold typewriters. Because of the depression, he was let go from his job and he worked in the local mill for money to support he and Honora. He was overheard by a radical one day talking about a copiograph that he had, and because mill workers were organizing for fair wages, living conditions, etc. McDermott asked Sexton to join their cause.

He agreed and their home became the new local meeting point for the organizers of this cause. The workers would go to the mill during the week then return to the beach house on the weekends to print paraphenilia and such. The weekends are filled with drinks, food, laughter and good company, all provided by the rich neighbor, Vivian. As the weeks go by, Honora finds that she is not so much in love with her loser husband as she is with the cause organizer, McDermott.

They exchange glances. They talk. Blah Blah Blah.

One day, their operation was intercepted by the union police and everyone was killed except Honora, Vivian and a boy(Alphonse) who had been running back and forth between his own life as a teenager and trying to be part of something radical. It was at Alfonse's house that the "take down" occurred. At which point, his mother was killed.

Sexton was injured. Seriously, he was taken to the hospital and saved. On day 10 of his recovery, he up and left town. He's a traveler, you know. Men and their callings. Ech. After Sexton leaves, Honora finds out that she is pregnant. Alfons is sent to live with his uncle but the doesn't want that so he begs to live with Honora and Vivian. Honora can't afford to keep the beach house so she moves in with Vivian. Honora has her baby and they all live happily ever after.