Mary Modern
by Camille DeAngelis
Published by Shaye Areheart Books (July release)
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Lucy Morrigan, a genetic researcher who works at a Massachusetts University, lives with her boyfriend, Gray, and five unusual tenants in her shabby family mansion. The house is a tribute to the past and Lucy seems content to leave things that way. The only modern touch to the house is the basement laboratory where Lucy often escapes to work on her projects.
When Lucy, who yearns to have a child, is unable to become pregnant, she concocts a plan. She uses the DNA from a scrap of cloth belonging to her grandmother, Mary, to clone her grandmother. But what Lucy doesn't account for is the age of the DNA and rather than a baby, she produces Mary as a 22-year-old woman.
Mary is confused by her rebirth and yearns for her dead husband, Teddy. Her relationship with Lucy is strained, but her friendship with Gray flourishes. Perhaps guilt plays a part in Lucy's actions, but she makes a decision about Teddy that will rock everyone's life and bring the local religious zealots out of the woodwork.
Lucy ultimately loses much, but gains some startling information about her own life.
Mary Modern poses questions and answers about the ethics of cloning. It is a beautifully written book that haunts the reader long after the last page has been turned. The plot is unique and begs the reader to question their own thoughts about family and life.
The time period/character switches in the first half of the book often resulted in confusion and the need to reread portions. There were also unexplained situations that begged for answers that were not forth coming.
Armchair Interviews says: Mary Modern is an eerie and haunting look at one family. It conjures up possibilities one rarely considers. You'll remember this novel and look forward to DeAngelis' next book.