Book Club: In The Unlikely Event

In the Unlikely Event
By Judy Blume

My Copy

In the Unlikely Event is a wonderful book. I have never read any of Judy Blume's novels. Originally I didn't think I would like her novel. Because the novel is character driven. That is not my cup of tea. The other reason. I don't do well with many characters. I can never keep the characters straight. I was wrong. I will point out. The publisher did us a favor. In the front of the novel. At least in my copy is a list of characters in front of the book. It was a pain in the beginning to get the characters straight. I had to keep flipping the pages back and forth. After about 100 pages I didn't feel it was as annoying.

Judy Blume's novel has a back drop on  true events that happened to Judy Blume when she was a young girl living in Elizabeth, NJ in the early 1950's.

Three plane crashes in a span of two months in her town.  The  plane crash happened in a school, in a orphanage, and a town municipal building.  The children were affected dramatically.  The children felt there was a conspiracy, communists, zombies, etc.

The story is about a Jewish family, Ammerman's,The  Osner's,  and Demetrious family. The book opens with the culture of the 1950's families, the town, and community and how they intersect. Think first of the  culture of the 1950's, the lipstick, hairstyles, the fashion.

I read the book a couple of weeks ago. My memories of the novel is sketchy. I enjoyed reading the novel. The themes of the book are broad. My take which I loved was about communication. How news was reported in the 1950's vs. 2018. The news in the 50's would take days. Now, of course is not only the written word but 24 hr news, and social media. News was not available instantly like it is today. Cable TV is changing the way we see news.

The big theme is in one instant one something in your life can make a difference. In the beginning of the novel. It opens 35 years later when the characters are middle age then goes back to the age when the characters are young children. Then what happened in one instant to change your life dramatically to change your life in middle age. It was a interesting perspective.

Miri closes her eyes, who is Lily, really? What are the odds that the two of them would be seated together on this flight? In the unlikely event.. She hears the flight attendant saying in her head. Life is a series of unlikely events, isn't it? Hers certainly is. One unlikely event after another, adding up to a rich uncomplicated whole. And who knows whats still to come? 

I recommend reading it is a light read. But, don't expect it as a beach read. It is bit more in depth than a beach read. Has many themes.  Everyone in our book club except one person. Didn't like the book. And she loves character study.