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The Interruption of Everything
Book Information
Terry McMillan's sixth novel, The Interruption of
Everything, is every bit as enthralling and empowering as her earlier hits
Waiting to Exhale and A Day Late and a Dollar Short. However, as McMillan
matures as an author, her characters follow suit, which leads her to a wiser,
more introspective lead character in the form of Marilyn Grimes. Our reward, as
readers, is a tale of midlife crisis, mixed with family and personal drama, all
told in the witty, honest, and inspiring style we've come to expect from this
seasoned storyteller.
As Marilyn approaches middle-age, we follow her struggle to discover herself
outside the constraints of a passionless marriage, a demanding family and an
ever-growing list of dreams deferred. With three children in college, a husband
who suffers from destructive professional and personal inertia, a demanding
mother-in-law, a senile mother and a drug-addicted sister, Marilyn has more on
her plate than she expected at this stage of the game. Torn between taking care
of her friends and family and attending to her own needs, she's faced with
choices, like deciding to finish her graduate degree, that never before seemed
hers to make. Along the way, supporting characters like Marilyn's feisty little
niece and supportive-yet-opinionated best friends Paulette and Bunny add humor
and depth to our heroine's character. And as always, McMillan does a flawless
job of incorporating humor into even the most traumatic situations, as evidenced
by a scene in which Marilyn ends up babysitting her hairdresser's children while
waiting twelve hours for new braids. ("At three, Blue has to make a run. Orange
has to go to the bank to get a money order. I ask Lexus to find me a Pamper and
I take the baby in the bathroom.")
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