Equality is the name of the small Alabama town to which Cordelia, the protagonist of Lucinda Ebersole's first novel, Death in Equality, returns to die. She is the seventh in an unbroken matrilineal line of women, all named Cordelia, who have been born or died in this same town. As last in the line, it is the burden of Ebersole's protagonist to carry that name to its proper resting place. Cordelia, a writer, is dying of lung cancer; she narrates her own story, and the stories of her family and town, sometimes lucidly, sometimes while under the influence of painkillers. The resulting narrative is dreamlike and tinged with regret as befits a chronicle of leaving a life half- lived.
From Library Journal
The dying Cordelia leaves New York and returns home to Equality, Alabama, where she will become the seventh "Cordelia" in her matrilineal line to have been born or died there. The story of her descent into death is told both by Cordelia and by her unconscious, acting as omniscient narrator, and the undulating shifts in voice add depth and richness to this spare, innovative first novel. There are some great moments, no doubt, and the novel is accessible throughout, but readers may find it a challenge. For larger fiction collections.?Susan C. Colegrove, Athens Regional Lib. System, Ga.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
