I admire young novelists who have something interesting to say about the world. I enjoy middle-aged novelists who share their complex lives with us. But most of all, I cheer for writers like Martha Woodroof, who, at age 67, has published her first novel. A self-described “old hippie,” she reveals what she has learned about compassion, and has the light touch of someone who has lost the need to be earnest long ago. It is refreshing to read this story, which is based on an understanding of how and why things can be so unexpected and yet so true simultaneously.
Martha Woodroof, Small Blessings, (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2014), p.110.