There Was An Old Woman by Hallie Ephron is a psychological thriller with a unique protagonist. Mina is ninety-one years old and living in the home her father built on the marshes of Long Island. As her neighbor is being taken away in an ambulance, she asks Mina to give a message to her daughter and consequently Evie reenters Mina's life. While Evie is trying to clean up the mess her mother has made of her home and life, mistakes and accidents make Mina begin to wonder if her nephew isn't right about moving her to an assisted-living home. But perhaps the events surrounding Evie's mother's illness and Mina's mental decline are connected and more sinister than they originally think.
I was immediately drawn into the story of Mina and Evie. It has the right blend of suspense and character development. I found that I cared deeply about Mina and was moved by her story of aging and the way others treated her. The side story about the B25 crashing into the Empire State Building in 1945 was fascinating and weaved into the tale seamlessly.
However, the ending was rushed and didn't completely make sense. I certainly don't want to give away any plot developments but I wasn't totally buying it. The rest of the story is so good that I'm willing to forgive some craziness at the conclusion but I felt a little let down.
** I received a complimentary copy of There Was An Old Woman in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. **
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