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Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite
Clare’s Boutique: Three Stories and One Essay by Eric Giroux is a collection of moments of vulnerability, identity, and reckoning through the character Clare. In Ice Time, Clare and Jack O’Connor, once best kindergarten friends, reunite later under strained circumstances during a Scout troop trip to New Hampshire. When a snowstorm strands Clare and Jack, they must rely on each other to survive the elements. Hamburger Hill is about Clare and Sanjay. Sanjay reveals a secret about his father, prompting Clare to question his own sexuality. This leads Clare to search for answers in youthful, uncertain ways. In Stickup, Clare inherits a small Massachusetts store, running it while grieving his father’s death. Clare plans to sell it for a profit before attending law school. The collection closes with Novels as Albums (And Albums that Influenced My Novels), an affectionate essay reflecting on music’s lasting imprint on Giroux’s life and work.
Clare’s Boutique by Eric Giroux is fascinating and original. The pacing is easy, allowing readers enough time to absorb every detail before moving forward. The writing is engaging and gives a clear picture of the characters and their personalities. The characters were authentic. Clare's character is compelling, and grows throughout the book. The characters experience friendship, loss, grief, sexuality, and self-discovery. Each story is a stand-alone, and together they are a portrait of Clare's life shaped by memory and longing. The book was brilliantly written and had my attention throughout. The storylines come together successfully and linger long after the final page.
