Infinite Home: A Novel

An Amazon Best Book of August 2015: Elizabeth Gilbert once said: We must take care of our families wherever we find them. This is as good a summation as any for Kathleen Alcott s eloquently written Infinite Home. Set in a Brooklyn Brownstone presided over by a kind-hearted but increasingly senile landlady (Edith), the tenants band together when her greedy son threatens to pull the rug from beneath them. One tenant has Williams Syndrome, another agoraphobia; there is an artist dealing with the debilitating effects of a stroke, and a washed-up comedian with unfunny issues of his own. Given this cast of characters, you might be tempted to reach for a [insert antidepressant of choice here]. But, Infinite Home is far from bleak. Motivated by their concern for Edith, and for one another, each eschews their personal struggles to try to keep this crazy quilt of a family, and their home, intact. Alcott could easily veer into mawkish territory here, but her deft touch makes Home poignant without being precious. She also has a knack for ending pithy but perfectly composed chapters on just the right note. If only I could conclude this review that way. --Erin Kodicek