Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
4/5.
Full disclosure: I picked this new release up purely due to the fact it was set in Boyne City, Michigan and I’m a sucker for a Northern Michigan story. I wasn’t entirely sold on it for the first few chapters, but after finishing it I am definitely glad that I picked it up and made it to the end.
Jane Wilkes is a young elementary school teacher who just moved to the small town of Boyne City, Michigan. Shortly after arriving she starts up a relationship with Duncan, only to realize that he is the town flirt who has dated and/or slept with nearly every woman around, and that he remains unusually close with his ex-wife Aggie and her new husband Gary. After a terrible car accident occurs, Jane finds herself irrevocably entangled in her new community and the lives of its quirky inhabitants, and must learn to find joy in the small moments.
The best thing about this story was, hands down, the supporting characters. From Jimmy, Duncan’s assistant who has some developmental delays and a big heart, to Freida, the local music teacher who brings a mandolin to every gathering, Heiny has gathered an eccentric cast of characters who are heartwarming, funny, and unique. In this way, Early Morning Riser reminded me of many Fredrik Backman novels - some of my favorites - as there seemed to be a handful of quirky, complex, and endlessly human characters to explore and love.
If the novel’s supporting characters are its greatest strength, though, then its central character is the biggest weakness. I found Jane almost painfully bland; her entire character seems to exist as nothing more than a springboard upon which all the other characters can ricochet and shine. Her motivations and personal goals are vague and malleable at best, her passivity makes her an uninteresting and difficult character to invest in, and her internal monologue largely consists of complaints about her surroundings or friends.
This is a story that takes the reader through the aftershocks of tragedy, the small wins and losses which accompany daily life in a small town, and the rays of light which can be found when we open ourselves up to others - no matter how irritating or exasperating we may initially find them. The ending, I’ll say, was the perfect balance of bittersweet, and left me smiling after I closed the book. If you can look past the protagonist and her grating internal thoughts, it’s a remarkably witty, heartfelt, and deeply felt story. Four out of five stars.
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