The first 3/4 of The Time it Takes to Fall rang painfully true, it was so good at capturing the thoughts of thirteen year old Delores that I periodically forgot it wasn't a memoir. As she figures out her place in school, at home, and in a community were NASA is king (the space coast of Florida in the mid 80s), we get to see it all. And the parts about the space program were woven into the story deftly, I learned a lot and it didn't feel like a science lesson. Good stuff right?
And then, the moment it began to fall apart for me - Delores' turning point. In an effort to get control over some portion of her life, she asserts her "power" by having sex. It just felt like a total cop out in an otherwise lovely coming-of-age story. And it made no sense for her character. It's such a cliche when authors throw sex into a story to symbolize growth. And it's sad.
Stepping down off my soapbox now. Let me know if you end up reading it, I'll be curious to hear your thoughts.
The author has a website that gives insight into her research for the book:
The End.
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