Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan

I have not read the first book in which Emily Maxwell is featured, 'Wish You Were Here', but this is a stand alone novel. The thing I love about this book is how quietly it creesp towards making it's point. Emily lives alone. No husband. No roommates. She has two children, who she has little contact with, either physically or emotionally it seems--they are not a source of social companionship for her, at least. She has a fiend with a car, and when that friend sudedenly becomes unavailable, something in Emily changes. It is like her eyes are now fully open. She has almost no freedom. So what does she do? She buys a car. Why not? The book goes on to show us in very unassuming ways why Emily needs this car (and what it represents for her) and her children play the role of the nay-sayers--why does she need to get out? Why is the car so important? It is like they think she should be buried long before her expiration date.
With any luck, we will all struggle with how to make the most of the end of our lives--'Emily, Alone' causes one to pause and reassess the vision with the realities, and gives a nudge to start making plans not to be in this position.