I'll Be Right Here

I'll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom
6/24/24; 272 pages
Random House

I'll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom is a so-so novel about found families. 

In 1942 Gazala, seventeen, works for the writer Colette. She immigrates alone from Paris to New York after World War II, and becomes friends with sisters Anne and Alma Cohen. Gazala’s adopted brother, Samir, later joins her and the two become lovers. These four characters become life long friends and a family to each other.

This is a beautifully written novel but the(dis)organization and the lack of a noteworthy plot make it a mess to read. Nevertheless, I persisted and stayed with it because it is also a very short novel. Be forewarned that the chapters jump back and forth in time throughout the narrative. It is not a before and after set up, it is jumping back and forth to random years. It is also consumed with various interpersonal relationships. All of this and the narrative fails to tell a story. The beginning of the novel focuses on Gazala but she later becomes a secondary character. 

Bloom gets a point for her descriptive writing, but the presentation and lack of a cohesive story were disappointing. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.