The Funeral Makers - Hardcover

This first novel is an auspicious beginning. A seriocomic look at life in a decaying Maine village, it centers on three middle-aged sisters, last of a founding family. Marge, the eldest, is dying of beriberi as a result of her eccentric diet. This results in a reluctant family reunion to plan her last rites. As Marge drifts away, her relatives involve themselves in various unlikely and often sordid situations typical of their town. Though these include theft, adultery, and suicide, the tone is dominated by a dark humor reminiscent of Ed McClanahan's The Natural Man ( LJ 3/15/83). If the episodes never quite blend into a coherent whole, there is the story's energy and vivid characterizations. Pelletier is a writer to watch. Starr E. Smith, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.