In the Heat of the Night

It took 75 pages before The Heart is a Lonely Hunter hooked me. Still when I go back to the book, I have to reread a few pages prior to my starting point to re-enter the story. [Sometimes easier to step into a dress from the 40s than a novel.] Mick and Mr. Singer are quite likable characters; many of the others are not. Mick is a tomboy stirred by classical music and creeps through the night to sit under window sills to find access to symphony. Mr. Singer cannot speak nor hear and has become the person that our other characters seek out for inspiration and comfort. They make an unlikely duo in the boarding house setting.

There are other characters that I expect to be of significance, but have not yet quite discovered their contribution. Dr. Copeland provides medical access to all but cannot seem to find a way to mend the wound with his children. Biff lost his wife to religion and then twenty pages later to TB.

This book was not the best pick for a fast moving read but in these hundred degree days of summer, perhaps it does have the right pace.