The title here is the clue to the underpinning intent of this first novel by Matthew Thomas, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, who was raised in the Bronx and Queens.
The pursuit of a grounded and secure identity by Eileen Tumilty from her early childhood to her old age is portrayed in detail through reflective thoughts, dialogue between characters and third-party descriptions of context and events.
This is a detailed exposition that focuses on the main characters, but incorporates layered descriptions of the culture and minor players in Eileen's life.
After experiencing the public/private dual identity of her father and the sinking into alcohol dependency of her mother, Eileen is determined to rise above this life.
She looks for ways to better both her station and her relationships.
Higher education gives her one passage and she finds a man who seems very suitable for both intimacy and status improvement.
Unfortunately, all she hopes for is not realised.
Ed Leary becomes a passionate teacher, valuing the supporting of disadvantaged students to success above career and income advancement.
A move to a rundown house in a better neighbourhood doesn't bring the advantages Eileen is seeking.
As Eileen keeps her nursing career alive while finding becoming someone with the status she envisaged difficult, it becomes clear that Ed is moving towards an Alzheimer's diagnosis and eventual nursing-home care.
The descriptions of this period and resulting difficult decisions encompass both status and financial aspects of Eileen's identity journey.
This is an epic story of more than 600 pages and while the human dilemmas and decision points have relevance to Eileen's pursuit of a desired identity, there are times when the narrative of the journey might have been achieved equally well in sharper focus.
• Willie Campbell is a Dunedin educator.
