You never get it back, by Cara Blue Adams

 

This book is a collection of short stories that are interconnected, so it reads like a novel, although not in chronological order. Framed by an introductory allegorical story about meeting a character called “Loss,” the main character, Kate, gets a hold of a bunch of note cards that document losses she has experienced throughout her life. That leads the reader to understand that every story that follows is in some way related to a loss she has experienced. These include the loss of boyfriends and failed relationships, documented in several of the stories, the loss of her father, who committed suicide, the loss of the family dog, the loss of her original career as she decides to pursue writing instead of science, the loss of intimacy with her younger sister, who bonds with her mother and excludes her, the loss of innocence as she’s raped by an acquaintance.

The writing is very good; quite accomplished. Many women will be able to relate to Kate’s sense of loss as she recounts her experiences in these stories.