Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry

“As usual, after one of her mother’s visits, Emma found herself feeling antagonistic, not merely toward her mother but also toward her husband and herself. Flap should have been there to defend himself, or her, or them. Her mother hadn’t really been on the attack; she had just been exercising her peculiar subtle genius for making everyone but herself seem vaguely in the wrong. There was never any peace with her mother around, but somehow, once she left, there was even less. Her most absurd remarks had a habit of hanging in the air. They were always uncalled for and outrageous, but never, for Emma, simply dismissible. Hair, diet, the T-shirt, Flap and herself- no matter what she said in retaliation she was always left with the feeling that she had let her mother get away with murder. Actually, Flap was no great help, even when he was there. He was so scared of losing what little standing he had with Mrs. Greenway that he wouldn’t fight.”

Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of reading the entire Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry. I never ended up reviewing them, despite the fact that they are a new favorite series of mine, my first real foray into westerns, and that I think of the characters and story constantly. It’s an absolute gem of a series that I can’t recommend highly enough. Long and intimidating possibly, but amazing nonetheless. It’s no wonder that months later, I wanted to read more by this author. I picked up Terms of Endearment not really knowing what to expect, and once again met incredible characters and a story that absolutely ripped at my heartstrings.

Terms of Endearment is centered around Aurora Greenway and her daughter, Emma. Most of the book surrounds Aurora and her relationships with everyone in her life- from Emma to her series of beaus to her housekeeper, Rosie. Aurora is initially (and actually for most of the book) a really unlikeable character. When you first meet her, she is chastising Emma over her appearance, her weight, her hair and then having an absolute fit over the fact that Emma is pregnant and she is now a grandmother. But as the story evolves and you start to learn more about the characters, it’s hard not to like Aurora, and by the end I saw her in a different light. Yes, on the one hand, she was blunt, crass and too forward with her opinions. But on the other hand, she was a loving woman who took nonsense from no one, stood up for what she believed was right and cared about others in the only way she seemingly knew how. I’ve never ever read a character like her. I think she is going to stick with me for a long time to come.

Emma has grown up loving her mother but struggling to feel good enough her whole life. Her marriage to Flap isn’t a happy one, one that is complicated by affairs on both sides, and as Aurora keenly points out- inescapable once Emma has become pregnant. Yet Emma is resilient. She tries to carve out happiness and love wherever she can, however she can. She puts up with her mother’s antics, and her mother puts up with hers. They have a tough, bitter and yet equally beautiful relationship, depending on how you look at it. I think this book ultimately reveals a new side of the challenges of a mother/daughter relationship but how powerful that love is, how no one can break it.

Rosie’s storyline was one I loved immensely. A housekeeper/maid to Aurora for many years, Rosie and Aurora do almost nothing but fight. But there is a real bond between them, and it’s obvious that no matter how much they rankle each other, they would do just about anything they could for the other.

This story is hard to describe because it’s really a series of events over several years that showcase these two characters successes and failures in their personal lives. Aurora’s many beau’s, which I haven’t even touched on, are an essential part of the storyline as well and add many additional layers of flair and ridiculousness to the story.

Larry McMurtry is an incredible author. He has written some of the best, most compelling character driven stories I have ever read. And between Aurora, Emma and Clara and Lorie from Lonesome Dove, he writes some damn incredible female characters, and I love him so much for that. This book is sad, let me just say that. You’ll want a box of tissues close by. I cried quite a lot, but it was absolutely worth it.