The title character of David Putnam's new novel The Blind Devotion of Imogene is not your average little old lady. She's served 10 years in prison. She works for minimum wage in a discount grocery store. And trouble seems to follow her no matter how hard she tries to live a quiet rest of her life. First, there's a gangster who wants money from the grocery store. Then, there's a dead body in her neighbor's garage. And is the voice in Imogene's head really that of her prison friend?
All of these zany scenarios would fit right into the novel Imogene wrote, but they also fit right into Putnam's novel. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this novel is that everything in it came from Putnam's real life.
It took me a REALLY long time to get into this book. I'd say I had to push through the first 20-40 percent, and I almost didn't finish it. But I'm not one to quit a book so easily (except for The House of the Seven Gables and Atlas Shrugged) so trudge on I did, and ultimately, I wasn't totally disappointed.
However, I felt like I was missing something in the beginning of the book. Almost like there had been a first book, and this one was the sequel, but I hadn't read the first book, so I didn't know what was going on. I also couldn't figure out what the time period was for this book. Turns out, it takes place in the 1970s, but I only realized that after going to the Goodreads page and reading the synopsis.
I'm not sure that I'd recommend this book. It's a departure for what Putnam usually writes, so if you're a fan of his books, be wary of this one. If you like books that are a little quirky, then this one might be a fit for you.
The Blind Devotion of Imogene is published by Level Best Books and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC in exchange for this review.
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