The Cradle: a book review

Marissa's desire that her soon to be born child use her own childhood cradle is the impetus that begins her husband's journey around the mid-West, tracking it down in the summer of 1997. The Cradle was taken by Marissa's mother when she abandoned Marissa and her father, Glen, many years before. The family has not heard from or about Caroline in all of that time, but armed with the address of Caroline's sister, Matt sets off with the hope of being home by dinner time.

Of course it's not that easy, and this becomes a story about Matt facing his own childhood demons as he encounters irrationally strange people who have known Caroline through the years. Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Matt is back and forth, alone for almost a week, driving and thinking about how much he loves Marissa and how important she is to him, as well as wanting to be a good father to his son, although he does not have a good role model to follow, having grown up in the foster care system. Marissa's need for this cradle, changes their lives dramatically, forever.
The secondary story line takes place in the winter of 2004, with Renee, a writer, whose old wounds are torn open as her son prepares to go to Iraq. In 1968 she lost her fiancee in the Vietnam War. This has colored every decision she has made since, including the secret she has kept from her husband Bill. The two story lines intersect seamlessly near the end of the book, in 2004.
I enjoyed Patrick Somerville's style of writing with The Cradle. I can't quite explain it, but I felt peaceful, yet excited, the whole time I was reading. I read it straight through in three hours, enjoying the slow-moving tempo of Matt driving the highways of the midwest, yet excited to see if he would find the cradle or Caroline, and what other wacky characters he would encounter in his quest.
The Cradle is Patrick Somerville's debut novel. He has also written a book of short stories called Trouble.
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