It was so easy to lose myself within the pages of Iain Reid’s We Spread. Penny’s story unfolded and progressed seamlessly. I forced myself to put the book down at times so that I didn’t read it all in one sitting. I wanted to savor the story and ponder it a bit between reading sessions.
Penny isn’t your typical main character. Penny is an elderly lady who lost her husband. She’s been living alone in her apartment ever since. She’s gotten along fine on her own for a time, but ends up needing the extra care of an assisted living facility. Strange things happen to Penny at the facility. Are they a trick of her aging mind, or is there something bigger going on? I’ll leave the rest up to you to read and find out.
This was my first book by Reid. I picked it up on a whim when I saw it available during my last trip to the library. It was serendipity! I love randomly picking up a book that speaks to me so deeply. Reid’s writing style flowed beautifully. I wasn’t just reading Penny’s story, It practically danced off of the pages. I was entranced.
While beautiful and captivating, We Spread also touched on some thought provoking subjects such as aging and the fear of death, the definition and intention of art, even the importance of proper care for our senior citizens. Reid packed a lot into this little book. If you enjoy a good book that makes you think, this one is definitely for you. I may need to buy a copy of this book because I have a feeling I’ll want to visit with Penny again at some point.
I give We Spread five stars. There was nothing about this book that left me unsatisfied or disappointed.
Mysteries and Mayhem 