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Books by Irving and Hedges find humor in dysfunction
David Kinchen reviews John Irving’s A Widow for One Year and Peter Hedges’s An Ocean in Iowa. Both novels trace how mothers leaving home affect children Ruth Cole and Scotty Ocean, weaving comic and tragic notes from 1958 to 1995 and 1969 Des Moines.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Irving
Peter Hedges
Irving
Random House
Hedges
Ocean
Iowa
Hyperion
Ruth Cole
Scotty Ocean
Marion Cole
Joan Ocean
Gail Sheehy
Scotty
Des Moines
Cole
Sagaponack
Long Island
Hamptons
Eddie
Marion
Ted Cole
Ted
Ruth
Vienna
Amsterdam
America
Walter Ocean
Claire
Maggie
Joan
Iowa City
University of Iowa
Cal
Walter