Alice Hoffman is an author who I generally enjoy. Her story lines take me by surprise and are usually a little unexpected. Skylight Confessions did not disappoint in that it started in a very unique way. Arlyn is a seventeen-year old and is standing on the porch of her home on the day of her father’s funeral. She vows that the next man to walk down her street will be her one true love and John Moody is that man. He is lost and stops for directions and Arlyn pursues him, following him back to his university and eventually to his home.
John and Arlyn marry and have a son named Sam. They live in a glass house that John’s father had designed. Soon the marriage becomes unhappy with John being more focused on work and Arlyn feeling alone…and lonely. Arlyn begins an affair and becomes pregnant, but decides to end the affair and stay with John. However she very quickly becomes terminally ill and dies, leaving her young family behind.
The story jumps forward to several different points in this family’s life as they struggle along. Sam becomes a troubled teenager, heavily involved in drugs and defiant to anything his parents try to tell him to do. Blanca, Arlyn’s second child, is the perfect child. John marries the next door neighbor and they have a hard time, mainly around issues related to Sam.
Throughout this time it comes to be known that the house they live in is “haunted”. They find broken dishes, soot and hear murmured words at times. John still sees the image of his first wife and a nanny who comes to stay with them also can see her image.
Throughout this story Arlyn’s ghost, the house, and the relationships of this family trying are the main themes. Even though all of the characters are not necessarily likable, I found myself routing for them. You want them to figure it out and make things work.
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