Assessment:

Plot: Moss creates a pure yet disheartening story of the unspoken burdens of motherhood. As the book shows how a disconnected marriage is no different than neglect, The Cracks Between Us reflects the political issues of second-wave feminism—the ’60s movement that analyzed a woman’s role within their personal lives. Moss’ book is a tale of a woman who defines her existence outside the housewife role, as she challenges society’s metrics for feminine success.

Prose/Style: Moss’ scenarios throughout her chapters thrust the reader into isolation, into the residue of a hollow marriage. Her profound yet faint interactions reveal a slow, marital dissolve, while hinting that a broken relationship happens in fragmented disappointments that lead to disinterest. The structure of the piece, which shifts from chapters entitled “Then” and “Now,” eventually trims the chapters on the past, as if to close in on all Aila has left: the present.

Originality: Moss refuses to romanticize love the way some authors do. Instead, she shows love in its imperfect state, the beginnings and the endings. She chooses to write about the phases that follow the trite, undeniable spark and instead, creates a laborious story where a couple works to preserve their flame.

Character Development/Execution: The novel’s initial setting, a therapy room, appropriately places the reader in a purgatory between Aila’s subconscious and conscious mind. Moss successfully composes a palette of emotions, as her character comes to terms with her silent suffering.

Date Submitted: May 10, 2021