Off Keck Road - (Vintage Contemporaries) by Mona Simpson (Paperback)

About the Book

In a vividly realized Wisconsin town, Bea Maxwell comes of age in the 1950s. "Off Keck Road" follows her extended circle through the arc of their lives--their frustrations, and occasional successes--in a story of family and friends, changes and many generations.

Book Synopsis

In this flawless novella, Mona Simpson turns her powers of observation toward characters who, unlike Ann and Adele August in her bestselling Anywhere but Here, choose to stay rather than go.

As a high school student in Green Bay, Bea Maxwell raised money for good causes; later, she became a successful real estate agent and an accomplished knitter. The one thing missing from her life is a romantic relationship. She soon settles comfortably into the role of stylish spinster and do-gooder. Woven into Bea's story are stories of other lifelong residents of Green Bay and the changes time brings to a town and its residents. This pure and simple work once again proves Mona Simpson one of the defining writers of her generation.

Review Quotes

"Off Keck Road should not be read in public places, against the certainty of tears... Continually moving in a wry, Chekhovian way."
--The Atlantic Monthly

Replace bottom two quotes with this quote alone:
"Showcases the gifts of emotional sympathy and psychological observation that Ms. Simpson used to such enormous effect in Anywhere But Here. In fewer than 200 pages it gives us the shape and texture of two entire lives."
--The New York Times

About the Author

Mona Simpson lives in Santa Monica, California.