Review: Fallen Beauty By: Erika Robuck

Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Set in 1928 in the village of Chatham, New York - two lives collide, that of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Laura Kelley. As Edna (Vincent, as she goes in the book and chapter by chapter) holds bohemian parties, sexual escapades, devours with cruelty all those around her as she hides away reigning at Steepletop, below in town is Laura Kelley, a fallen girl, whose parents are dead, whose lover has left her, who has an illegitimate child, and whose sewing talent and ice demeanor as intrigued the poet.
This is not truly a kind story, a love story, but more of multiple stories mashed together into one not allowing one to truly fruit without resolution and understanding with the reader gaining a fuller experience, which is a shame.
****SPOILER*****
Why was it not explored the unrequited, unexpressed desire from Father Ash, he was just a fleeting character? George Dillon was also so fleeting yet referred to over and over that without any understanding of St Vincent Millay, no one would grasp this depth and would find it irritating and even if they knew, it was still irritating. These are just some examples.
****SPOILER OVER ******
Each chapter brings both Laura's and Vincent's views of the times and their experiences. Both experiencing an different kind of ostracization, each to some extent self inflicted and socially inflicted - For Laura it is because of her sin, the birth of her child; For Vincent it is her spirit, the creative birth of her poetry.
This book is okay, nothing more and nothing less. I was hoping for more and the potential is there which left me disappointed.

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