Review:
This starts in 2038, with Hazel comforting a woman (who I later realized was Mari) who'd been kicked out by her parents for being gay. She begins telling her story, which goes back to 1963. Mari transfers to her school, and the two of them immediately get along. They become friends and eventually realize they're attracted to each other. When their parents find out, they break the two of them up and find men for them to marry. In 2015, Hazel and Mari finally meet each other again during a Bingo game and realize they're still in love with each other. However, there are plenty of family complications - upset kids and grandkids, Hazel's husband, all of whom feel hurt and blindsided.
There's a lot going on here and not really a lot of room for it all to breathe - complicated emotional aspects, Hazel's husband's own secret, and more. You have to assume that there are a lot more heavy conversations than what's shown on-page, and there are footnotes that point readers to one or two side stories (such as one dealing with Hazel's husband's story). Hazel's husband and all mentions of him completely disappear after a certain point.
It's a reasonably well-told story considering the space limitations, and it has a nice mix of sweet and bittersweet. I did find, however, that I liked it a little less after a reread. The beginning was never clearly connected to the ending, even though the opportunity to bridge the two parts was there.
I loved the artwork. It was generally easy to follow and gorgeous.
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