The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood

From Goodreads:

On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, an uncompromising young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie O, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.

From Me:

3 stars

It was an enjoyable book and I would recommend it, it was an easy read and kept my attention.

However.....a few things bothered me.

Like when the children in Napa, CA were trying to catch fireflies. 

There are no fireflies west of the Rocky Mountains.

That's a small detail, but I can't get things like that out of my mind.

Also,   one of the characters took the train from San Francisco to Denver and when she stepped from the train in Denver she said she had never seen mountains before until she saw the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Seriously?  She just traveled over the Sierra-Nevada Mountains.  A range so high the Donner party got stuck there in an early snow storm and had to ---well,  you know the rest of the story.

Nevada is the most mountainous state in the United States.

Not bragging, I'm just saying that the character HAD TO HAVE SEEN MOUNTAINS---HUGE RANGES, to be able to get to Denver.

Unless she was asleep.

So, does one little line ruin a book for you sometimes?

Don't get me wrong, like I said, it was an enjoyable read,  I liked the book.

I just get caught up in the details sometimes.