Afterlife

Julia Alvarez is the author of the novel called Afterlife. The story is about Antonia who lives in Vermont. She has just retired from teaching English at a local college when her husband suddenly dies. She is trying to get used to handling the house and the yard on her own. Her house is in a semi-rural area. Her neighbor is a dairy farmer who hires undocumented people from Mexico. Antonia has three sisters and they are close. For Antonia's birthday she has agreed to go to Chicago and celebrate with her three sisters. Her troubled oldest sister is driving there from New Hampshire. When she doesn't show up the three sisters notify the police and put up signs along the freeway. On top of that Antonia gets involved in family matters with the farm workers next door. While trying to handle her grief, Antonia doesn't want to get in over her head. How much does she owe to families in crisis? This was an entertaining novel about a woman trying to set healthy boundaries.