She pulled one of Viola’s quilts up over her shoulders and stretched out full length on the porch swing. All over the modern industrialized world, connections were snapping like dried twigs. Extended families, community involvement, shared ceremonies—all out the thermopane window. The individualism of the West had accelerated independence at great cost, and there was no room left for a family disaster. When one struck, like a raging storm at sea, each individual was set adrift alone, clinging to his or her own piece of wreckage. 

Other characters, like Rayfield of Porkerville, whose wife “Wide Load” has left him and who is selling his entire beer can collection along with his motorcycle leathers, or the chainsaw-wielding Rodney, are as well crafted as they are funny. There are moments, such as Rayfield’s attempts at re-enacting Dustin Hoffman’s role in The Graduate, or Ellen’s impulsive buying which range from the house itself to fork bracelets and silk kimonos, where the reader is laughing out loud.

But the narrative never descends into farce, buoyed as it is by the relationship between Ellen and her nephew Olivier, between Ellen and her sister, and between Ellen and the people she meets in this journey which parallels her dreams. The previous owner, Viola, is as intriguing as she is absent, and Mars handles her lightly, but still makes her a powerful muse for Ellen, leading the book to its rich conclusion. For anyone who was young in the 1960s or for women over forty, Anybody Any Minute will have particular interest. The historical context is melded neatly with the psychological. While there’s definitely a feminine edge to this book, Anybody Any Minute is the kind of book you can read quickly in the airport, or on the beach, for pure entertainment, or more deeply, for the themes it illuminates. Julie Mars’ latest novel tows a wonderful line between humour, introspection, and powerful characterisation.

To listen to The Compulsive Reader Talk's Interview with Julie Mars, visit: Blogtalkradio.com/compulsivereader.