The Woman in the Window

The Woman in the window

A J FInn

It's a coincidence that I started this book and Covid came to say hello. I think Covid is in a frenzy to cover each and every household before it finally takes a break. Let us hope that he takes a very long break.

So when I became infected, I got instructions from all the loved ones to take rest among so many other things. I liked the resting part best because now I can be in bed without guilt and read. And what if you have a psychological thriller in your hand!!!.Yes, the book is indeed a page turner. And hence I spent my first 2 days of Covid isolation in Anna Fox's four storied New York City home.

Anna Fox is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, guilt, is severely agoraphobic, under psychotropic medications that might cause hallucinations, and a heavy drinker. She spends her days spying on the neighborhood through her window, watching old black and white movies, playing online chess and counselling people through an internet forum and ofcourse, drinking wine like water.

The confused mind of Anna and her life as a recluse is effectively portrayed in very short sentences in short chapters. And when she sees something through her window no one believes her, not police, not her therapist. She even lost trust in herself. That is the worst part of being labelled as mentally disturbed. Everything will be waived as imagination.

But, for a well regarded child psychologist, Anna misses certain obvious cues.The reader reaches to the real culprit before she does. But then she was not herself with all the disorders, guilt, medicines and alcohol.

In the end I wish Anna's beautiful hallucinations stay even after she recovers from agoraphobia.

Preetha Raj

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