In the six years since Molly Ringwald published her first novel, much has changed in the world, but infidelity has not. And while infidelity in a marriage is what drives the central conflict of When It Happens To You, Ringwald is also working in a genre of fiction wherein short stories are weaved together under the umbrella of “A novel in stories.” The main characters in this novel are Greta and Phillip, a couple who have been married for 20 years, and have come to a point where Phillip’s affairs with women over the decades come spilling out after he confesses to sleeping with his young daughter’s violin teacher. I’m glad Ringwald avoided a “sleeping with the babysitter” indiscretion, but in a way, her contrivance is no less boilerplate. Indeed, half of the novel seems to struggle to overcome stock characters whose tribulations in life are supposed to be deeper than what’s actually there.
As noted by other reviewers, the strongest story in When It Happens To You is “My Olivia.” In that tale, Ringwald is able to create characters with depth, forge a story of transgender children in a way that feels authentic, has real pathos, and shows how even with the best intentions, sometimes a mother’s desire to protect her child from harm can have unintended consequences. In “My Olivia,” “Ursa Minor,” Mea Culpa,” and even the last story “The Places You Don’t Walk Back From” show that Ringwald can craft compelling narratives with effective layers that rarely (if ever) feel like filler.
Alas, while there are moments of real power in her writing, they are overshadowed by other stories where things fall flat. If she wasn’t an actress of note, I’m not sure this novel would have been published by a major publishing house. But such are the perks of fame, right? Ringwald has a fan base who never abandoned her when she stepped away from Hollywood for several years, so her publisher knew there would be interest in this work since, well, she’s Molly Ringwald.
Would I recommend When It Happens To You? It’s difficult to say. I’ve had this novel on my Nook for years — and only recently read it because I thought I should give it a chance. Now that I have, I will say that Ringwald is no dabbler in fiction. She demonstrates her affection for the stylistic choices of Raymond Carver, Sherwood Anderson, and others who have worked in the short-story cycle. However, first novels aren’t always great, but one can see flashes of what makes her a good writer who may be able to craft stories (or even a novel) with more confidence without having to succumb to the trappings of certain conventions.
