Kate Vaiden

KATE VAIDEN

by Reynolds Price

 

Award: National Book Critics Circle Winner 1986

 

Date Read: November 25, 2020

 

Kate, inarguably, has been dealt a heavy hand. Having lost her parents at a young age in a tragic murder/suicide, Kate is adrift in her life. She is welcomed into the arms of her aunt and uncle who care for her deeply and tend to her every need, however, Kate, like all of her relationships to come, never fully lets them into her heart.

 

At the tender age of 12, Kate becomes sexually involved with a local boy, Gaston, and flaunts all the societal mores of the 1940s south. Perhaps of all her relationships, Gaston is the one person she continues to pine for long after his death at training camp removes him permanently from her life.

 

These early and deep losses form the subconscious mantra that rules the rest of her life: Leave those who love you before they have a chance to leave you. For every relationship to come, Kate exits just when people feel that they have drawn close to her and reached her heart. Just at that moment, Kate runs. I never fully understood what she was running from – obligation? Responsibility? Feeling too much? Having too much to lose?

 

Regardless of her motivations, I found Kate to be a self-centered and cruel character. I was hoping I could adopt a more compassionate view after the turmoil of her early life, but she left so much heartache in her wake – even fleeing her young son. And for what? Just to hurl herself towards a life that was just, simply, ordinary. While she holds various jobs after finishing high school, she lives her life mostly alone, traveling on vacations but never sharing her heart with anyone. Only after everyone has passed does she consider seeking her son out.

 

This novel just left me baffled. I will never fully grasp why she ran away from love and human contact. Perhaps this is where she felt most safe. Even still, I didn’t see her change of heart about her son as growth. I thought she is finally ready to pick up that “toy” out of curiosity, not love.

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