Another solid book from Quindlen, all in all. It very much falls into the category of what I refer to as "white suburban mom fiction," but at least it's (and Quindlen) are aware of that, and it doesn't try to hide what the book is at its core. I don't enjoy "white suburban mom fiction" myself, but I don't consider that a large factor in my rating here.

This book is, for the most part (and in my opinion, of course), a respectable 3 stars. The two reasons for docking 0.25 "stars": snags in the syntax and sentence structuring, and lack of diversity.

Given the book's main rural, mountain setting, I think a predominantly white cookiecutter population is passable. It's New York City that feels very whitewashed, when it does appear. There's some casual queer representation in the periphery, so points there. Even from 1990-2010, when the population was ~43%-33% white (reportedly), there were substantial Latine and Black populations, neither of which make an appearance in the book--not even peripherally, or to scaffold the setting. Ergo, in that respect, this detracted from my suspension of disbelief (i.e. I was acutely aware that I was reading a work of fiction, in a fictionalized version of reality.

Then, on the note of syntax, I simply think a copy-editor should've combed this a little closer. The vast majority of the book is written quite well--there's no disputing Quindlen's experience as a creative writer. There were, however, at least 5 moments throughout where sentence structuring and/or syntax were befuddling (to the point of interruption). In most of these cases, I understand that the tone was striving for a very humanizing stream-of-consciousness. I don't think it always worked, and it happened enough to somewhat impact my reading.

Otherwise, the book is a personable, compelling narrative about a white lady finding herself. Still Life with Bread Crumbs is an incredibly apt title; none of the events are melodramatic or "flashy," the focus is mundane. The protagonist achieves strong character development given her personal contexts, but nothing mind-blowing or truly drastic. Rebecca, Sarah, Jim, Ben, etc. definitely appeal to folks out there, and they are quite fine--just not my cup of tea.

The book most appeals to fans of Quindlen and/or "white suburban mom fiction." It's aware of its niche and thrives within it.