OCTOBER REVIEW: Count On Me
By Ann Cavlovic
Count On Me, a story of complex family dynamics, elder abuse, and the effects of greed, had me engaged (and a little angry) from the very beginning. This novel is both tragic and hopeful, and these well-drawn characters - realistic and questioning and difficult - are not ones any reader will likely soon forget.
The protagonist, Tia, a young single mother to a baby, is the poster-child of the sandwich generation with her two aging parents in declining health. Her brother Tristen, ten years her senior, along with his girlfriend, seize the opportunity to seek control of their parents’ assets; bank accounts, power of attorney control, the condition of the house, and whether or not their parents will be put in care homes. At every turn, Tristen pushes Tia out of the decision-making process, out of communication with health care providers, and works to disable any legal control she still holds. The sibling dynamic is clearly fraught, but further complexity exists with the parents, Vera and Antin, who waffle between opposing Tristen’s actions (Vera specifically expressing her anger and frustration to Tia on multiple occasions), and allowing the changes, acquiescing to Tristen’s actions and believing his assertions that Tia is the one out for power and money.
As a reader, I was very quick to become invested in Tia. I rooted for her as she tried to care for the unrelenting needs of a young child while also working full time, dealing with inaccessible systems, and trying to counter her brother’s actions with reason and fairness. At many points in this novel I wanted to shout at Tia to just let it all go! If her parents were so willing to let her brother take over their lives, allowing him and his girlfriend to be their caregivers and decision-makers, why didn’t she just leave? Walk away from it all to simply care for her own child instead? Of course, walking away is always easier said than done in families, and the fact that Tia battled with that very thing is one of the ways her character is so complex.
But I think the most fascinating part of the novel is Cavlovic’s reflection on the intergenerational effects of war. Both Vera and Antin, descending from Poland, were deeply traumatized by the second world war. Tia understands this, noting “war is not healthy for children and other living things” when trying to understand her parents, while also caring for her own young daughter’s developing brain and emotional stability. Tia seeks to be a loving and caring daughter, but her parents are often cold, dismissive, demanding, and hurtful in return. This is especially evident in Vera who, at many points throughout the novel, behaves with the maturity of a child, her human development seemingly stuck at a time connected to her trauma. This complex parent-child relationship, characterized by both love and anger, is well examined in this novel. The broader commentary it makes on what happens to entire populations or generations that have faced such hardships as war, starvation, genocide, or separation from parents, is an astute reflection that speaks volumes in our current time.
This novel is not only well-written, but insightful and important as the world faces enormous challenges that are affecting children daily. Perhaps if we understood it all better, we might work to mitigate the effects of war and unrest on present and future generations. Through a story of family, the very place we all begin, this novel brings those questions to the forefront, insisting that we care.