The Operator is a book primarily about Vivian, a nosey switchboard operator in the Midwest, although we also get snippets of life from her daughter, Charlotte, and Flora, a local woman who has just robbed a local bank (yes, really) and fled to Canada. Vivian always tries to measure up to those around her, including the thoroughly obnoxious and very wealthy granddaughter of the town mayor (who in turn is a bit too obsessed with Vivian’s family drama.)
While Vivian is the main character of the three, but, unfortunately she’s the least interesting. Stuck in a boring marriage with a teenage daughter who is at the very least more book-smart than she is, and working at a job where she knows she’s underpaid because she’s a woman, Vivian gets bursts of empowerment but ultimately falls a bit short. While I really liked when she started to take on some independence part way through the book, it felt like she was still right at the beginning of her journey as the book came to its conclusion.
I also really wanted to read more of Flora’s story, even though she only actually connected through a minor character (which also made it confusing as to why she really needed to be part of this larger story anyway.) Flora was the most clever of all the characters, and I found her to be the most interesting. But her story is only told in a small handful of chapters, so it left me wanting more.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, William Morrow, and Book Club Girl. It had not influenced my opinion.