The novel takes place in alternating time frames relating the stories of sisters Nell and Evie and their mother in 1971 North Carolina and Becca’s stoThe novel takes place in alternating time frames relating the stories of sisters Nell and Evie and their mother in 1971 North Carolina and Becca’s story in 1932 Mississippi. There are vague memories and secrets unfolding about Nell and Evie’s childhood. My interest was held as Becca’s story unfolds and as it moves back and forth in the time frames. I was anxious for the stories to merge. While I was emotionally connected in the beginning , and even in the end, too many characters kept appearing. It would have been a more meaningful story for me if the connections were kept more simple . The story line at times felt a bit too much , almost soap opera like, and the basic story introduced in the earlier part of the book got diluted for me . Overall, I was disappointed. I will give it a generous three stars because I genuinely liked the characters I wanted to discover as they did what happened.
I received a copy of this from Sourcebooks through Edelweiss.
I read this with my book buddy , Diane. Wish we had read one we liked more. Hopefully, next time . ...more
At first I had a hard time buying into the premise of this epistolary novella. Three strangers who have never met connect through a painting created bAt first I had a hard time buying into the premise of this epistolary novella. Three strangers who have never met connect through a painting created by one of them. They become penpals and write letters to each other for years, handwritten letters sent by mail. But I went with it and as they opened themselves up to each other by sharing their lives, present happinesses and difficulties, past childhood memories , some good, some traumatic, grief, love and self discovery, I connected with them. This was sad, funny, and hopeful. It reflected true friendship. When I finished it I realized that I was able to buy into this seemingly unlikely connection among these characters because this could and does happen everyday in this world. I couldn’t help but think of the friends I’ve made on Goodreads with people I have never met, but yet consider to be true friends sharing pieces of ourselves, having found each other because we love to read. Life’s all about connections .
I received a copy of this book from Regal House Publishing through Edelweiss. ...more
There is no shortage of novels written about siblings dealing with their deep seated issues with each other as they grieve the los3.5 stars rounded up
There is no shortage of novels written about siblings dealing with their deep seated issues with each other as they grieve the loss of a parent and this novel can be counted among them. The emotions here are realistic in many ways, but it felt like a soap opera at times as I watched two brothers, ten years apart in age, grieving their father and trying to find themselves in their relationships with the women in their lives. There are a number of fairly explicit sex scenes which might be a bit much for some readers. The best moments were tender moments between Ivan the younger brother and his lover Margaret who is fourteen years older, and between Peter, the older brother and his long time friend and former lover, Sylvia, and at times between the brothers.
What makes this different from some others of the same kind of storyline that I have read is Sally Rooney’s talent for really letting the reader inside the thoughts of her characters to the extent that she does. It’s so introspective and intimate with a sort is stream of consciousness not just free wheeling, but even within conversations with other characters about everything . This writing style was the thing I liked most about the book so rounded up to 4 stars even though the story didn’t feel new.
I received a copy of this from Farrar, Strauss and Giroux through Edelweis....more
I was hooked from the first pages as I was taken to this remote island between Australia and Antarctica. With a blend of introspective first and thirdI was hooked from the first pages as I was taken to this remote island between Australia and Antarctica. With a blend of introspective first and third person narratives from the points of view of of the five main characters, I was taken into the worried minds and broken hearts of a father, his three children and the woman who washed ashore .
It’s intense as the place that was supposed to be where the seeds for future generations would be saved is also in danger from natural disaster and the lost mind of a researcher. It’s suspenseful and moving as secrets are revealed. The writing is as beautiful as in McConaghy’s previous novels and thematically similar with the world in crisis because of climate change . She vividly describes the consequences without preaching. The impact is reflected in this family in crisis. A man in the depth of grief talks to his dead wife , imaging her next to him, trying desperately to help his children with their own losses and trauma , struggles to find out how this woman will fit into their lives .
The isolation, fear, worry and uncertainty each of the characters who bear their own trauma is heartbreaking, tempered only by their love for one another. Their connections to the natural world, the seals, the whales, the plants - is not one that is not familiar to me , but I could feel theirs. I found it impossible not to fall for these characters .
I received a copy of this from Flatiron through Edelweiss....more
I wanted to end 2024 with a book that would end on a note of hope, but I didn’t finish before the year ended. It turned out to be a great way to startI wanted to end 2024 with a book that would end on a note of hope, but I didn’t finish before the year ended. It turned out to be a great way to start the new year, though . I loved The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, a book about the unlikely , but beautiful friendship between an elderly person and a much younger one so I had a feeling that I’d enjoy about this one, too. It’s also about that special kind of friendship between 90 year old Eddie Winston and 24 year old Bella. While it’s funny at times and mostly predictable, although not always , this is more than just a light read about an old man looking to have his first kiss. There’s sadness, loneliness, grief and loss and I couldn’t help but be moved by the ways that these characters become the friend that each of them needs to help one another through the saddest things in their lives. The best thing about it for me was that it was full of hope as I was looking for. Well written.
I received a copy of this from HarperCollins through Edelweiss....more
Life on the Okanagan Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada in 1956 was for many a life of poverty, with barely enough to eat, no electricity, witLife on the Okanagan Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada in 1956 was for many a life of poverty, with barely enough to eat, no electricity, with seemingly no way towards a better life. This is a life we see through the innocent eyes of a young boy as he comes of age and to a realization of himself having faced the poverty, loss and grief, bullying and prejudice. Heartbreaking and gut punching as it should be . Relevant whether in Canada or in the U.S. today as the recognition of the injustices against First Nation people is so imperative. A notable debut novel.
I received a copy of this book from Touchwood Editions through Edelweiss.
Merged review:
Life on the Okanagan Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada in 1956 was for many a life of poverty, with barely enough to eat, no electricity, with seemingly no way towards a better life. This is a life we see through the innocent eyes of a young boy as he comes of age and to a realization of himself having faced the poverty, loss and grief, bullying and prejudice. Heartbreaking and gut punching as it should be . Relevant whether in Canada or in the U.S. today as the recognition of the injustices against First Nation people is so imperative. A notable debut novel.
I received a copy of this book from Touchwood Editions through Edelweiss....more
I always enjoy knowing an author’s inspiration for a novel so I never fail to read an author’s note . I read Eliza Waite, Sweeney’s debut novel about I always enjoy knowing an author’s inspiration for a novel so I never fail to read an author’s note . I read Eliza Waite, Sweeney’s debut novel about 9 years ago and loved this story of a strong woman inspired by a real person. This is another novel based on another strong woman’s life, the author’s great grandmother.
Enduring a hard life of poverty in Ireland in 1886, hunger and cold and worse - blamed for being abused by her half brother, 13 year old Mary Agnes Coyne is sent off by herself to relatives in America. Life doesn’t get any easier for this young immigrant girl who is sent out to work by her uncle . The tough life continues as we see her grow and struggle through some tough circumstances. Strength and resilience, tenacity and a desire to lift herself up make Mary Agnes a character you can’t help but care about her and want something more for than the losses and difficulties that life has dealt her .
Sweeney says this is a fictional account of her great grandmother’s life and tells us in her note more about her real life . Knowing that her great grandmother was the inspiration for this novel made it all the more meaningful to me. A story not just about the trials of an Irish immigrant, but a coming of age story as we see Mary Agnes grow over the next seven years when she reaches a point of self discovery that moves her forward . Well written.
I received a copy of this book from She Writes Press through Edelweiss. ...more
Let me get this out of the way upfront before I say why I enjoyed this novel. The repetitive nature of the narration was bothersome . I get 3.5 stars
Let me get this out of the way upfront before I say why I enjoyed this novel. The repetitive nature of the narration was bothersome . I get that in the first part, it was important to bring the reader up to speed if they were reading this as a stand-alone and have not read Count the Ways. In fairness, I read the two books back to back so the events were fresh in my mind. The past looms large here, the effect of divorce on the family is an important part of the story, and I found that the constant repeating of things that took place in the past was a bit too much at times. BUT I have to give this 4 stars because there is so much here that touched me.
Maynard does a great job of setting the back drop of what is happening in the country. Following Eleanor and her family through 2010 - 2024, the events of the times are reflected as they were in the first book. The horrific mass shootings of Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, and Parkland, Covid, the politics of the time from Supreme Court nominations to the extreme politics that brought us to the attack on the Capital on Jan 6, 2021. All of this felt so close and it was easy to recognize and empathize with their emotions about these things.
As in most family sagas, there are sad and heartbreaking moments. There are some dark and ugly moments affecting the family with drug addiction, alcoholism, illnesses, and people who want to harm them by blackmail and greed. But all of this is tempered by tender moments of love, of the ties that bind no matter what through sickness and tough times. It’s about motherhood and the dilemma of how to be a good mother and still be the person you are. It’s essentially about people ultimately discovering who they are and accepting themselves and each other. In the first book, Eleanor was my favorite character, but her son Toby stole my heart here. I loved the Epilogue.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow/ HarperCollins through Edelweiss....more
It’s dark at times in 1972 in the small town of Park, Alabama, where everybody knows everything about you as is often the case in these small places. It’s dark at times in 1972 in the small town of Park, Alabama, where everybody knows everything about you as is often the case in these small places. A small place, but not immune to the things that happen to people everywhere. There are traumatic childhoods, suicides, a cancer diagnosis, alcoholism, a teen pregnancy, bullying, organized crime, violence. The darkness, though is tempered by moments of humor, moments of pure joy when a young girl sings, but mostly when she realizes that she is loved.
This is the story of a family. Some are family by virtue of birth, some are family born by connections of shared grief, of remorse and the desire for a second chance to do right, of the hope for reconciliation, of the desire to rekindle the love between a father and his daughter, of the goodness that people hold in their hearts and bring out at just the right time. A man named Jeremiah Taylor, “Nub”, an alcoholic becomes the unlikely heart of this family, another incredible character by Dietrich. This father, his cousin, his estranged daughter, a friend , his foster daughter and later a baby girl and another estranged father are the family. Sean Dietrich beautifully illustrates that love is what make you kinfolk.
So much violence. It’s difficult to read, but it’s imperative that this history be told . The inhumanity towards other human beings, the history of NaSo much violence. It’s difficult to read, but it’s imperative that this history be told . The inhumanity towards other human beings, the history of Native Americans. A history we know some about from knowing of Wounded Knee and Trail of Tears, but I had never heard of the Patawomeck tribe of Virginia , whose very existence the British attempted to obliterate in 1666. I can’t help but wonder how many more of these stories have not been told. This is an imagined account, but is based on documents and oral history of what might have occurred. This story of a few brave, bold and tenacious women is not for the faint of heart . When all the men were killed , the women and children were taken to Barbados as slaves, worked to death, raped and beaten. I was horrified at the abuse and squalor the women and children endured on the ship and the treatment they endured when they arrived.
Chapters alternate with what happened when the “Strangers” killed all the men of the tribe , kidnapped babies, and took the women and children as slaves with chapters of the peaceful, full life the tribe led before with their means of survival - hunting , fishing , planting , their rituals, the connection of family , reverence for the elders , caring of their children. There are alternating chapters of three women representing those whose strength and resilience were ultimately instrumental in the recognition over three and a half centuries later in 2010 of the Patawomeck as a Tribe of Virginia. These are characters to remember. Historical fiction like this teaches, touches and when it does its job jolts you into a better understanding . Heartbreaking, horrific and ultimately resilient . Lora Chilton gives a a stunning portrayal of the history of the tribe of which she is a member.
I received a copy of this from Sibylline Press through Edelweiss...more
2.5 stars Before this one I read four novels by Louise Erdrich and loved all of them . She’s a prolific writer and there are more I want to read . Bec 2.5 stars Before this one I read four novels by Louise Erdrich and loved all of them . She’s a prolific writer and there are more I want to read . Because I’ve enjoyed her writing and storytelling, I’m sorry to say I was disappointed in this one . It took way too long to connect with the characters and the story . I didn’t like any of the characters for most of the story, except Crystal. While I believed there is something important, Erdrich has to say here, I wasn’t able to see it as I waded through the daily lives of these characters.
Maybe it’s because I was preoccupied this week or maybe it was just my mood. I’m not sure , but I do know that I was not engaged as I was with other novels I loved by Erdrich such as The Night Watchman and LaRose which is one I’ll never forget. I warmed up to some of the characters, but not until close to the end . I thought Gary was just weird, but by the end felt for him . There’s a lot to dislike about Martin, Crystal’s husband until there are some revelations. I’m going to round up to three stars because of the quality of the writing, the recognition of dangers to the environment and I appreciated the ending . I just wish I had been able to engage sooner. This will absolutely not keep me from reading Erdrich’s other books. I still believe she’s a literary treasure.
I’m thankful I read this with Diane, my book buddy and I’m glad that it wasn’t just me.
I received a digital copy of this from HarperCollins through Edelweiss. ...more
This novel is an imaginative telling of the art glassmaking through the centuries on the island of Murano off the city of Venice. Tracy Chevalier blenThis novel is an imaginative telling of the art glassmaking through the centuries on the island of Murano off the city of Venice. Tracy Chevalier blends history, the Murano and Venetian cultures, the role of women, family, the essence of life, death, love and all of this with one family at the center of it. The structure is fascinating as we follow the Rosso family over 500 years, and how their lives are affected by historical events bringing prosperity, plague, poverty, with the same characters positioned in various time frames, only a few years older even though decades have passed. With “time alla Veneziana”, the passage of time , like a “skipping stone”, they remain themselves just in a new time, each time the current time for them. It’s one of those stories where you just have to trust your imagination. I’m glad I did.
Orsola Russo from six to her sixties is a character to remember for her passion for the art of glass bead making even in times when women were forbidden from working with glass, for her perseverance, and for her dedication to family in times of prosperity and hardship. All of the characters are fully realized from Orsola’s strong and sharp mother to her brothers and sister in laws to the business connections in Venice and her loves.
So much happens here, but I prefer not to give plot details which you can find elsewhere. I can’t quite give it 5 stars as it felt a little too ambitious trying to cover all the decades and that resulted in some time frames dragging on a little and others glossed over from the Plague to Covid. However, I’ve read several of Chevalier’s novels and this is my favorite. A touching ending to say the least with a little of the “terrafirma” where time moves ahead not as “time alla Veneziana”. Recommended for Chevalier fans and historical fiction readers .
I received a copy of this book from Penguin Random House through Edelweiss & NetGalley. ...more
I came back to Faha, the same quiet, rainy Irish village from This Is Happiness and History of the Rain. This is a place where not much seems to happeI came back to Faha, the same quiet, rainy Irish village from This Is Happiness and History of the Rain. This is a place where not much seems to happen each day as life goes on - until it does and the people here become part of an extraordinary story of love and the meaning of family and belonging when an infant is found. A wonderful story for the Christmas season or any season for that matter. Niall Williams is a writer I recommend if you haven’t already discovered his moving and meaningful novels.
I received a copy of this from Bloomsbury through Edelweiss. ...more
Eighty three year old Helen has lost her loved ones and all she has left are her memories and her grief. But then her outlook on 3.5 stars rounded up.
Eighty three year old Helen has lost her loved ones and all she has left are her memories and her grief. But then her outlook on life suddenly changes as she rifles through a neighbor’s discarded items, looking for what - she isn’t sure. She does connect to a memory of her son when she finds a toy like one he had as a child and that was touching . But, it’s a mouse, who she names Sipsworth that makes all the difference in her life. The turning point, a poignant moment when she says that nothing can happen to her , otherwise Sipsworth will be alone. At that point, while I thought this would be a sweet, feel good story which I was hoping for, it felt predictable and a bit cliche.
But then I was hooked in the second half when Helen’s story is revealed and we learn things about her life before moving back to England from Australia . I loved how she connected with the other characters because of Sipsworth and how her loneliness and grief are replaced with purpose and hope when there seemed to be none, with people who care, with friendship, with people coming together for a common cause.
I’m a fan of Simon Van Booy’s beautiful writing and moving story telling and am making my way through his fiction. Glad I read this sweet story . I needed this feel good one !
I read with my book buddy, Diane .
I received a copy of this book from David R .Godine Publishers through Edelweiss....more
In 1907 the Panama Canal was being built offering opportunities for jobs, for adventure, for a different life . This intriguing novel provides a view In 1907 the Panama Canal was being built offering opportunities for jobs, for adventure, for a different life . This intriguing novel provides a view of this historic event, an enormous undertaking, which changed the world in many ways. Portraits of people going there from various places for various reasons as well as of some of the people of Panama and how their lives were impacted . A brave teenage girl leaves Barbados to go there to help earn money for her sister’s surgery. A man from the United States leaves with his wife to attain a scientific goal of eradicating malaria. A lonely teen age boy of Panama wants something of his own, to be with people to make connections. The story is in many ways about how these characters connect in ways that change their lives.
As a result of the focus on them and others, Cristina Henriquez gives us some great character studies, characters who I could easily connect with and feel for, as well as a great piece of historical fiction, a favorite genre. Although the novel was not as broad in scope, it was reminiscent of Paris by Edward Rutherford telling of the building of the Eiffel Tower, which similarly highlights the lives of ordinary people, who really are extraordinary.
I received a copy of this from Ecco through Edelweiss....more
“The thing about my uncle was that I hardly knew him.”
It takes 14 year old Rhett Littlefield, the first person narrator of this coming of age novel a“The thing about my uncle was that I hardly knew him.”
It takes 14 year old Rhett Littlefield, the first person narrator of this coming of age novel a while to get to know his Uncle Theo. It also takes Theo a while to get to know Rhett, who is sent by his mother to stay with his uncle in his secluded home in Kentucky to get straightened out after he is thrown out of school. She also wants Theo to “see what he caused”.
The more they learn about each other, the more they connect was the thing that I loved most about this story, the beautiful, trusting relationship that develops. Things happened here that surprised Rhett and me as well. It was a little slow at first, but once the story evolved and we become privy to Theo’s past, the revelations about who he is - that’s when the story takes shape . Rhett’s past as well creeps into their lives and his intimate thoughts and memories are also revealing . I should mention it’s a little dark at times and there is some violence, but there is also love and support from Theo’s community of neighbors and friends in time of need. How these characters impact each other and what they come to mean to each other is touching and is the thing about this book that makes me recommend it .
I received a digital copy of this book from BHC Press through Edelweiss....more
When I was offered a copy of Valerie Perrin’s debut novel which has recently been translated into English, I just couldn’t say no. I loved Fresh WaterWhen I was offered a copy of Valerie Perrin’s debut novel which has recently been translated into English, I just couldn’t say no. I loved Fresh Water for Flowers, which was sad and beautiful and I was so touched by it . This one is so incredibly sad at times , but I kept reading because I had a feeling that I would be in good hands with Perrin and that it would be tempered by the beauty of her writing and by lovely characters. I wasn’t disappointed.
This is a multilayered novel with different time frames, multiple points of view , multiple characters, although the main focus is on the life of a young woman named Justine who forges a special connection with the elderly residents of a nursing home where she works as an aid, and in particular a woman named Helene. There’s a story within a story as Justine writes about Helene’s past, a story that becomes complicated by war, by loss and grief, by memories and loss of memory.
There is so much depth to this short novel which reflects on so many things. It’s complex, but the pieces come together as a puzzle as the stories progress. I found it gripping . A young woman finds herself as she connects with Helene’s past, meets her own grief and revelations of her own family secrets. It’s not a light read, but worth it for the intensity and depth, the love and lives reflected here. Hard to believe this was a debut novel.
I received a copy of this book Europa Editions through Edelweiss....more
Family dramas can compelling and in this second novel by Amy Jo Burns, we get great character studies, family interactions that are shocking at times Family dramas can compelling and in this second novel by Amy Jo Burns, we get great character studies, family interactions that are shocking at times as well as touching, which indeed made for compelling reading. Of course , there are secrets, too. The narrative from multiple points of view gives us a picture of outright dysfunction of the Joseph family, owners of roofing business in Mercury, a small town in PA. The arrival in town of seventeen year old Marley and her connection with them brings out the good and the bad in them over the eight year span of this novel. Some of them fall in love with her. Some of them dislike her or even despise her, but in truth, she is the best thing that happened to them. Marley wanting a family of her own, wanting a place at the table jumps in to this hot mess heart first.
Much of the time it’s hard to like this family, but when they falter, it feels so realistic, making me as sympathetic as I was angry at them. There’s Mick, the stern, overbearing , yet suffering from war, father and head of the business. Elise, the stoic mother who in spite of her distance holds them together until she no longer can. The three sons - Baylor, tough and trouble, Waylon, who loves Marley deeply, but can’t seem to loosen the hold this family has on him, and Shay, sweet and caring, trying to grasp his identity had my heart from the beginning . Of course, there’s Marley, someone to be reckoned with by this family as she becomes the glue that holds them together, a fine example of a strong woman. There were times, though that I felt she took too much of the burden on herself and it felt unrealistic at times that such a young girl could manage so much. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Marley’s best friend Jade, the kind of friend we all hope to have.
This is about complicated family relationships, about wanting to have your own place in the world while at the same time being loyal and most importantly loved by your family. I read this because I loved the author’s debut novel Shiner, which I also recommend.
I received a copy of this book from Celadon through Edelweiss. ...more
When I finished reading Moon of the Crusted Snow, I was left wanting to know the fate of the characters , so I was glad to see there was a sequel. EvaWhen I finished reading Moon of the Crusted Snow, I was left wanting to know the fate of the characters , so I was glad to see there was a sequel. Evan and Nicole, First Nation people of the Anishinaabe tribe, their family and other families who “survived the collapse” have managed to keep on living a decade later in the bush in northern Ontario, Canada where they moved to after the lights went out at the rez. But sources of food are becoming scarce and it becomes clear that they need to find a new way to survive . A handful of people make the harrowing expedition to see what is south, to find the old homeland before moving the whole community to a place they call home. They encounter adversity, loss, bears and extremist militia groups who are pretty scary as they are into “some white power shit”. Scary because it’s relevant now. We never know what caused the power to go out, but it stands as a warning for sure. The adversity is tempered by bravery, hope, resilience, a dedication to their ancestry, friendship and love.
3.5 stars I don’t remember reading about the Gold Rush in a novel and definitely not in the Klondike. This is a fascinating adventure story. I’m not v3.5 stars I don’t remember reading about the Gold Rush in a novel and definitely not in the Klondike. This is a fascinating adventure story. I’m not very adventurous and perhaps that’s why I found it appealing. Gold, then later to oil, a man and his wife find their fortune in the Klondike and that fortune breeds greed, ambition, deceit, manipulation and some truly unlikeable characters .
I liked the writing especially the descriptions of the Klondike. This a family saga with dual time lines, the 1880’s and present. I found it interesting that the main characters are based on the author’s family and other real people. Even though I get the connections between the present and past stories, I felt removed from the present story. Maybe there wasn’t enough of it told to connect to the characters. I didn’t know much about them. Having said that, the recent story does put emphasis on the wrongs done to First Nations people which is an important take away of the novel.
This might have been 4 stars if the connection between the time lines was better executed. Still worth reading. It felt like an accurate reflection of the history. I found the Klondike sections fascinating and learned a lot.
This was my monthly read with Diane . We had been on a roll with 4 and 5 star books, but I guess we can’t love them all.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss....more
Loading...
