Book arrivals:
An empty mailbox this week.
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Reading plan for this week:
Month: June 2019
The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister
The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister
Published: June 11, 2019 – G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Review copy courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Description: Martha and Becky Blackwater are more than sisters–they’re each other’s lifelines. When Martha finds herself struggling to balance early motherhood and her growing business, Becky steps in to babysit her niece, Layla, without a second thought, bringing the two women closer than ever. But then the unthinkable happens, and Becky is charged with murder.
Nine months later, Becky is on trial and maintains her innocence–and so does Martha. Unable to shake the feeling that her sister couldn’t possibly be guilty, Martha sets out to uncover exactly what happened that night, and how things could have gone so wrong. As the trial progresses, fault lines between the sisters begin to show–revealing cracks deep in their relationship and threatening the family each has worked so hard to build. With incredible empathy and resounding emotional heft, The Good Sister is a powerhouse of a novel that will lead readers to question everything they know about motherhood, family, and the price of forgiveness. (publisher)
My take: The Good Sister is a courtroom drama that pits sister against sister after a tragic event. The expert witnesses’ facts show what really happened so this is a cut and dry case. Or is it?
Gillian McAllister’s story is told from the perspectives of sisters Martha and Becky, other family members and assorted witnesses over the course of the trial. I had this case solved – a few times. I was so sure and then I wasn’t.
I was drawn into the novel because I could sympathize with both sisters in how they dealt with caring for a baby who cried almost constantly. Their guilty feelings over that and other individual issues added emotional layers to the story. Despite that, I didn’t quite connect to the characters. They seemed a bit flat. I don’t read many courtroom dramas so I don’t know how this fits in the realm for readers who do but I can say The Good Sister was a fast read that kept me invested to the very end when all was revealed.
About the author:
Gillian McAllister graduated with a degree in English from the University of Birmingham. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she works as a lawyer. She is the author of Everything But the Truth and Anything You Do Say, both Sunday Timesbestsellers in the UK. THE GOOD SISTER is her US debut.
Jackson by Emily March
Jackson by Emily March
Published: June 25, 2019 – St. Martin’s Press
Book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Description: Sometimes it takes a new beginning
Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life…until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline’s new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who’s also starting over, all bets are off.
to reach a happily-ever-after
Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he’s been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love—he even has the old song lyrics to prove it—but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who’s moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption’s healing magic is true…and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all? (publisher)
My take: Jackson is Emily March’s newest offshoot from her Eternity Springs series. The setting is Texas and will involve the McBride cousins, all who seem to be haunted by their pasts. Jackson has an ex-wife who just won a custody battle and he’s distraught over not being able to have contact with his daughter. His cousins convince him to return to Texas and a new business opportunity. That’s where he meets Caroline who also has come out of an emotionally draining time ending in the death of her husband. She’s ready for a fresh start. Jackson and Caroline find Redemption, Texas a perfect place to begin their next chapters. As in March’s other books the conduit to change is Celeste – a lady who knows a lot about everyone to the point of knowing what’s best for them and she has the ability to convince people to take her advice. Well, Celeste shows up in Redemption to help her cousin do what Celeste does in Eternity Springs. Their back and forth added some levity to the novel. I liked this book and am interested in reading the next because of the way things left off with Jackson’s cousin and one of Caroline’s close friends.
A Beach Wish by Shelley Noble
A Beach Wish by Shelley Noble
Published June 25, 2019 – William Morrow Paperbacks
Review book provided by the publisher
Description: Zoe Bascombe has never said no to her family. When she blew her Juilliard audition, she caved to their wishes and went to business school. But when her mother dies and leaves instructions for Zoe to spread her ashes at a place called Wind Chime Beach, she defies her brothers and starts out for a New England town none of them has ever heard of and discovers a side of her garden club mother that her wildest dreams hadn’t imagined.
Zoe has another family.
Her first instinct is to run home. Instead she is caught in the middle of her feuding new relatives. With one family fighting among themselves and the other not speaking to her, Zoe must somehow find a way to bridge her new life with her old.
For the first time in her life, Zoe must make a stand for her family—both of them. If only she can only figure out how.
Her answer lies at Wind Chime Beach where for generations people have come to add their chimes to the ones already left among the trees. And when the wind blows and the air fills with music, their secrets, dreams, and hopes are sent into the world. There’s a message for Zoe here—if she has the courage to open her heart. (publisher)
My take: When Zoe Bascombe’s mother dies Zoe specifically is tasked with scattering her ashes at a place she’s never heard of – without the help of her brothers. Being at loose ends professionally at the moment makes it easy for her to comply with her mother’s wishes even though her brothers are annoyed at not being included at their mother’s request. Zoe isn’t prepared for what she finds when she arrives at her destination. Once she finds her sea legs, so to speak, she’ll be on a path that could be the start of a wonderful journey or a terrible calamity. I liked this novel but it isn’t my favorite of the author’s books (my favorite: Whisper Beach). That said, I appreciated how Shelley Noble left her characters at the end and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a novel set at the beach.
About the author:
Shelley Noble is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Whisper Beach and Beach Colors. Other titles include Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, Forever Beach, Lighthouse Beach, and four spins off novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, she lives at the Jersey shore and loves to discover new beaches and indulge in her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels. Shelley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Praise for Shelley Noble:
“A novel that offers a beautiful setting and a cast of engaging characters . . . A compelling look at what it means to be a family.”
—Booklist on A BEACH WISH
“The Readers will appreciate the uplifting end to a complicated, heartrending story of love lost and anger relinquished at last.”
—Publishers Weekly on A BEACH WISH
“The latest beach read from Noble explores the healing power of friendship, appealing to fans of women’s fiction, especially works by Nancy Thayer and Elin Hilderbrand.”
—Library Journal on LIGHTHOUSE BEACH
“Shelley Noble’s Lighthouse Beach, with its blue, beach cover promising summer relaxation in a small Maine town, is secretly more than a light read. A broken-off wedding leads four friends to head to the town to sort out their various problems – infidelity, death of loved ones, lost dreams. Along with other residents of this struggling town, they sort through their issues and try – as they heal together – to build a better community than the ones they’ve left.”
—CNN Travel on LIGHTHOUSE BEACH
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas (from HQN and NetGalley)
- Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen (finished copy from MIRA)
- Rosie Colored Glasses by Brianna Wolfson (finished copy from MIRA)
Last week on Bookfan:
Reading plan for this week:
Cover links to Goodreads
The Friends We Keep by Jane Green
The Friends We Keep by Jane Green
Published June 4, 2019 – Berkley
Book provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Description: Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known one another since college. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and they never found the lives they wanted—the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.
Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man.
Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with in college, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause.
Topher became a successful actor, but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.
By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with one another and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness…until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.
The Friends We Keep is about how despite disappointments we’ve had or mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to find a place to call home. (publisher)
My take: Evvie, Maggie and Topher meet when they are first year university students. They become fast friends not knowing they are forming the relationships that will last the rest of their lives. As with similar friendships, life causes ebbs and flows that take the three on individual journeys but they find their way back to each other a few times over the decades. A thirty year school reunion brings them back one more time and the three friends decide it’s time to make a change. Can it possibly be as good as they imagine?
Jane Green tells her story in three parts: The Beginning (1986); The In-Between Years (1990s); and Present Day (2019). It all adds up to what I call a good beach read. Meaning it has compelling characters, a juicy plot (featuring betrayal and over-the-top drama), and a story that keeps me turning the pages. Kind of like the soap my dorm mates and I would watch when we were in college. Recommended to fans of the author and novels about friendship, growth, and forgiveness.
About the author:
A former journalist in the UK and a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York, Jane Green has written many novels (including Jemima J, The Beach House, Falling, and, most recently, The Sunshine Sisters), most of which have been New York Times bestsellers, and one cookbook, Good Taste. Her novels are published in more than twenty-five languages, and she has over ten million books ini print worldwide. She lives with her husband and a small army of children and animals.
- http://www.janegreen.com
- Instagram: @janegreenauthor
- Twitter: @janegreen
- Facebook: @authorjanegreen
The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore
The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore
Published June 11, 2019 – William Morrow
Review copy from the publisher
My take:
The Islanders is a novel that, for me, is a good summer staycation read. Meaning, if I can’t vacation on an island I’d like to read about people who can!
Meg Mitchell Moore’s characters are people who have their reasons for being on Block Island. Joy, a divorced mom of a young teen, is a year-round resident whose business is going through a rough patch. On top of that, her daughter who used to be so easy going is now acting like a normal, emotional teen who doesn’t want to tell her mother everything.
Anthony is hiding out on the island hoping not to be recognized after a very public controversy that cost him his marriage, changed his relationship with his parents, and he hasn’t seen his young son in weeks.
Lu and her family are spending the summer in a rented house (courtesy of her in-laws). Her husband is a physician who is at the hospital more than he’s with his family. That leaves Lu as full time parent to two young sons while dealing with her judgmental mother-in-law.
Personal conflicts for all abound as they deal with family dynamics, secrets, and the truth. The epilogue wrapped things up neatly. It was an interesting trip to the island for this staycationer.
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
Published June 11, 2019 – Berkley
Book provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Description: At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant.
The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around—she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along. (publisher)
My take: When Natalie Tan’s estranged mother dies Natalie returns to the home she left seven years ago. Home is a Chinatown neighborhood in San Francisco and the people who knew her before her departure are not exactly pleased to see her. She must make amends and hope that they will warm to her once again. She also hopes to find answers to life-long questions concerning her family. She will meet new people, renew old acquaintances and, along the way, create possibilities where there once were none. This is a magical story filled with yummy recipes and charming characters – and left me smiling as I turned the last page.
Giveaway winner
Congratulations to
April B.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the publisher
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
Warning!!! Christmas titles ahead! 😀
- Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (from Ballantine and NetGalley)
- 25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander (ARC from William Morrow paperbacks)
- Coming Home For Christmas by RaeAnne Thayne (from HQN and NetGalley)
Last week on Bookfan:
- Spotlight/US Giveaway: Those People
- Review: This is Home
- Spotlight: The Good Sister
Reading plan for this week:
Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to
Nancy Z.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the publisher/publicist
Spotlight on The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister
The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister
Published June 11, 2019 – G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Description: An electrifying novel about the unyielding bond between two sisters, which is severely tested when one of them is accused of the worst imaginable crime.
Martha and Becky Blackwater are more than sisters–they’re each other’s lifelines. When Martha finds herself struggling to balance early motherhood and her growing business, Becky steps in to babysit her niece, Layla, without a second thought, bringing the two women closer than ever. But then the unthinkable happens, and Becky is charged with murder.
Nine months later, Becky is on trial and maintains her innocence–and so does Martha. Unable to shake the feeling that her sister couldn’t possibly be guilty, Martha sets out to uncover exactly what happened that night, and how things could have gone so wrong. As the trial progresses, fault lines between the sisters begin to show–revealing cracks deep in their relationship and threatening the family each has worked so hard to build. With incredible empathy and resounding emotional heft, The Good Sister is a powerhouse of a novel that will lead readers to question everything they know about motherhood, family, and the price of forgiveness. (publisher)
About the author:
Gillian McAllister graduated with a degree in English from the University of Birmingham. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she works as a lawyer. She is the author of Everything But the Truth and Anything You Do Say, both Sunday Timesbestsellers in the UK. THE GOOD SISTER is her US debut.
THE GOOD SISTER by Gillian McAllister
On Sale June 11, 2019 | G. P. Putnam’s Sons | Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-525-53939-1|
Price: $16.00
Praise for Gillian McAllister
“With fast-paced prose and several unexpected twists, [Gillian McAllister] skillfully weaves a web in which any of the characters might be the guilty party… a suspenseful courtroom drama full of poignant flashbacks and unique insights.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“British author McAllister makes her U.S. debut with this riveting psychological thriller…Authentic courtroom scenes, intricate family dynamics, the conflicts of motherhood, and a shocking ending all add up to a winner.”
—Publishers Weekly
“With The Good Sister, Gillian McAllister explores the exclusionary power of intimacy. She captures that feeling of being in the circle of trust, outside of it. You come away with whiplash from empathizing with each character, even the judge. This is a deeply gratifying, taut courtroom drama and so much more. I don’t know how Gillian did it, but I’m so happy she did.”
—Caroline Kepnes, author of You and Providence
“I’ve just raced through the impressive The Good Sister. Loved this gripping and thought-provoking read!”
—B.A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors
“I read it in a breathless day and a half. Such a perfect balance of courtroom drama and family drama, so smooth and assured, it just flowed, seamlessly. I loved every page, every character, every twist and turn.”
—Lisa Jewell, author of Then She Was Gone
“I was totally swept up—and challenged—by this dark courtroom drama and am still wrestling with the brilliantly written dilemma at its heart.”
—Fiona Barton, author of The Child and The Widow
“The Good Sister is an ingeniously constructed courtroom drama with real flesh-and-blood characters and cliff-hanging suspense.”
—Louise Candlish, author of Our House
“An emotionally charged story about two sisters torn apart by the death of a child, it explores the joys and challenges that come with motherhood with a twist I didn’t see coming.”
—Hollie Overton, author of Baby Doll and The Walls
“Heart-rending and brilliant. Such incredible storytelling.”
—Jill Mansell, author of This Could Change Everything
This is Home by Lisa Duffy
This is Home by Lisa Duffy
Published: June 11, 2019 – Atria Books
Review book provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Description: Sixteen-year-old Libby Winters lives in Paradise, a seaside town north of Boston that rarely lives up to its name. After the death of her mother, she lives with her father, Bent, in the middle apartment of their triple decker home—Bent’s two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, live on the top floor. A former soldier turned policeman, Bent often works nights, leaving Libby under her aunts’ care. Shuffling back and forth between apartments—and the wildly different natures of her family—has Libby wishing for nothing more than a home of her very own.
Quinn Ellis is at a crossroads. When her husband John, who has served two tours in Iraq, goes missing back at home, suffering from PTSD he refuses to address, Quinn finds herself living in the first-floor apartment of the Winters house. Bent had served as her husband’s former platoon leader, a man John refers to as his brother, and despite Bent’s efforts to make her feel welcome, Quinn has yet to unpack a single box.
For Libby, the new tenant downstairs is an unwelcome guest, another body filling up her already crowded house. But soon enough, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, when Libby and Quinn stretch and redefine their definition of family and home.
With gorgeous prose and a cast of characters that feel wholly real and lovably flawed, This Is Home is a nuanced and moving novel of finding where we belong. (publisher)
My take: This is Home is the story of the people who live in the three apartments in a triple decker home near Boston. Bent (short for Bentley) and his teenage daughter Libby live in the middle, his two sisters live in the top unit, and Quinn Ellis is the newest, first floor, tenant. Bent is a policeman and former platoon leader of Quinn’s husband John. Quinn and John are separated as John deals with PTSD. She didn’t want the separation especially given her current condition. Quinn’s closest friend has been acting strange and no one seems to understand except for the brother of her friend. Libby’s aunts are loveably quirky – I enjoyed their supporting rolls in the novel. There’s drama, everyday life, heart-breaking events that Lisa Duffy wove into a novel that left me feeling upbeat as I turned the last page. It was the right book at the right time. Recommended.
Spotlight/US Giveaway: Those People by Louise Candlish
Those People by Louise Candlish
Published: June 11, 2019 – Berkley Books
Description:
From the author of the international bestseller Our House, a new novel of twisty domestic suspense asks, “Could you hate your neighbor enough to plot to kill him?”
Lowland Way is the suburban dream. The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends.
But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn’t take long for an all-out war to start brewing.
Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying—and everyone has something to hide.
About the author:
‘A superb thriller’ Washington Post on OUR HOUSE
Now a #1 bestseller in paperback, ebook and audio and shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2019 Book of the Year – Crime & Thriller!
Louise Candlish studied English at University College London and worked as an editor and copywriter before writing fiction. OUR HOUSE, published in the US by Berkley and by Simon & Schuster in the UK, has been picked as a Book of the Year by the Guardian, the Daily Mail, the Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Real Simple, Red and Heat.
Louise lives in South London with her husband and daughter. Follow her day to day on Twitter at @louise_candlish or get updates at www.louisecandlish.com
US Giveaway
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Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale (finished copy from Lake Union)
- Milady by Laura L. Sullivan (finished copy from Berkley)
Last week on Bookfan:
- Review: The Favorite Daughter
- Spotlight/US Giveaway: The Dream Daughter
Reading plan for this week:
Spotlight/US Giveaway: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Paperback published June 4, 2019 – St. Martin’s Griffin
Book courtesy of the publisher and Tandem Literary
Description: When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.
Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby’s heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline’s part.
And all for the love of her unborn child.
A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother’s quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget. (publisher)
My take: (originally published October 1, 2018)
What would you do to save your unborn child, the last connection to your husband who was killed in the war? Caroline (Carly) Sears’ answer is “anything”. And that is why she agrees to travel to another time to get medical help for her daughter’s heart. If she doesn’t, her baby doesn’t have much hope of survival after her birth. Carly will do whatever it takes to give her daughter a chance at life.
So the question I began with led to other questions such as could I place trust in a friend like Carly did in Hunter, her brother-in-law? Could I be as brave as Carly? Would I be able to travel alone to a place where I knew no one and then deal with life-altering issues? After finishing I don’t have an answer for every question but I would aspire to be as courageous as Carly.
Diane Chamberlain’s time-travel story is very accessible to readers who normally don’t go in for that sub-genre. That would include me! This novel is a true page turner that had me looking forward to getting back to the story whenever I had to set it down. It’s an emotional story that covers several decades from the 1960s to the 2020s. I enjoyed it all and recommend it to fans of Diane Chamberlain.
Praise for THE DREAM DAUGHTER:
“This mind-bender of a novel will keep you glued to the page.”—People Magazine
“We may forget how different life was in 1970, but imagine being thrust from those days to 2013. Diane Chamberlain does in this terrific novel.”—NJ.com, Top Ten Books of 2018
“Chamberlain stretches her sense of familial relationships with toe-curling suspense in new directions, weaving in elements of trust, history, and time as she explores the things we do for love. With a little tension and a lot of heart, The Dream Daughter will delight.”—Booklist
“Chamberlain writes with supernatural gifts akin to those she chronicles in the book, seamlessly weaving time travel and global events into a credible and gut-wrenching family saga. Fate, destiny, chance and hope combine for a heady and breathless wonder of a read.”—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale**
“Can a story be both mind-bending and heartfelt? In Diane Chamberlain’s hands, it can. The Dream Daughter will hold readers in anxious suspense until the last satisfying page.”—Therese Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z*
“Rich and breathtaking.”—Woman’s World
“The Dream Daughter is a heartwarming and exciting page turner.”—Augusta Chronicle
“Chamberlain’s exciting and heartfelt novel is a page-turning crowd-pleaser.”—Publishers Weekly
“The story is well-paced and the ending satisfyingly sweet.”—Kirkus Reviews
“An entertaining chick-lit adventure.”—Wilmington Star-News
About the author:
Diane Chamberlain is the international bestselling author of 25 novels. She lives in North Carolina with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie.
Connect:
Website: https://dianechamberlain.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diane.Chamberlain.Readers.Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/d_chamberlain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chamberlain_diane/
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The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
Berkley Trade Paperback Original; June 4, 2019
Book provided by the publisher and Tandem Literary
Description:
Ten years ago the unthinkable happened. Lena Donohue experienced the ultimate betrayal by her sister—and on her wedding day, no less. A betrayal so profound and painful that the only way she knew how to survive it was to run, something she hasn’t stopped doing since. Now, having reinvented herself as a travel writer based in New York, it feels like she might be able to avoid her past forever. But of course, history has a way of returning to the present.
When her father’s health begins to fail, Lena must return to her hometown of Watersend, SC, where she has no choice but to put aside her own heartbreak and work with her estranged sister and younger brother to prepare for the worst. As Alzheimer’s rapidly claims their father’s precious memories, the siblings find themselves in a race against time to learn all they can about his life before it’s too late. But things take an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a life-shattering secret from his past that none of them could have predicted. (publisher)
My take: I’ve read a few novels that touched on Alzheimer’s disease but none made me feel like I did while reading The Favorite Daughter. That may be because I’m now going through what the Donohue siblings experienced. I can tell you it is spot on. My siblings and I have had the same conversations, almost word for word! So I credit Patti Callahan Henry for getting it right.
The Favorite Daughter is an honest look at a terrible disease. More than that, it’s about memories and how we all remember differently. It’s about how our past shapes us. It’s about being willing to forgive. And it’s about home – where it is and who it is. Recommended.
About the author:
Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include The Bookshop at Water’s End, The Idea of Love, Driftwood Summer, The Art of Keeping Secrets, and Between the Tides.
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- The Orphan’s Song by Lauren Kate (finished copy from Putnam)
Last week on Bookfan:
- Review: Prairie Fever
Reading plan for this week:
At least one of these:
Bookfan 