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Doubleday Books
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When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that's to come. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest: Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt when the darkest part of her past resurfaces; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects. Above it all, the daughters share the lingering fear that they will never find a love quite like their parents'.
As the novel moves through the tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt—given up by one of the daughters in a closed adoption fifteen years before—we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons' past: years marred by adolescence, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.
As the novel moves through the tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt—given up by one of the daughters in a closed adoption fifteen years before—we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons' past: years marred by adolescence, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.
I am a sucker for family sagas! This one is a passage, not a sprint so take your time to soak it in instead of rushing for a finish line. Try not to be overly offended at some of the language/wording/old-school labels because the point IS IN the differences in people.
Filled with deep, meaningful grasp of all types of relationships this one goes into the must read pile for anyone with a family or friend… or anyone foe that matter.
The author says things intentionally offensive because that is, unfortunately life and the characters we live with every day. If I could stop a family member from saying “retarded” I absolutely would, but I can’t. Do I hate her? No! Does she grate on my last nerve, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her.
So, here we are at a cusp of generational gap on literature and life.
BIG RUN ON SENTENCE COMING: I’ve noticed many of the reviews submitted were spilt by one single element… control. They were either: control other people/focus on everyone else’s faults/bully them to do what they think is best/how will anyone change unless we stop accepting their behavior people, or the: love people because the facts are that is the only true control we have/I think I need to change a few things myself/nobody TRULY changes on the inside because you bully them/love people from all walks of life and you teach them to love people from all walks of life, people.
The bottom line facts I saw reflected in this family saga is that life is real, broken, hurtful, and FULL of one chaotic issue after another. That’s REAL. We are ALL different, will never see everything eye to eye, but we can still find a way to love each other, despite our differences.
If you are looking for a light, quick, beach read, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a book that will give you hours of reading when you can, cause you to think more on yourself and inflect change, then this just may be the one for you!
Filled with deep, meaningful grasp of all types of relationships this one goes into the must read pile for anyone with a family or friend… or anyone foe that matter.
The author says things intentionally offensive because that is, unfortunately life and the characters we live with every day. If I could stop a family member from saying “retarded” I absolutely would, but I can’t. Do I hate her? No! Does she grate on my last nerve, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her.
So, here we are at a cusp of generational gap on literature and life.
BIG RUN ON SENTENCE COMING: I’ve noticed many of the reviews submitted were spilt by one single element… control. They were either: control other people/focus on everyone else’s faults/bully them to do what they think is best/how will anyone change unless we stop accepting their behavior people, or the: love people because the facts are that is the only true control we have/I think I need to change a few things myself/nobody TRULY changes on the inside because you bully them/love people from all walks of life and you teach them to love people from all walks of life, people.
The bottom line facts I saw reflected in this family saga is that life is real, broken, hurtful, and FULL of one chaotic issue after another. That’s REAL. We are ALL different, will never see everything eye to eye, but we can still find a way to love each other, despite our differences.
If you are looking for a light, quick, beach read, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a book that will give you hours of reading when you can, cause you to think more on yourself and inflect change, then this just may be the one for you!
