This is the story of two sisters, one whose life is irrevocably changed by an accident that killed her husband and son almost a year ago and the other whose family looks “perfect” but is unraveling slowly at the seams as she tries to save her sister, become a partner at her law firm and also be the best mom all at the same time.
There is so much in this book about grief, our sense of self and how it gets wrapped in others, about regret and remorse and marriage and having a child with needs. The characters are real and raw and the look inside their lives is open and earnest.
I loved the characters and even though i can nitpick at parts of it, I really loved this story, too.
with gratitude to netgalley and Montlake for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
This is the story of a family, mostly told from the perspective of the adult grandchildren. The grandfather passes away and a secret comes to the surface during his eulogy that shocks the family and each member takes it in their own way as they grapple with their own lives, their own struggles and their own secrets.
I love books like these that are mostly character driven and we get a glimpse into other lives, other choices, other struggles. It makes me feel less alone in the world and I end up getting invested in the characters’ lives and choices and I end up having deep empathy for each of them.
Really enjoyed this book full of humor and heart.
with gratitude to netgalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
I read this because it was one of the biggest hits of last year and i had kept putting it off because of it’s monolithic size. It started strong and interesting. Well written except for tropes where the teacher is lecturing its class just so the author can lecture us. As someone who has studied eight languages I loved the idea of the magic in this book and the nuances between translating words. But in the end this book just went on and on and on. In my opinion it would have been a much much stronger book at half the size. It would have still kept its interesting world and interesting points about colonialism and been much more readable.
While this was compulsively readable for me, I still felt conflicting feelings about it. It was interesting in almost the way an accident is interesting and you can’t help but look (except I am usually the type that doesn’t feel the need to look.) I liked the way it started and thought the premise was very interesting but then it didn’t really go anywhere for me and left me unsatisfied at the end.
We saw some really beautiful movies this year so far. I loved Closer, Living, Of an Age and The Quiet Girl. Each more beautifully acted than the other and each quiet and deeply touching.
That faint line means I am still stuck inside my bedroom. Alas.
Last year I exercised so much. This year it’s been a terrible terrible year for exercise so far. Here’s hoping after km healed from the surgery, I can turn it around.
It was nice to work today so I could feel less cooped up. And my surgery got rescheduled so that feels good, too. now here’s hoping I get a negative test tomorrow and can hug my kids again.
I was thinking about the word open today and how wonderful it feels to embody it. Open feels so full of possibilities. So loving and kind. So generous and expansive.
This is real life right now. I’ve been holed up in my room for three days and I already can’t stand it. I’ve read three books, watched two movies and a show, painted 6 tiny landscapes and did 4 hours of Korean.
I’m bored.
I miss seeing my people. I already hate my bedroom and I have to spend another few days minimum here before I can retest and then hopefully I can have my surgery only to find myself back in this bedroom for a few more weeks.
If you have shows, movies, books, or anything else you’ve loved, I’d love to know. I expect I am going to reach new heights of boredom here.
