A charming work that may appeal to fans of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.
A young girl discovers a new side of her family after she’s taken in by her aunt in Kennedy’s (Winthrope: Tragedy to Triumph, 2017, etc.) historical novel.
In December 1861, England is in mourning after the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. For Anne Holt of Holybourne, his death marks the second tragedy to occur on her birthday. Eleven years before, her father, James, died in an accident shortly after her birth. Anne grew up impoverished, as her mother, Catherine, struggled to support them as a laundress and with money sent to them by her father’s sister, Alice. Desperate, Catherine turns to Mr. O’Leary, a wealthy pawnbroker and a man of questionable character. In an effort to secure Anne’s future, Catherine arranges for her to stay with Alice at Lesington Hall. Through the love of Aunt Alice and cousin Eleanor, Anne thrives over the next several years while learning about her father and his side of the family. On a trip to France, she meets Dr. Anthony Hathaway, a man who once planned to marry Alice. As Anne plans to reunite him with her aunt, she also meets Hathaway’s son John, with whom she falls in love. However, when a man from her past returns, Anne faces new decisions. The latest from Kennedy is an enchanting work of historical fiction bolstered by an appealing heroine and well-developed supporting characters. Anne is a sympathetic, likable heroine who always puts the needs of others above her own. The narrative unfolds briskly over a period of several years, charting her development from an 11-year-old orphan to a mature young woman of 18. She’s complemented by strong supporting players, including Alice, Hathaway, and Charlotte Phillipps, a vicar’s sister whose haughty demeanor masks a hidden talent and a fun-loving side. Kennedy’s narrative is further enhanced by period details that bring Anne’s world into focus, particularly when she leaves Lesington Hall for a trip to New York with a school friend; in exuberant letters home, Anne describes seeing Niagara Falls and meeting a man who fought in the Civil War.
A charming work that may appeal to fans of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2017
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 445
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Finding positivity in negative pregnancy-test results, this depiction of a marriage in crisis is nearly perfect.
Named for an imperfectly worded fortune cookie, Hoover's (It Ends with Us, 2016, etc.) latest compares a woman’s relationship with her husband before and after she finds out she’s infertile.
Quinn meets her future husband, Graham, in front of her soon-to-be-ex-fiance’s apartment, where Graham is about to confront him for having an affair with his girlfriend. A few years later, they are happily married but struggling to conceive. The “then and now” format—with alternating chapters moving back and forth in time—allows a hopeful romance to blossom within a dark but relatable dilemma. Back then, Quinn’s bad breakup leads her to the love of her life. In the now, she’s exhausted a laundry list of fertility options, from IVF treatments to adoption, and the silver lining is harder to find. Quinn’s bad relationship with her wealthy mother also prevents her from asking for more money to throw at the problem. But just when Quinn’s narrative starts to sound like she’s writing a long Facebook rant about her struggles, she reveals the larger issue: Ever since she and Graham have been trying to have a baby, intimacy has become a chore, and she doesn’t know how to tell him. Instead, she hopes the contents of a mystery box she’s kept since their wedding day will help her decide their fate. With a few well-timed silences, Hoover turns the fairly common problem of infertility into the more universal problem of poor communication. Graham and Quinn may or may not become parents, but if they don’t talk about their feelings, they won’t remain a couple, either.
Finding positivity in negative pregnancy-test results, this depiction of a marriage in crisis is nearly perfect.Pub Date: July 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-7159-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.
Too much free time leads a New Hampshire bookseller into yet another case of murder.
Now that Tricia Miles has Pixie Poe and Mr. Everett practically running her bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue, she finds herself at loose ends. Her wealthy sister, Angelica, who in the guise of Nigela Ricita has invested heavily in making Stoneham a bookish tourist attraction, is entering the amateur competition for the Great Booktown Bake-Off. So Tricia, who’s recently taken up baking as a hobby, decides to join her and spends a lot of time looking for the perfect cupcake recipe. A visit to another bookstore leaves Tricia witnessing a nasty argument between owner Joyce Widman and next-door neighbor Vera Olson over the trimming of tree branches that hang over Joyce’s yard—also overheard by new town police officer Cindy Pearson. After Tricia accepts Joyce’s offer of some produce from her garden, they find Vera skewered by a pitchfork, and when Police Chief Grant Baker arrives, Joyce is his obvious suspect. Ever since Tricia moved to Stoneham, the homicide rate has skyrocketed (Poisoned Pages, 2018, etc.), and her history with Baker is fraught. She’s also become suspicious about the activities at Pets-A-Plenty, the animal shelter where Vera was a dedicated volunteer. Tricia’s offered her expertise to the board, but president Toby Kingston has been less than welcoming. With nothing but baking on her calendar, Tricia has plenty of time to investigate both the murder and her vague suspicions about the shelter. Plenty of small-town friendships and rivalries emerge in her quest for the truth.
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0272-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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