Bethlehem is set in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the 1920s and the 1960s. It is the story of relationships within and among two prominent families, and the lengths they would go to to maintain those relationships. It is a story of loss, of secrets, and of forgiveness. Karen Kelly paints the story with masterful strokes deepened by the beauty of the language with which she paints. The painting has a darkness to it, but the colors are rich, and the final strokes bring light to her canvas.

While this book differs from the Christian fiction I typically review, the language is not offensive and, while there is great passion, there are no passionate scenes that one would take offense to. The book, though not Christian fiction, points to Jesus by demonstrating how attending church out of duty or to meet societies expectations without coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior is often self-destructive.

I would recommend Bethlehem to my friends, and am grateful to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Bethlehem, by Karen Kelly is a fabulous family saga that revolves around two women in two different generations. The story takes place during the 192o's and 1960's in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the U.S steel capital offers itself as the backdrop of a wealthy family and two generations of women. This was a beautifully written novel that I could not put down. I loved this book! t was a haunting and magical tale. 5 wonderful stars! I highly recommend it!

This book is completely outside my go-to genre but I really enjoyed the jump between the 1920s and 1960s! It had a little bit of a historical aspect and coupled well with mystery and secrets! I really enjoyed the writing style as the story flowed well and never seemed dry.

Nice story about two intertwined women and their decisions to protect their families a couple of decades apart. At times I found this book to be a little slow - like dragging itself. But it is interesting with a nice writing style. The background of the steel era is also interesting. It got more interesting towards the end of the book when the two stories connect in a more obvious way.

Hardcover, 304 pages Published July 9th 2019 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN13: 9781250201492 Setting: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (United States)
Rating: 4*

Set during the gilded, glory days of Bethlehem, PA two women come together, not realizing that in a short time, the secrets of betrayal and temptations they’ve held and kept will one day bind them together in a way that neither could have ever expected.

Arriving at the grand ancestral home of her husband’s family, Joanna is hoping to fortify her cracking marriage. But what she finds is not what she expected: tragedy haunts the hallways, whispering of heartache and a past she never knew existed. And her mother-in-law Susannah, is not someone who makes Joanna feel welcome. Too many women in a house that has seen too much tragedy and heartache and kept too many secrets.

It was touted as a historical based on the titans of the steel-boom era, namely Bethlehem Steel, but it turned out to be more than that in what I would describe as women’s fiction. Joanna has had to give up the house and home she had lived in with her husband and two children to move into the families humongous ancestral home. Living with her husband’s grandmother and mother who had held the title of mistress of that home. It made Joanna feel somewhat non-essential. Everything was taken care of by numerous family retainers who Joanna felt had more claim to the home than she would ever have.

Feeling somewhat neglected Joanna fell into the habit of spending her time in the nearby cemetery where she made friends with the quirky cemetery keepers and their enigmatic grandson. She also discovered the tiny gravestone of baby “Hayes” whom she wanted to uncover the mystery of who he was and why no one had claimed it to give him a name.

*** The book started slowly and to be honest, it was something I struggled with, but slowly the story started to make more sense as the author kept up the past and present theme of Susannah’s and Joanna’s life. Both would discover that their lives were similar but different. The characters were well defined, the pace did pick up, and it was a pretty good summer read.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me the ARC of this book for an honest review.

Marilyn Rondeau

This book is one of my favorite historical books of the year! Set in Bethlehem Pa when Bethlehem Steel was still up and running. This book was wonderfully written and felt like I was there every moment. For historical fiction lovers, I definitely suggest this book!!

I enjoyed this historical fiction, mostly because the plot and story could happen anytime. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction so it was nice to be able to focus on the storyline and not the year and time...just how decisions from one year can affect your future.

This book was a slow starter, but once immersed it was hard to put down. This story was told in two timelines and told very well. The elegance of Kelly’s words brought the story to life. Beautifully written this was a story of family, friends and forgiveness. A story filled with complex characters you will come to love. Well done!

This was such a great summer read! Joanna moves to Bethlehem, PA with her family and into her husband's family's home. She spends her days with her two kids, her mother in law, and husband's grandmother. It is not exactly what she wanted, but she tries to make the best of it hoping to strengthen her marriage and do what is expected of her. In the meantime, there is also the story of Susannah (the mother in law) growing up. The Colliers and the Parrishes are wealthy heads of Bethlehem steel and their kids grow up together. The book is a bit hard to follow at times with the all the characters and the different people in each family in the earlier and later timelines. I wish a family tree had been included in the book, when I made one for myself, it was much easier to track which character was which. But once I got reading that didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. I love both story lines and enjoyed the relationship between Joanna and Susannah. I would definitely recommend this book.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Bethlehem" by Karen Kelley, St Martins Press, July 9, 2019



Karen Kelly, Author of "Bethlehem" writes a Fiction novel, with some Historical Background. There are two storylines from around 1918 and 1962, two timelines that eventually connect. There is suspense, secrets, betrayals, romance, and twists and turns. Karen Kelly describes her characters as complex and complicated. The author discusses the importance of family, forgiveness, love, and hope.

The Historical part of the story describes the upstart of Bethlehem Steel, and the importance of the use of such materials, as well as the wealth it provided some families. The story is also described in the cemetery and the caretakers who know the history of the town. I would recommend this suspenseful and surprising novel.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My grandfather worked for Bethlehem Steel his entire life, though it was in Johnstown, PA and not Bethlehem, so when I saw the title of this book, I was immediately drawn to it. I was quickly engrossed in both the story from the 1960’s and the 1920’s. Each story flowed seamlessly and I was invested in both Joanna and Susannah’s stories. Beautifully written.

A poignant book that tells the story of how these two families at the height of the steel insurgence, are so intertwined. Hollins Parrish with his wife Helen and their 3 kids Kit, India and Susannah. Charles Collier with his wife Frances and their sons Chap and Wyatt. The story is told in present of 1962 and the past starting in 1918. Through the roaring 20's with flappers, jazz and the Charleston. In the blink of an eye, everything changed.Secrets were made and kept through the years. It amazes me how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

This family saga was a 3/5 star read for me, so I'm going to do things a little differently and list what worked and what didn't:
Pros:
- Isn't that cover just gorgeous? I absolutely love the cover and honestly chose to read this for the cover before reading the synopsis.
-Kelly is an eloquent writer and paints a vivid picture of the time periods, the 1920s and 1960s since the story is told in dual timelines.
-She really excels at her characterization of Susannah, or "Sassy" as she's called. I felt like I understood Sassy and completely empathized with her in the book.
-The women in the book: Susannah, Helen, Joanna, Doe are wonderful, strong, albeit flawed, female characters. I found their relationships and friendships to be a very engaging part of the novel.
-The 2nd half is the best part of the book and if you can hang in that long to read it, then you'll be rewarded with a beautiful story of love, family, forgiveness, and healing.

Cons:
-The novel is more women's fiction than anything; it's definitely not the historical fiction I was expecting.
- The first 50% of the novel is extremely slow, and I considered DNFing but as I said above, if you can get past this point, it's a beautiful story.
-The character of Joanna in the 1960s is underdeveloped and I thought unnecessary to the storyline. Sassy is definitely the focal point of the novel.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. I didn't love it as I had hoped and like some of my Traveling Sisters who read it with me did, but I enjoyed it and the discussions we had! I encourage you to check out more reviews on Goodreads since I might be an outlier for this one!

*Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**

There are two time periods in this book, in one in the 1960s, Joanna Collier moves into her husband's family home with his mother and grandmother which puts her in an interesting spot, she isn't quite the woman of the house, but she is trying to make it a home for her and her family. In the other time period, it goes back further in time to her mother-in-law's time as a young woman in the 1920s in the same home and how maybe this home holds some bad juju.

For me neither of the time periods really grabbed my attention both were equally just fine. I felt as though it took a long time for characters to develop and for action to start taking place and once things starting moving and happening the book was almost over. I wish that there had been some sort of movement earlier in the book, it made it hard to get in and really enjoy the book.

The atmosphere of the book made me the happiest when reading the book. I could feel the eeriness of the setting and the home. The reader could tell that this home held secrets and that maybe it even caused some of the pain in this family.

This book was just ok with me. As I read a lot of historical fiction, I am not sure I would recommend this one to my friends who do not read a lot in this genre, but for those friends who have read all the historical fiction, this was an interesting departure from the usual and doesn't take place in the heart of World War II!

Joanna Collier is the mother of two young children and married to Frank, an engineer working for his family’s business...Bethlehem Steel. After his father’s death, Frank’s responsibilities increased dramatically and felt the pressure to move his family to the headquarters in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. And, he needed to be closer to his aging grandmother and mother, both living alone in their ancestral home. Joanna doesn’t mind the move but reluctantly agrees to live in the mansion. The divide between her and Frank only widens as she feels even more isolated, struggles to connect with his grandmother and mother and fears she’s losing her identity.

This story takes quite some time to develop and I highly recommend you stick with it as the payoff is worth it. The story transitions between 1962 (Joanna’s perspective) and 1918/24 (in the time of Frank’s maternal and paternal grandparents). Hollins Parrish ran the steel company and Charles Collier worked there as chief engineer. The families were close, their children even closer and their story is told through the eyes of Frank’s mother (Susannah Parrish Collier). Susannah is a formidable presence in both eras but in entirely divergent ways. I was always intrigued to learn how that happened and it was slowly revealed but perfectly timed. The details are important and I’m glad I was patient as the attention given to develop each character made such a difference in the power of the storytelling. All the while, Joanna’s story continues and I knew at some point there would be a connection although it was wildly, wonderfully elusive.

I guessed what most likely happened 38 years earlier but by the time it was revealed, I was hopelessly connected with these people, experiencing every emotion fresh and raw. And, there were a few twists that I didn’t anticipate that provided even more shape, form and texture to the story. This is a beautiful, touching story that I didn’t see coming. I’m really glad I stayed with it because once you reach the halfway point, you’ll not want to put it down.

First off, I think the cover is stunning. Immediately it made me want to know who this woman was and what was her story.

I found that I struggled a lot with the characters in this book. Too many of their names were too similar, their nicknames too were similar, and there were too many characters. I had trouble keeping the relationships straight between all of the characters especially since I had trouble remember everyone. I felt like I needed to start taking notes to keep everyone straight and i typically don't enjoy a book when that type of work is required.

Overall this book fell short for me.

Title: Bethlehem
Author: Karen Kelly
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the 1960s, Frank and Joanna have moved their two children to Bethlehem, where his mother and grandmother live alone in a grand mansion. Frank works all the time, and Joanna struggles to scratch out a place for herself with a husband who’s always away. Her working-class background leaves her unprepared for Frank’s wealthy home, but she finds a friend in cemetery caretaker Doe, an old friend of Joanna’s mother-in-law—and her enigmatic grandson.

In the 1920s steel town of Bethlehem, the Parrish and Collier families have grown up together. Susannah, a budding flapper on the verge of adulthood, has always known the families expected her to marry Ellis, but then she falls hard for someone she never imagined. When unthinkable tragedy tears her world apart, she’s left holding secrets that can destroy both families.

This book was a slow, smooth ride into story. The two timelines were twisted together so well that they formed one incredibly detailed tapestry. I enjoyed every single page of this book and was so invested in the characters I cried! A must-read!

Karen Kelly has a B.A. in English from Vanderbilt. Bethlehem is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Bethlehem by Karen Kelley is a well-written family saga exploring the lives and ties between the Parrish and Collier families. The story is set in Bethlehem, PA beginning in 1918 and ending in 1962. Hollins Parrish is the CEO of Bethlehem Steel and Charles Collier the head engineer for the company.

As with all families, life brings unexpected blessings and glory days, as well as hard times and hard truths. The two families find themselves connected forever through friendship, marriage, love, loss, betrayals, and secrets.

Kelly writes strong characters. At the beginning, I admittedly had a bit of difficulty keeping the members of the families and their nickname straight (a page with a family tree of each of the families would've been much appreciated). But as I read further, I was simply swept away with the currents of the story and the impacts time had on these two families.

Two of my favorite passages in the book are:
"I'm never here to judge you; I'm only here to help you."
"...the fact that some skin doesn't show scars does not mean there haven't been wounds."

I give Bethlehem 4 stars. A very good read, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the flow, the sense of family, of forgiveness, of repentance and of love.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Karen Kelly for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Oh my, what a book. I was moved to tears so often just went ahead and got the entire box of tissues to have ready. I loved the dual time line and multiple character story lines. I of course have heard of Bethlehem Steel but knew very little about the town and the wide spread influence of the company. It was very interesting to see what life for the family was like. I highly recommend this book.

Like so many novelists today, Karen Kelly sets her story in two time periods with alternating chapters telling the stories of two young women, one in the 1920s and one in the 1960s. By the ‘60’s, the two, Susannah and Joanna, are related by marriage and suddenly living in the same mansion dating to the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania steel industry heyday that had made Susannah’s family wealthy. Like Susannah and her husband before them, Joanna and her husband moved to the mansion to be with aging family members.

Interestingly, the story opens in a cemetery not far from the family home, not for a funeral, but as recently arrived Joanna and her children notice an old swing and stop for the children to play. The scene introduces the cemetery’s caretakers and the small, mysterious grave of “Baby Hayes,” and many readers will quickly suspect that there is more to this scene than a brief play stop for the kids although their mother does not yet know it.

As readers get to know 1920s story of the Parrish and Collier families in general and of Susannah Parrish in particular, the 1960s story of Joanna and the somewhat strained relationship between Joanna and her quiet, distant mother-in-law Susannah, author Karen Kelley will draw them into Parrish-Collier family secrets. This is not a fast-paced novel, but one of slow character development and revelation. While what seems like the central mystery is quite easy to guess, Kelly keeps surprises up her sleeve.

Two small issues momentarily bothered me when reading Bethlehem: (1) a bit more description of the city’s history than was necessary for the story and (2)somewhat corny, or perhaps overly dramatic, descriptions of romantic sentiments. Nonetheless, by the end of her book, Karen Kelly’s strengths as a writer far outweigh what struck me as weaknesses that she could overcome in future novels. I will look forward to her next book.

If you don’t demand edge of-your seat page-turners and enjoy character-driven novels, you should find Bethlehem well worth your reading time. Karen Kelly provides plenty of plot interest and human relationships to hold my attention. Most importantly, perhaps, she provides a thoroughly satisfying, emotionally moving ending.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley of Karen Kelly’s touching novel.