Eleanor craves a family life, lots of kids and noise and love. When she meets artist Cam, her dreams come true. They quickly have 3 children, but are always short on money. Cam has many wonderful qualities, but being a responsible breadwinner isn’t the way he would be described. When tragedy strikes, the cracks in Cam and Eleanor’s relationship finally shatter beyond repair.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters, felt frustrated with the missed opportunities and miscommunications, but recognize that this is often how life is. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to the sequel!

Wow. Did I expect to be invested in this book at all? Nope. I don't know why I requested this one on NetGalley. Maybe I was new to the NetGalley world and just requested anything I could get my hands on. But here I am, so glad I read this!

This is a big book. I ended up listening to the audio and wow, was it good. Sometimes, books have a hard time keeping my attention but this one held it for 15 whole hours!

This novel spans a lifetime for the main character. Through youth, through marriage, through children, through divorce, through affairs, through sickness, through health, through death of loved ones, through gender identity issues, through estrangement. Everything is covered in this book.

What I particularly loved was the reference to real life in-the-news milestone events like the Challenger Space Shuttle, the AIDS epidemic, the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett, etc. to show the reader what time period the main character was walking through.

So well done. Recommend!

This book was not for me. It felt overwhelmingly long, disjointed, and somewhat unrealistic. Song reference after song reference just wore me out after a time. The story could have been tightened with editing and would still have made a wonderful story.

Count the Ways is a sweeping family saga that is extremely well done. The book follows the life of Eleanor, who lost both of her parents as a teenager. This book is broken into 100 (!) chapters spanning over 400 pages. Characters are introduced throughout and all of the stories are resolved and tied up at some point.

None of these characters are perfect and their flaws are what makes this book so real. Eleanor is so obsessed with creating a perfect home and protecting her children from harm that when harm does come, she doesn't know what to do. She blames her husband for an accident (which can be an interesting talking point) and cannot forgive him, which contributes to the end of their marriage.

Eleanor must move on and she is always putting her children first, which is admirable. Cam, her husband, is not portrayed well (no spoilers, but I still cannot believe he was never honest with the kids about one huge thing!). However, this is a book about acceptance and forgiveness, above all.

The different members of the family have different priorities and this book explores what happens when there are such different viewpoints. Historical events through the 80s and 90s are brought up, so for those that lived through those decades, it's a nice reminder of that time period.

Overall, this was fantastic. The short chapters make the reading easy. The characters make bad decisions and that is what makes it all the more real. I loved it.

The author writes beautifully and has a way with words that stuck with me long after I finished reading it.
The story is a broad one. It covers a family's life from beginning to almost end and all the trials and tribulations that go along with it. The mother comes with her own baggage and hopes to make up in her children's lives what was lacking in her own. One issue I had with this was my lack of sympathy with the mother in the book who seemed to accept being a doormat just a bit too easily.

I've been a fan of Joyce Maynard's for a long time, and this title didn't disappoint. Always look forward to her books.

Oh so very much loved this book! I have never read anything by Joyce Maynard before but this will not be the last. Her ability to get inside the characters and describe their emotions is incredible, This book had me tearing up several times and crying at the end. Very good story! We have already purchased this book otherwise I would recommend it for purchase. Several patrons have come in lately wanting something good and I have already recommended this to them!

A detailed family novel that spans most of a lifetime, this is a story with vivid, memorable characters that will stay with you for a long time. The family comes to life in the pages and feels very real. The novel handles a lot of issues that occur in life including divorce, tragic accidents, estrangement, personal sexual identity and more. Joyce Maynard handles the prose with ease and I felt like I was watching this story unfold. At times heartbreaking and frustrating, I felt for Eleanor in her struggles with both her marriage and parenting of three very different children. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. If you like domestic dramas, then you can't go wrong with Joyce Maynard. Count the Ways is her latest and it's so good. Cam and Eleanor meet in the 70s, marry, and have three children. Their life together is beautiful. Then am accident happens, which Cam is to blame. In the time following, Eleanor cannot move past it and pulls away from Cam, over time, Cam finds love elsewhere and their family as otherwise known, is torn apart. This story follows Cam, Eleanor and their children over the next several decades. As much as this book will break your heart, I highly recommend it.

Loved this book. The story of love, loss and all the feelings in between.

Count the Ways follows Eleanor from a painful childhood to marriage, children, divorce, loss and finding her way to happiness.

Feel good book reminds you to live life as it comes - no one or no family is perfect. Perfection cones from learning to live with life's curve balls!!

I am so happy I got the opportunity to read this book. I loved every second of it.

To me, this was a very well written, character driven family story about marriage and relationships, no only with husband and children but with friends and babysitters. Just a story about life, her life but you feel every emotion Eleanor goes through and can envision the whole story happening. The heartbreaks and the happiness. I don't usually like the family drama type of stories but this one was different. I felt how I felt about her husband to my core. My heart broke for her son. Just all of it.

I think because I am the same age as the main character I totally related with the story. It was a little like Forest Gump to me in a sense going through all the events that were happening that happened in my life time. The challenger, Princess Diana etc.

I have recommended this one to my book club and can't wait to see what they think.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the novel, but did not love it. It was gritty and raw, but I couldn't myster up empathy for the protagonist.

A beautiful novel about one woman's life raising her family. The writing is gorgeous without being over the top, the characters are well developed and realistic and the setting is perfect.

Eleanor was the only child of two parents who were more concerned with themselves, their relationship and their drinking. Left an orphan in her teens, Eleanor raises herself and becomes and successful author/illustrator allowing her to be able to purchase a small farmhouse and begin making her own life.. She falls in love with Cam, a not always successful woodworker and proceeds to have 3 children. Raising them on the farm, Eleanor tries to give them the family life she never had. When an accident leaves one child disable, cracks begin to appear in the marriage and family..

An incredible look a all of the aspects of a woman's life, marriage, family, loneliness, sorrow and ultimately forgiveness. Eleanor is a strong character that will stay with you..

From the beginning of this novel, Eleanor, the main character resonated with many of the feelings I have experienced as a woman, wife and mother.
Eleanor grew up in a family with parents who were more interested in alcohol and each other, than they were in giving their daughter their love and attention. She lives a very lonely life as a child.
Later they die in a car accident, and leave Eleanor to finish raising herself.
In college she writes and illustrates several children's books that sell well, and she finds herself with quite a bit of income. She buys herself a farm in Maine, knowing it will be a wonderful place to raise a family some day.
Soon Eleanor meets Cam, a woodworker, and they fall in love quickly and begin their family together.
Eleanor raises her children with the love, support and attention she never received. They have a idyllic life on the farm, but life rushes in and Eleanor is challenged with several difficult things coming to pass. One is a tragedy no parent ever wants to experience, and it eventually is one of the things that alters the whole fabric of her family's life.
I loved this book because I think it captured so many of the feelings and thoughts women of that time period, particularly mothers, felt.. It speaks to what it is to raise a family, and be an integral part of the journey that family follows..
It is a story about love, disappointment, tragedy and forgiveness, things many of us will experience too.

I’m sorry.
I love you.
Thank you.
Please forgive me.

- Ho'oponopono prayer, phrases spoken in any order, for reconciliation and forgiveness.

These are the first words we see as we open the book as the Epigraph and honestly, they are the perfect words to begin this story, to remember as you make your way through this compelling novel.

Count the ways is a very character driven novel that allows readers to form an intense bond with the members of this family. The plot spans over forty years, moving back and forth as necessary to provide an entire, clear, intimate portrait of each characters essence. Eleanor, for example, is the first character we meet and right from the start it is impossible not to love her. She feels so real, like I could call her on the telephone and chat about anything from Joni Mitchell to family issues and beyond as she matures and grows older.. She isn't perfect, none of the characters are which is why they are so authentic and life like. Her family is fractured but the love between the members is real, believable and a bit fierce.

This is a novel of family. Of love, loss, laughter, inspiration, sunshine and hurricanes, every single thing that life could throw at a person is a potential hurdle to overcome in this novel. It flows along at just the right pace, Joyce Maynard has done the near impossible by evoking so many emotions through out the story and by keeping the pages turning with her elegant prose containing pieces of her soul that can be felt by the reader.
There are so many reasons this book is a must read, but that right there is above all the biggest reason.

I Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something soulful, something comforting like a warm mug of tea in your hands, this book is the perfect choice to cozy up and become a member of Eleanor's family.

Don't let this one fall behind on your ever growing TBR list. Now is the time you'll want to read this. You'll thank me before you're even finished with the book! If you only read one book this year, this is the book to choose.

Thank you to Netgalley, Joyce Maynard, and publishers for the e=copy provided to me in exchange for my honest review. Count the Ways is a book that I feel good about recommending and promoting and I look forward to watching the conversations and posts regarding this book or the author blow up all of our social media feeds.

An amazing book on forgiveness, motherhood. This book had so much depth and twists that I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and didn’t want to put the book down. I love how Joyce’s books are about real struggles and make us remember that life isn’t perfect and all characters need love. Watch the My Level 10 life video interview: https://amazon.com/live/broadcast/59415e41-72e5-4ec6-b9b3-c3f3641c5fd9?ref=social&tag=erinmbransco-20&linkCode=ilv

Count The Ways is one of those books that made me pause and think about my own family and the relationships that I have. This is a book that I will not soon forget. The story has a main character, Eleanor, who grew up in a loveless home and was orphaned as a teen. All she ever wanted was a loving relationship with a man who adored her and to have children who she would cherish and nurture. And this all came true for her, she had it all.
Cam is her loving, but rather unresponsible, husband and she is the breadwinner and the person responsible for making sure bills are paid and their family life is running smoothly. Cam is the fun parent and she is accepting of this. Both Eleanor and Cam are ideal parents to their three children.
Life was nearly perfect for this family until a horrible accident shattered Eleanor’s idyllic world. An accident that should have never happened. The entire family was devastated and Eleanor was changed forever. The act of forgiveness was something that Eleanor was not able to achieve. This resentment and bitterness led her to act and make choices that seemed out of character for her but, at the same time, were understandable considering what had happened to this family.
The beginning prologue depicts Eleanor in her later years as a grandmother with adult children. As the book begins we are able to experience Eleanor’s life through her eyes as a young women falling in love and starting her family. There was never a time in my reading of this book that I felt bored. The story grabbed me from the start and only got more interesting as I read on. I appreciated how the author, Joyce Maynard, was able to incorporate historical events into the story such as the Vietnam war, the walk on the moon, and the devastating loss of the astronauts on the Challenger space launch.
The ending for me was perfect. Eleanor comes to understanding herself and come to terms with the way her life played out. She is finally able to forgive and finally find peace. This is one of the best book I have read this year. A definite 5 star book that I highly recommended.

This is the first book I’ve read by Joyce Maynard and it won’t be the last! I highly recommend this book for its realistic portrayal of a family in both good times and bad. Maynard takes us through the life of the family, from the initial meeting of the couple through the growth of their children and beyond. The characters are extremely well-drawn and the reader feels like they have really gotten to know each one of them. As such, it is hard to say goodbye to this family at the end of the story.

Eleanor wants her children to have the perfect childhood, unlike her own. She tries to give them everything she didn’t have and protect them from sadness, loss and Crazytown, a “place” her own parents sometimes visited, especially after drinking alcohol. But as much as Eleanor wants an idyllic childhood for them, deep down she knows it’s impossible. Still, she confronts each challenge with a fierce determination until events transpire that she has no control over. Like most families, these characters have their flaws but perhaps that is what makes them so relatable. There are tragedies, milestones, resentments, bitterness, and love above all else.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Joyce Maynard made me feel a part of this family- beautifully written!
This is the story of Eleanor’s life, and it drew me in from the very beginning. A true family saga, from her early years to old age. I related on so many levels. Thank you for this jewel of a book!

“There was more than one way of feeling lonely.”

A beautiful line and representative of the foundation of the life of Eleanor, the main character in Count the Ways. Eleanor’s childhood was so sad. She was the only child of two self-centered and likely alcoholic parents who died in a car crash. Her life was lonely when her parents were alive, and she adapted to that, wanting only to be part of a real family.
At a young age, she turned to art and wrote and illustrated what turned out to be a successful series of children’s books just after graduating from high school. Her success enabled her to buy a farm in the small town of Ackersville, NH, where she lived on her own for several years before meeting Cam.
Cam and Eleanor were a good couple and parents for many years until a tragic situation impacted their family. The book covers 30+ years of their lives and during that time, we fully experience the highs and lows of their lives: marriage, raising children, divorce and its difficult impact and aftermath, and how to rebuild a life. Ms. Maynard adeptly weaves in key historical events while telling the family’s story, including the Challenger explosion, introduction of computers, AIDS, Me Too, LBGQT rights and more.
In addition to being Eleanor’s story, I also saw Count the Ways as a story about motherhood: how do you parent when your mother wasn’t a good mother? What happens when there isn’t a balanced relationship? And, how do you parent after a divorce (and especially when some of your kids are real brats)?
As usual, Ms. Maynard’s writing is beautiful and quickly drew me into the story. The characters are fully developed and memorable - I what to know what happened to everyone after the wedding!
Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Count the Ways in exchange for an honest review.