Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it’s published. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and I read a lot of books! I couldn’t put it down. Joyce Maynard was a phenom when she wrote in the NY Times as a young woman and she’s continued to hone her craft as she has aged. Her writing is just beautiful. The characters are three-dimensional and complex. In this story, a woman named Eleanor marries a fellow artist and lives with him on a farm she had bought on her own years before. She aspired to be a great wife and mother to her husband and three children on this farm, and really was...sounds idyllic, right? It was for a long while until life got in the way. Maynard so beautifully captures the kind of mother Eleanor was and how her thinking about what was best for her children had dire consequences for her own life. Told over a period of over 30 years, the reader is so immersed in the choices Eleanor makes that you either feel like giving her “ queen for the day” or just strangling her. This would make a great book for a book club because there’s certainly much to discuss.

I have related to Joyce Maynard's writing since her debut as a precocious 18 year old. Reading her work is like visiting with an old college friend. Circumstances change but you still know the person inside. Her characters are completely recognizable and it's an enjoyable read.

Eleanor was the only child of alcoholic parents. They died in a car accident when she was 16 and away at school. Then she realized that she was alone in the with with no close relatives. Her roommate’s family invited her to spend vacations and holidays with them but she was not happy. Eleanor had used her talent to write and illustrate a series of books for children.
Rather than attend college, Eleanor bought an abandoned farm in rural Vermont where she could continue writing and illustrating books. Then she met Cam, a handsome wood carver at a craft fair.
The couple married and had 3 children. However Eleanor was not only the breadwinner but also the one who was responsible for the family finances. She illustrated book series, created a comic strip for newspapers and even created greeting cards for a supplier to support the family. Cam continued making wood bowls even though they were not selling. He seemed more interested in enjoying life and entertaining his children than worry about family finances.
Then tragedy struck the family and everything changed.
I enjoyed this story but found it very sad. Although Eleanor & Cam loved each other, they were not the perfect couple. Eleanor tried to compensate for the poor parenting skills of her Mom & Dad by being overly involved in the lives of her 3 children. Cam was too self centered to worry about his family until it was too late.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Count The Ways by Joyce Maynard is both beautiful and unbearably heartbreaking.. It begins as the compelling story of a woman who spent her childhood mostly alone, so when she reaches adulthood she longs to create a warm, full home. She marries, has three children, and we see her wrestle with challenges of balancing her career as an artist with the deep love she has for the time she invests in her home and family. I’ll be honest, these chapters about family life went on for a long time, to the point where it all felt a bit suffocating. There were several instances where I thought, “wait...how can that child ONLY be in third grade?” It felt like it had been much longer. This is not a happy book - it is more of a cautionary tale of what can happen when we lose ourselves in trying to live other people’s lives for them, especially if those people are our children.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In true Joyce Maynard fashion this book hits home about a family dealing with tragedy and change. Her writing is like coming home, you know what to expect and love it.

What a wonderful novel! I could not put it down. Through the character of Eleanor, Maynard paints a realistic picture of life's joys and life's struggles, its ups and downs, its rewards and its disappointments. What I most admire about Maynard's writing is her ability to leave nothing hidden; for example, we understand and feel Eleanor's bitterness even while we know that it will contribute to even more regrets and unhappiness. Raised without a traditional family life and orphaned suddenly as a teenager, Eleanor yearns for nothing more than love and a happy family - whatever they might really mean. She finds, as do most of us, that the image of a traditionally happy family is just that - an image, just as the black-and-white television families of the 1950s were models of a state of happiness that rarely exists. There is hardly a family that doesn't suffer setbacks and tragedies and the family Maynard portrays has its share of them. Highly recommended.

Locating the Barbie Shoe

From the beginning of the novel, Eleanor, the main character, is remarkable. She is an only child, who seems to be an afterthought of her parents. They are not enamored with their daughter, they seem to find intimacy only with each other and alcohol. They die in an accident and Eleanor is left to her own devices. Her loneliness as a child spurned a creativity in art. She was an excellent illustrator and sometimes copywriter, a smart young woman who is aware of her needs in relationships. She was determined to avoid all the mistakes of her parents. And she does, for many years. She falls in love with Cam, an artist who works with wood, and they have an unspoiled life. They are madly in love, have three children, live on her farm, and subsist on her earnings. Cam hardly adds any financial stability to the family. Eleanor is hell-bent on giving her children every bit of love that she was denied and surrounds them with wonderful meals, projects, literature and considers each child as an individual. She will do anything for them to satisfy their immediate emotional or intellectual needs. Her children’s sorrows become her own and she will not rest until her child finds a lost toy or finishes reading a book.

Cam betrays her and Eleanor has no forgiveness in her soul. The children, not knowing the reasons, blame her and the family becomes splintered. The novel becomes the story of Eleanor and her trials with her beloved children and the sad attempts to create a new life for herself. The divisions of her children are present on almost every page. However, Maynard moves the reader through the decades of AIDS, abortions, computers, music and politics. She doesn’t miss a beat.

Despite the rupture of her family, Eleanor takes every opportunity to be with her children and create a semblance of security. She is not very successful. It becomes a shattering story and as we observe the flawed family of five, Maynard’s knack for digging into a woman’s psyche is flawless. The chapters have clever titles, the reader is prepared for what will follow. Some of the scenes were too sappy and the title of the book is trite. Despite the anticipated resolution, the novel is an excellent portrayal of family, love and loss. Maynard brought us through the vicissitudes of Eleanor’s life with intelligence and perception.

Thank you NetGalley and William H. Morrow for the opportunity to read this pre-published novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! What a fantastic read. Joyce Maynard does not disappoint. Her characters are flawed but enduring, her language wonderful and the themes are strong. This is a story of a family and how the mistakes of parents are passed down generation after generation. Eleanor, the mother, is an unforgettable female character. There is a marriage, children, loss, love and divorce.
i could not put this book down. I have not read a book that tucked at my heart like this in a long time. This is a beautifully written generational family novel that will srick with you long after the final page.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the family dynamics felt very authentic, with a good blend of hope, tragedy, and heartache.

"Count the Ways" is a special family saga with events and the passage of time affecting each family member. The characters, drawn with great sensitivity, are confronted by numerous challenges: infidelity, trauma, sexual choices, etc. Although the topics are often on the dark side, it is a hopeful book of growth and re-invention. Maynard’s writing is a pleasure to read and enables us to understand and empathize with the characters. It is a good read! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Joyce Maynard paints a full picture of her characters and imbues them with life, complexities, and compassion. Her characters are well developed, and the reader finds herself emotionally invested in them. This is a beautiful story of family, love, tragedy, and compassion. Absolutely recommend.

I am so pleased to have read this book. I have reas all of Joyce Maynard's books. She is an expert at developing real, relatable characters. Somewhat dark, there is just enough hope at the end to make a satisfying novel.

An immensely long, inexhaustibly downbeat yet gripping family saga assembled with cinematic clarity. Maynard’s commitment to her characters, Eleanor’s melancholy and the romantic view of country life and motherhood are overwhelming.

Count the Ways is a heartfelt journey taken with Eleanor and Cam and their children through the good times and bad times. And what a journey it is. Maynard has written a story that tugs at your heart, the emotions that Eleanor goes through jumps right off the page. From the death of her parents, the tragic accident involving her son, the end of her marriage, and the distant relationship she endured with her children, you are immersed in the story from beginning to end. This is one of the best family sagas that I have read in a long time. Thank you for the chance to read the ARC.
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Heart breaking and poignant story about a flawed family. Love all of Maynard’s novels but particularity loved the nostalgic feel of this one. Her writing is always lovely and the characters were well developed and this portrait of a dysfunctional family was painted with the skill and ease of a practiced novelist.

Oh I loved this so, so much. I was highlighting so many lines as I read. This really spoke to me and broke my heart at the same time. Have tissues ready.

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

-- Ho'oponopono prayer

The Epigraph above, the one that Joyce Maynard chose to begin this novel with, is the perfect introduction for this story. A story about a family, families, love and the mistakes we make, and the need to both ask for and offer forgiveness in life, and perhaps especially in families.

This story begins as Eleanor is in her mid-fifties as this story begins, but it is only for a moment as early on the story returns to her life the year she turned twenty, and found herself driving around New England, listening to her mixtapes of Joni Mitchell, Edith Piaf, some R&B singers, and whatever other melancholy songs fit her mood. She’d published her first illustrated children’s book the year before, and was looking for a place to call home, a place which offered peace and quiet, and enough land for a garden. As a child of parents who were unavailable to her even when they were home, she was used to living alone. When the realtor took her there, the lilacs were in bloom, and a large tree with branches which seemed to embrace her from above.

Entering the small house, it spoke to her of the love shared and laughter heard once upon a time inside these walls. It felt like what she’d always imagined home should feel like, as though the love once shared inside these walls was still there, welcoming her, offering her love and a place to heal.

For those who did live through this time, there are parts that will bring back memories, those iconic moments in time that will likely never be forgotten. Where one was when hearing the news of the Challenger, Christa McAuliffe, the untimely deaths of lives lost over the years, Princess Diana and Michael Jackson among others. The music of the eras adds another layer to stir those memories, but while the music and references may be of an earlier time, this story is timeless. It is a story of the family Eleanor will come to build in time, but it is also the story - in many ways - of all families. The families that her children will build, in turn, and the many struggles we all face in the process of living a life. Love. Forgiveness. Healing.

This is the fifth book by Joyce Maynard that I’ve read, and while I’ve loved her others, this one was one of those books that really spoke to me. I felt every emotion, I heard the music. I could envision it all as it was unfolding, every lovely moment, every heartbreaking one, as well. Life. Love. What is one without the other?


Pub Date: 29 Jun 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by William Morrow and Custom House / William Morrow

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I had the opportunity, several years ago, to see Joyce Maynard speak. She drew me in with her interesting life. The next potential meeting, her husband, sadly, was on his final days before passing. So, seeing Count the Ways come out was a treat for me, and my heart soared, seeing that she has been able to create something new. (She's done various other things, but this one looked so good.) I was not disappointed at ALL. As a matter of fact, I will say that it's my favorite book of hers so far. Watching the family grow, change, go through a horrible event, and the way they come together, break apart, love, and get through life, was like seeing into the lives of friends. Eleanor meets and falls in love with Cam, a free spirited artist. Their family grows, but as Eleanor becomes more resentful, Cam finds someone younger. This book is a journey that you take with the family. I can't say enough about this book. I highly recommend it.

A beautiful epic story about a woman and how her life experiences shaped her feelings and decisions. Eleanor is a smart sensitive introspectful person who wants to raise a family completely differently than she was raised. She works very hard to mitigate any hardships her children might incur. Meanwhile, her husband is polar opposite. His philosophy is life happens and he is content to sit back and let it happen with no worries about anything.

The writing is so persuasive that we really feel a part of this family. The current events and music throughout the years bring back memories. Thank you very much NetGalley for the ARC.

Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard was a surprise hit for me. Reading almost like a memoir, the novel gives a mostly retrospective view on the main-character, Eleanor;s life. From her childhood filled with neglect to her love-story marriage and birth of her three children, Eleanor's life is filled with an almost fairy tale story line. This is no romantic comedy though, Count the Ways tells a story filled with deep sadness, heartbreak, loss and redemption. Eleanor's children are complex and motherhood challenges her in ways she could have never imagined (as it really does!). As her children grow and her marriage changes, Eleanor struggles to find her own sense of self - both contentment and worth. This novel covers a transgender child, drowning, brain injury, many marriages, divorce, infidelity, domestic violence, death, love, children and grandchildren. With a cast of characters that is easy to follow, Count the Ways is poetic and moving. While it had a slow start for me, I loved the process and continue to think about the complex story line. I found myself highlighting many passages and they've stayed with me several days after completing the novel. Count the ways was a rare five-star read for me!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.