I seem to have a thing for books about struggling young writers. 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 & 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 by Lily King was one of my favorite books of 2020, and this year 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 by debut author Lee Cole may very well end up in a similar spot. Owen Callahan had always known he wanted to write, but after graduating college, had frittered away much of his 20’s with dead end jobs, drugs, and no real direction. After living in his car for a couple of months, Owen returns to a place he both loves and feels alienated from, rural Kentucky. ⁣⁣
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“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴."⁣⁣
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He moves into his grandfather’s basement and takes a job groundskeeping at the local college, giving him access to writing classes.⁣⁣
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𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 is the story of Owen’s journey to find his own voice among the cacophony of other voices constantly surrounding him. Many are those of people he doesn’t care to hear, but others he loves and wants to understand. His grandfather, especially, pulls at Owen’s heart and makes him want to be a better man. The bond between the two was beautifully written and just one example of Cole’s talented writing. ⁣⁣
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This book shone brightest in two areas. First, the incredible sense of place the author delivered. He made me feel like I was there in Kentucky at all times. The character development was also a standout, with a unique and truly interesting cast that I felt I knew well. In many ways a coming-of-age story, I loved the slow, steady build to Owen’s understanding of what he wants most in life. Lee Cole is a talented writer and one I look forward to reading more from.
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Thanks to @aaknopf for an ARC of #groundskeeping.

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole is a coming of age story, kind of, as well as the end of love. Owen was living with his grandfather and his uncle Cort. He didn't want to live with either of his parents, both of whom had remarried. His father was married to a woman dying of cancer and his mother was never silent about how disappointed she was in him. He slept in the basement, on a couch that was a hide-a-bed, but he usually just let the bed hide. He was working at the college on the grounds crew because with that came a free class. He had signed up for what was supposed to be a writer's workshop. This was good because he was a writer. Someday he hoped to publish. Now he just hung out, but he was no longer doing drugs and drinking which is what he had done for the past five years. He had no friends, until he met one at a party. Alma was her name. She was here on a fellowship and taught a little and wrote, supposedly. She got paid a little and was given a house to love in. As it turned out she was in a relationship with a guy in his class. They were friends, though, until they were more.

This was a very introspective book, which I don't really love. There were also very few quotation marks, even when it wasn't introspective. Another thing I don't really love. Owen was lost. Of that there is no doubt. Alma was slightly better. She had some rules she kind of followed. We used to call it grown up. Not sure what it's called now. It feels kind of self-indulgent, something I don't really have time for. It was a very sad book. I didn't love it but I can see that many people will.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Groundskeeping by Alfred A Knopf, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #alfredaknopf #groundskeeping #leecole

I enjoyed this book, but it lost a little bit of my attention in the middle. It seemed a little drawn out and then the end was a bit anticlimactic for me. I think that had there been more attention and detail at the end, this book would have garnered a higher rating from me. I think that there was so much time spent on the development of their relationship and then at the end it just dropped off. I did enjoy the character development and the book drew me in, but it would definitely benefit from greater detail.

What a great debut novel. It does what my favorite books do. Shows us the lives of everyday people and the decisions that pull us together or push us apart.

Kentucky is a main character. But not in the way it's typically portrayed. The book allows an easy coaster like me to see the nuances in the people and the places there, set against the backdrop of the 2016 election. It's not a political book, politics and the way we perceive people because of their political or religious choices is part of how the author peels back the layers to his characters.

The main character is a young adult who has decided to care about his life and now has to figure out how to do that and if he can do it at home in Kentucky after trying so hard to leave Kentucky behind. He is the narrator so we only get his viewpoint and yet we still know he's missing a lot.

When the book was over, I missed the characters. That's how I know I liked it

This is an interesting and insightful read. Owen, in his mid-20s, wants to be a writer, though he has not done much to explore that interest up to this point. When he loses his job in Colorado in 2016, he decides to move back to Kentucky, where he is from, to take a job at a local college. The position will allow him to take a writing class for free, which he hopes will jump start his writing career. Back home, he meets Alma, who is in town for a year after having won a year-long fellowship at the college for authors. Other than being a writer, Alma is quite different from Owen -- she went to an elite college, comes from a well-off family of immigrants, and is already a published writer.

Owen and Alma are drawn to each other, even though Alma already has a boyfriend in town. As their relationship grows, they each learn much more about each other, their families, their backgrounds, and their experiences. Through Owen and Alma's story, and how they engage with each other and those in their respective orbits, the author examines issues around class and politics in society more broadly at a key moment in American history.

This was a powerful book. The characters are well drawn -- each of them multi-dimensional, even when the author casts a critical eye on some of their choices or beliefs. And the author depicts the complexities of family relationships and the way those relationships can change over time. Highly recommended!

Owen Callahan is an aspiring writer who moved back to Kentucky in 2016 to live with his conservative grandfather and uncle. During the day he works as a groundskeeper at a prestigious college in Louisville, which allows him to take one free writing class and gives him a chance at the non-blue collar life that he wants for himself. Owen has spent most of his life adrift. He grew up in western Kentucky with evangelical conservative parents from whom he felt removed. Looking to get a fresh start, Owen moved to Colorado to work as a tree-trimmer, but quickly fell into a pattern of drug abuse that ended in him living in his car. In many ways, moving back to Kentucky, a place that he feels connected to and yet wants to desperately leave, feels like defeat. Soon after enrolling in his class, Owen meets and becomes involved with Alma, the winner of a prestigious writing in residence fellowship on campus. In many ways, Alma is the archetype of a liberal millennial and the exact inverse of Owen's family. Alma is the daughter of Bosnian Muslim refugees, grew up upper-middle class in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and attended Princeton. Her fellowship is only for published writers and her feeling of academic and intellectual superiority over Owen is apparent throughout their relationship despite their clear feelings for one another.

Lee Cole is an incredible writer and this is a fantastic debut. I was so impressed with Cole's ability to write about the political fragility of America through the experiences of one couple. In the scenes in which Alma meets Owen's parents the tension and awkwardness is palpable, and the stark divide between two groups of people so stubbornly encamped in their political beliefs was on full display. Cole's descriptions of Kentucky and the contrasts between liberal Louisville full of chic restaurants serving upscale southern food, Owen's grandfather's dilapidated house in the outskirts of the city filled with used MacDonalds wrappers, and the trailer parks that dot the road on the way to Owen's parents' homes highlighted both the reinvention of the south as well as its decline. This is a powerful novel with so much to think through and unpack.

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Groundskeeping is apparently a debut novel and with that there's much to admire in it and yet it never quite took off for me. The premise is a good one about class and our families and how we move pass them wrapped up in a love story. My struggle was I didn't care about the characters and since it's basically a character study I was stuck. I think this is one of those books that will be loved by many but kind of flat for others. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest interview.

"Groundskeeping" by Lee Cole is the story of two people from very different backgrounds and social classes who meet while one (Owen) is a student/groundskeeper at a small liberal arts college and the other (Alma) is a visiting writer on a fellowship. Owen and Alma fall in love easily but soon find that their differences may be too much to overcome. Owen comes from a lower income family of Evangelical Trump supporters and has past addiction problems. Alma is the child of wealthy Muslim Bosnian immigrants.

Neither Owen or Alma are particularly likeable and though this book is beautifully written, I had difficulty staying engaged with the story at times. However, the author did not shy away from difficult and relevant issues such as class, prejudice, and addiction which I appreciated. Overall, this isn't a book I would read again but it was a good way to pass the time on a ten hour flight.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole was such a wonderful read! I was bowled over when very early in the book I realized the main character was from Western Kentucky which is where I grew up. It was fun to read about the landmarks and characters that are to very familiar to me.
Owen was born and raised in the tiny drug addled and very right leaning town of Melber, near Paducah, Kentucky. After leaving home and failed attempt at a life in Colorado he ends up homeless and moves back to Kentucky where he lives in the basement his grandfathers home where his Trump- supporting, angry and disabled Uncle lives.

Owen, who aspires to be a great writer, gets a job at the local college as a Groundkeeper. The college lets him attend one class each semester for free. As a reader you're excited to see Owen to have this opportunity and a fresh start at life even when he isn't so pleased about it himself.

He immediately meets Alma, a brilliant writer and daughter of Muslim Bosnian immigrant doctors. Almas life has been very different than his but they find a sweet love in each other. Their love story pulls you in and tugs at your hearts as they navigate their relationship during a time in the world that is so divided by our harsh political climate, social classes and difference of upbringing.

All of Groundkeeping’s characters are so wonderful. A lot of stingily accurate portrayals of many of the people that call the Bible Belt home.

I loved Owen and Almas love story so much. You will too. Add this one to your To Be Read list. You will love it, too.

Thank you to Emily at @aaknopf and @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely debut novel. A great look at class, identity, friendship and love. Lee Cole does magnificent work.

I received an ARC of <i>Groundskeeping</i> a few months ago in my inbox unexpectedly. It wasn't a book I'd seen much press for but the description kept coming back to me even when I put off reading it for a few weeks. Seeing the publication date approaching, I decided to read it, and I'm so glad I did.

<i>Groundskeeping</i> is a love story between Owen, a twenty-something Kentucky native back in town, working as a groundskeeper for a college and trying to get his life together, and Alma, a young novelist turned fellow at said university who finds herself in a place completely unlike her upper-middle-class upbringing. But the story covers so much more than that. It's told in the run-up to the 2016 election and the tensions of Louisville--politics, race, class are all undercurrents in Owen's life and his relationships.

The book is more interesting than many of the struggling MFA student narratives out there even when both Owen and Alma play to type a little too much. I'm really glad this one found its way to my inbox.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

I struggled to stay interested in this novel. I wanted to get to know the characters but they remained quite undeveloped. The academic setting caught my attention right at the start but the author didn't build it out enough for me to care about it.

I kept reading because there were beautiful sentences here and there. I'll pick up Lee Cole's next book, but I won't be recommending this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy for review.

A stunning debut so. Beautifully written.The characters their stories come alive ,I stayed up late reading could not tear myself away.A book and an author I will be recommending.#netgalley #knopfdoubleday

What a beautiful book. The next great campus novel. So well written and exploring an area of America I really don't know much about. Owen - a groundskeeper, Kentucky native trying to break out from his life and become a writer. Alma - a writer in residence, immigrant and coastal elite trying to understand each other and their love story.

I will be recommending this book to everyone. I just loved it. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!

Thank you to @aaknopf for my copy of this book via @netgalley and it will be out this Tuesday, March 1.

Hmmmm….not what I was expecting. It was written in a way that I thought the minutiae of the days was leading to some big event but no, it just was the daily events. The writing was good but it definitely read like an author’s first novel.

This is the journey of Owen in his early 20s transitioning to being more of an adult. There were a few parts that felt energized but overall it had this monotone feeling to me. I did like the Kentucky setting and character struggle with being from the South but still feeling that connection to it too. I felt that each character was underdeveloped and needed more depth.

Review posted on Instagram @carolinehoppereads and goodreads

I almost gave up on Groundskeeping; the writing was lovely, but the pace felt too slow. But I'm so glad I stuck with it. By the middle of the book, I was completely drawn in to the lives of Owen and Alma as well as the stories of their families. One from a blue collar background, another an immigrant with more privilege - the two find themselves in a relationship that takes place at a small college in Kentucky. The prose is smart, funny, and filled with emotion. The ending left me feeling wistful, sad, and hopeful. If you enjoy character-driven literary fiction told in an understated way, this is a must-read pick for spring.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Groundskeeping by Lee Cole.

Owen is looking for a fresh start, after living rough for a good portion of his 20's. But life is a different kind of complicated when he moves to a conservative Kentucky town, living with and close to his conservative family. One of the first people he meets is Alma, a beautiful and successful writer, who's family are Bosnian refugees, the two could not be more different.

Owen is desperate himself to start writing, but the closest he can come to an education is by groundskeeping for the local college in order to take a free creative writing class. Between his busy job and class, Owen is also trying to navigate a new and complicated romance.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a slow burn, but every conversation and encounter is weighted with significance and helps to inform the past of the characters, as well as the projected futures. I liked the flawed characters, and Kentucky setting. I got a small kick out of his home life with his grandpa and uncle. Overall, very enjoyable read.

I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. The prose is simple, but something about its simplicity cuts right to the heart of the matter. Cole has such keen eyes and ears for observation. I loved the details about the groundskeeping, and the juxtaposition of that with the heady world of being a writer. Then there's the juxtaposition of the Kentuckian main character who is struggling financially, and just getting back on his feet, with the already successful Bosnian love interest. You both want them to get together, and know that their relationship could never last. This book feels so real to me. If you are looking for something quiet and thoughtful, and entirely relevant to this moment of feeling lost in a very divided America, this book will speak beautifully to you.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Owen, a native Kentuckian, returns to the state after a several year stint in Colorado where he ended up living out of his car. He moves into his grandfather's basement and starts a job as a groundskeeper at the local college in order to take a couple writing courses. He meets Alma, a Bosnian immigrant who is a writer in residence at the college and they start a relationship.

I really enjoyed this book and it focuses on a few very important issues. The juxtaposition of the American experience for a white person living in rural Kentucky vs that of a Muslim immigrant family is central. Race is touched upon as well. I would say that central to the story is Owen's search for home. His childhood home no longer feels like home to him, but his current living situation also is temporary. He wants to leave Kentucky but is unsure where to go. This truly is a coming of age story with some heavier topics threaded throughout. My one critique is that the main character (Owen) seemed disconnected from his own story for the first half of the book- almost like an observer. This may have been intentional as it is referenced throughout the story that Owen takes notes on his day to day life in order to find inspiration for his writing.

In any case, this is a wonderful read and I would recommend it especially if you enjoyed The Glass Castle or Hillbilly Elegy.

Thank you to the author, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I realize I am an outlier, but I really disliked this book. It's long-winded and goes nowhere, and takes forever to do so. If I hadn't felt obligated to read and review, due to having been given an ARC, I would not have finished it. There are glimpses of what the author is capable of - the juxtaposition of a conservative upbringing and having become more liberal, the subtle shame of revealing unexpected family situations to a romantic partner who comes from a very different background, a young author struggling to find their voice. Overall, I found the characters underdeveloped, the relationships unfulfilling and the premise of the book ultimately pointless.