It was very rough emotionally reading this as someone trying to break the cycles of their family's trauma and abuse. Not in a bad way. More of "wow, why does every character reminds me of my family and I?" It's great. Can't wait to buy this one.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Five-Part Invention by Andrea J. Buchanan.

Oh wow! This one got me right in the matriarchal feelers. I think often about being a granddaughter, daughter, and now mother of a daughter, and that strong chord that binds us all together. How do the experiences of older not trickle down to affect the younger? How do you learn from generational trauma while healing from it at the same time?

Lise has lost her piano privileges from her husband after suffering a breakdown that almost took her life. But her isolation away from the thing she loves the most only makes her life harder, and she is forced to act out in other ways. But now she is a mother and she must somehow raise this daughter, despite her own brokenness and disconnection.

I believe this follows five lines of daughters, and exhibits how deeply they are all affected by Lise's trauma and tragedies. But amidst all of it is also love, healing, forgiveness, and the benefits of living during times that address mental illness. It jumps timelines, but the author, and voice actors, transition flawlessly, and make it very easy to stay with the characters and story. This is written with a ton of heart, vulnerability, honesty, and raw pain. I felt so much of it, and it encouraged me to heal my own issues for the sake of my continued line.

I found this to be a frustrating, repetitive, and overly long read, even on audio. I was intrigued by the description of generational trauma, but found that it felt like essentially the same story repeated again and again—bad men and their victims. I don’t mean to oversimplify, but that’s why I got frustrated with the lack of nuance to these stories when it seemed like just repeating the same thing over and over. I also really didn’t like the writing or narration of Lise’s sections, as they felt like long, overly dramatic monologues. Though I appreciate what this book set out to do, it’s not a book I’d recommend.

dnf @ 21%

Unfortunately I really couldn’t get into this. I think the themes of abuse and overcoming trauma are powerful, but this narrative just didn’t click for me

Absolutely incredible. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year. A stunning book about generational trauma told through the lives of 5 women, a lineage of abuse. The writing is lyrical and like a waltz, an ode to the musical nature of Lise and the piano. Though each girl is given only a 5th of the book, you so quickly come to love and feel for these characters. It hurt to witness the abuses they each suffered and how their relationships formed based on that abuse. The ending had me crying, it was beautiful and a perfect bittersweet ending to a hard but necessary book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was given the opportunity to listen to this audiobook by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The writing is fantastic, and I believe that the way that the audiobook was produced and cast with various women voicing each of the women was beautifully done, and gave the listener a much better feel for each of the characters.

The story gives us glimpses into the lives of 5 generations of women from the same family, starting with Lise, who was a talented pianist training in Paris in the 1920's when she met and married an artist and moved to New York. The story moves to her daughter Anna, granddaughter Pauline, great-granddaughter Hope, and great-great granddaughter Zoey. In each generation the women tell their stories, and we see what lessons are passed on, and what changes come with each generation.

Each of the women experience pain, and and also great triumphs over the course of their lives and this book. The knowledge of these women are implied through the stories as they unfold and spoken in the dialogue, and they are lessons worth listening to.

Ultimately, Five-Part Invention is a well-written, interesting book that recognizes the strength of women and how they are the foundation of our own lives today. I believe that the audio performance makes it even better.

If you are looking to read a new family drama, please choose this one. Five-Part Invention is so perfectly named as it heartrendingly explores the lives of five generations of women. Generational trauma and the identity formed within that context is a major theme. We see how women can both overcome and feel trapped by the experiences of their own mothers. The experiences of being a mother and daughter are so inextricably bound up in each other that making choices that feel deliberate can be difficult. Beautifully written and excellently developed, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This brilliant family saga will take its place right on the top shelf of my e-book case where all my favorites go. Andrea Buchanan has a wonderful writing style and her prose in this audiobook was music to my ears.
I found myself experiencing ALL the emotions as Lise described her abusive husband's treatment of her. As with most women of her time, she was very attentive to her husband's wishes, and unfortunately was verbally abused when she didn't meet his needs or tried to satisfy her own. Towards the end of the book, I found myself cheering her on as she finally came to her own and was able to play the piano professionally as she did so well.
Buchanan's characters are well-developed, and you can easily identify with their emotions and experiences throughout the book.
Narration by Elizabeth Wiley, Jayme Mattler, Susan Hanfield, Jackie Meloche, and Jane Oppenheimer was near perfection with both soothing voices and excellent intonations. Their voices made Buchanan's prose dance off the page.
My thanks to #netgalley and #Dreamscapemedia for this ARC which I thoroughly enjoyed. This opinion is my own.
4.5 stars!!

Absolutely stunning. Though the voice of the last 10%~ didn't mesh with the rest of story, the change in voice feels intentional and rounds out the theme of generational trauma and breaking the cycle very well.

Lise is a pianist that moves across the world to be with her controlling husband. When she suffers a nervous breakdown, he takes her piano away. Dealing with generational family trauma, Lise tries to find her way by confronting the past and figuring out how to express herself without the one thing she has always found comfort in. This was an interesting read. The characters were diverse and the storyline unique. I do feel I’d have enjoyed it more had I not listened to the audio version. The narrators interferes with the story, in my opinion.
**huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

What a beautiful book! This novel is filled with lots of trauma, in the lives of the five generations of one family. We get the perspectives of five different women, starting with Lise, a pianist with a cruel husband who takes her music away from her, and ending with Zoe, a young trans woman. There are lots of cruel men along the way, and lots of identity issues, and a hopefulness that carries through and ties it all together. This book was beautifully crafted and I enjoyed the cast who performed the audio. I would recommend it to anyone who likes novels that explore messy families and generational trauma. The piano/music element was an added bonus for me.

I didn't finish this. The story just didn't hold my attention -- I didn't feel like there was any reason to care about the characters. Too much exposition.