Member Reviews
I found reading this to be more of a chore than a joy. It's mired in details that felt cumbersome and even the writing seemed clunky to me. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
This is darling.
That being said, I enjoy Evison's works quite a bit. This one, about an old couple living out their last days but reflecting on their entire marriage and family life, gave the feels.
We see the husband and wife characters through their trials and good times and it is so well laid out before you (without being gratuitously LONG winded) that I could hop a ferry right over to the farm and visit for tea.
It's clean. It's a romance. It's a family story. I can recommend this to patrons for sure. Just lovely.
4 SOLID Stars
Set on Bainbridge Island, Jonathan Evison's novel is a now and then novel about Abe and Ruth and their 50 years of marriage. It includes the struggles of raising four children and making a living with Ruth as a stay-at-home mom and Abe establishing himself as a successful owner of a small island insurance business. Ruth requires surgery and extensive recovery so the themes of the story focus on various marriage and quality of life philosophies. The novel is about all the challenges humans face in life with a focus on Ruth, once a carefree woman who had dreams of writing poetry. and Abe, the man who is focused on cost-efficiency. Readers who are in the middle of their own aging issues and adult children who are caring for their older parents may find discussion points in the story of Abe and Ruth.