This was a really quick read full of messy characters and incredibly messy lives. The chosen family being whom you want, not just blood relations, felt really well done to me - though I'll admit, some of the incest love was just not it for me, nor were all of the strange spousal swapping things...

I struggled with remembering all of the characters in this story, and found myself not caring about halfway in - I was reading for the joy, for Amy Blooms voice, for the fact that everyone was just truly being themselves - no apology. The love is what kept me turning the pages above all else - because that real love that is never-ending is not something that you often get.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Amy Bloom for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I always love books by Any Bloom and this was no exception. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. She’s always a hit with our patrons.

I loved Amy Bloom's In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, and I thoroughly enjoyed White Houses. I was excited to read I'll Be Right Here, but I have to say it was very difficult for me to parse through all the characters, the constant jumping from one decade to another, and the confusing and unusual amount of "different" relationships among the group that called themselves "The Greats."

I enjoyed the first third of the book, which dealt with adopted siblings Gazala (every time I read her name, I thought of the old video game, Galaga -- don't ask me why) and Samir, Algerian refugees in late WWII Paris. When the father -- who works in a bakery -- dies, Samir and Gazala hid in a closet so authorities won't take them away. Then, Samir seamlessly takes over his adopted father's job, while Gazala eventually gets a job helping the famous novelist Colette, who is bedridden but still a formidable personality. When Colette passes away, Gazala -- with the help of the Duchess of Windsor, who she met through Colette -- moves to New York City, young, penniless and what I feel was rage toward men, because of the actions of the German soldiers she encountered in Paris. But she is taken in by the parents of two sisters she befriends -- Alma and Anne, and later, Samir shows up.

As I mentioned above, the rest of the book just jumps around so much that it was hard to connect with the characters of their "interesting" life choices. I am pro-choice, pro rights for all people, but the incesteous relationship of one couple just turned me off.

I'm giving the book three stars, because the writing is wonderful -- Ms. Bloom's descriptive powers are unmatched, and I loved the earlier part of the book with Colette and her relationship with her husband and with Gazala. While I understand Ms. Bloom's decision to move the story forward with other characters and another location, I would have preferred to have more of Colette's story. I definitely will be looking up more about her.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Amy Bloom and Random House Publishing for gifting me an ARC of I’ll Be Right Here. In exchange I offer my honest review.

Over the years, I have read and enjoyed many books by Amy Bloom, so I was excited to receive her newest creation, I’ll Be Right Here. Though sparse in page count, this story is jammed full of colorful characters and life stories. It took a bit of time for me to work out where and how Amy Bloom was going with this book and I’m glad I stuck with it. Told in bits and pieces, not always linear, we are introduced to a group of people, who despite their differences are completely entwined with each other for decades and generations to follow.
It’s imperative that you don’t rush through the pages, because major events are dropped in small sentences, seemingly out of nowhere, much like real life. This novel was real, raw, messy and often inconclusive. I’m not sure if I loved or hated the author’s intentional decision to tell the story in this manner. So I’m rating this book between three and four stars, because I was both frustrated and gratified.

This was a beautiful story that ties together an unconventional family , and love in all its forms. It tells the story of Gazala as she finds her way after the war up until the 21st century. There were times that I struggled to keep up with the many characters, and there were a few things that I wasn’t expecting when I sat down to read this one. However, I felt when I was finished that the love and lives that were shared were so precious and heartwarming. These four friends supported each other through so many ups and downs. I have read one other book by Bloom and it too got me right in the feels. Thanks to Amy Bloom, Random House and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

The book travels back and forth through time and location as it recounts the story of an unorthodox family created within a group of friends. The complexities of human relationships be it familial, romantic and sexual are explored as the reader is taken on an emotional journey. I found it somewhat challenging to shift with the timelines and remain focused on the relationships of the central characters as well as those that were introduced through their sexual and romantic exploits. I applaud Ms. Bloom for creating this epic story and tackling so many complex, emotional and unconventional issues.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for- Random House for the opportunity to read this early digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t enjoy this book. The characters were not well developed. It switched from one character to another in an heartbeat. it made it difficult to care about them! I objected to the love affair of the brother and sister. It just didnt sit well with me.
I usually enjoy this author. I was very disappointed..

While I didn't love this book personally, I do see why this can and will likely be very popular. It was a really interesting read that picked up towards the end for me.

I’ll Be Right Here is a character-driven novel that explores both biological and chosen family relationships through a non-linear narrative structure.
Bloom writes with emotional warmth and subtle humor, creating complex characters who love freely and support one another unconditionally.
While I appreciated the depth of the characters and their connections, I found the constantly shifting timeline confusing, which made it harder for me to fully immerse myself in their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I think this book is about family—as much, if not more, about the family you choose as the family you are genetically from. It gets a little confusing at some points with all the characters and is quite explicit with regards to romantic and sexual activities but it does seem to be a necessary part of the story.

Thank you to netgalley and random House for this ARC to read. All opinions are my own.

I'll Be Right Here is a sprawling, expanding family portrait that is more like a painting or a mosaic than a novel or a story—it's as if the painter had a huge canvas, and in no particular order, made portraits of the characters whenever and wherever they were in carefully developed swatches. There is no chronological order, and sometimes it was hard for me to remember who everybody was. But as with Amy Bloom's other books, the writing is so lush and colorful with warmth that practically radiates off the page that you just keep reading.

In all her books, Bloom writes messy characters with messy lives, and this book epitomizes that: the family here includes blood relatives as well as chosen relations, and the relationships incorporate incestuous love, spouse swapping with siblings, polyamorous and gay characters being who they are unapologetically even before it was legal. The title, although never explained, says it all: "I'll be right here," is the line E.T. The Extraterrestrial (in the movie of the same name) says to the little boy Elliot when he is leaving. I don't know if this is where Bloom got it, but to me, it feels right: all these people who make up a chosen family remain "right here" in our heads/hearts, no matter if they are here or living or dead.

I had a bizarre reaction early on. I didn't even make the connection, but suddenly I had a craving for heavy, high-thread-count cotton sheets; the longing was so strong, I actually bought some. Then I went back to the book and realized I'd been so seduced into a world of objects, including hotel sheets, that are so warm they seem animated.

I read Amy Bloom for her voice, and will continue to read anything she writes.

this was a pretty good book. I think it was a bit too heavily focused on the war, but other than that I did like the family dynamics discussed, the themes of immigration, family dysfunction, and love are discussed. Overall it was a good book!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This was a beautifully written multi-generational epic novel that focused more on character interrelationships than on plot. I did find it a bit challenging with the timelines jumping continuously from past, present, going back and forth while following the characters lives and their relationships with one another but significantly understood how their past events influenced them in the present. It was a joy to read and sorry it had to end. I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley and have been privileged to have read this exquisite story.

I’ll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom was the latest book I’ve read. This was a great read and I’d highly recommend it.

Amy Bloom is a fine and gifted writer, but this novel requires some thoughtfulness to unpick. There are so many characters, some related by blood but mostly not. Regardless, they all end up as close family. My favorite part of the novel is about Gazala, a young Algerian orphan who comes to live in wartime Paris... She ends up living with and working for the famous French novelist, Colette. Through Madame Colette, Gazala meets the jeweler to the Duchess of Windsor and then helps her to emigrate to the Unites States. There she becomes close friends with the Cohen family, particularly sisters Anne and Alma.

From there, it seems, she and we accrue connections including Samir, another Algerian who was her "adopted" brother. Bloom will introduce you to spouses, lovers, children, and even the granddaughter of their realtor,. Bloom will also explain how polyamory and throuples operate. It is amazing how Amy Bloom connects each person. central or peripheral, to each of the "greats" or older ones with spouses, offspring, lovers and friends. We follow all of these through old age and death, feeling their joys and their pain. Family doesn't require sharing blood or genes. It's a short book but contains multitudes. Thanks to Random House and net galley for an early copy to read and review.

I am a big fan of Amy Bloom, but I found this difficult and “crowded”. There were too many characters, too many names and too many subplots. So, despite her beautiful writing, this was not for me. I was disappointed in this novel.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read and review this novel.

I love Amy Bloom’s writing and her storytelling flair, that knew I wanted to read her new book the second I learned she had a new novel coming out….
….which follows her last 2022 memoir, “In love: A Memoir of Love and Loss” …. one of the most emotionally powerful, lifetime memorable and transformative memoirs I’ve ever read.

Other books I’ve loved by Amy are:
….”Where the God of Love Hangs Out” (a collection of short stories)
….”Away” (Historical Fiction… incredibly powerful about a young adult Russian Jewish woman who flees to America after her family was slaughtered).
….”White Houses” (a dazzling Historical Fiction story about a friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok)
….”Lucky Us” (historical, literary, coming-of-age) … pre and post Holocaust events .. stories about families, sisters, and dreams… with a full cast of multi dimensional rich characters.

I also always love the *Book Cover Art* on Amy’s books….
“I’ll Be Right Here” is another beauty - *deliciously beautiful*,
…..that I decided to go searching to see if I could find out anything about them.
Sure enough, I did.

Amy herself tells us that the cover art celebrates the significance of the everyday.
“The stories behind my covers are, almost always, more story, Bloom says. I love the work of Sherrie Wolf, the exceptional painter who has done many of my covers. Her paintings are lush, perceptive, odd, unexpected, sometimes sexy, and oftentimes, literally dislocating. Her paintings poke and question. (Where did those cherries come from? Why are there mountains right behind the still life? Who would put that, there?) small things are magnified; everyday objects are in the wrong place”.

“I’ll Be Right Here” is set in the 21st century in the aftermath of WWII. A multigenerational family living in New York City.

Gazala immigrates alone as a teenager from Paris to New York. She becomes friends with two sisters: Anne and Alma Cohen. The Cohen family, the sister’s parents welcomed Gazala into their home. She had dinner with their family almost every Friday night.
Soon, Gazala’s brother, Samir also moves to Manhattan from Paris.
Gazala, Samir, Anne, and Alma become each others supportive network. Their tribal group has each other‘s back during life transitions, challenges, marriages, divorces, children, tragedies…dealing with love, loss, and life.

There were pleasures, contentment, happiness, grief, havoc & chaos, desires, love/loss/life complexities,
as well as pride, self-growth, and accomplishments.
Most …. (for me) …. it was the everyday closeness I felt with the characters….
….the things they did together or individually,
their inner thoughts. I enjoyed hanging out with them—getting to know them—
root for them—feel close to them.

The storytelling is character driven…less plot driven. I like these type of books (I liked ‘this’ book very much)…..
The only slight problem I had ‘a little’ were changing locations, dates and back-and-forth time-period-switching that was a tad challenging for me.
It didn’t interrupt my enjoyment in totality of the storytelling. But I questioned ‘myself’ a few times. Was I reading it right? We spend time in France, New York, Mexico, New Jersey, packed New York,….
I’m also left with the history (the horrors) of France… (not history I haven’t already known) during the Holocaust and WWII.
There was some very deep in intimate storytelling about the struggles, the hunger, the devastation…..
There was also the journey of an improved life.
Gazala was a wonderful standout character. She and her brother Samir - and their friends Anne, Alma, Lily, etc. felt like very real people— nothing caricature about them.

With authentic storytelling, beautiful writing, characters I enjoyed spending time with, revisiting history that’s important to me (I’m Jewish),
“I’ll Be Right Here” was a fulfilling and gratifying read!!!
Thank you Amy!!

A couple of excerpts… (memories for myself even)
“Everyone is hungry and talks about food, stories of ingenuity of meals remembered (not everyone wants to hear about the simple, perfect chicken, a woman we don’t know made with rosemary and lemon and twenty-four cloves of garlic in 1939, but some customer wants to tell the story and stretches out her arms to show you just how big and fat that chicken was), or how people were making fools of themselves all over the city”.

“There is something wrong with my knees. They have knobs of bone, like buttons, sticking out below my kneecaps. Samir said that if I ever weigh enough, the buttons will disappear. You’ll be smooth, he said”.

It’s not the first time that I have had sex with a man I don’t like. I am determined. I want to undo what I have done, to change the past so that I am a girl who took long walks with a few unlikely men, not a girl who killed three German soldiers.

Gazala’s thoughts about her first time having consensual sex:
“It’s not bad, but it’s not what Madame’s books said it might be. It’s not shivering silk and light from within and waves of desire. I have never made love before, as such, and it’s too bad that the first time is the way it is”.

For me this was like reading an old-fashioned family saga but with a modern twist. It was somewhat challenging at times to follow the back and forth time-line and the back and forth stories of the relationships beween Gazala and Samir, whose relationship was unusual (!) and their friends, sisters Anne and Alma (these four known by the next generation as ‘The Greats’) and their unorthodox relationships and on to the next generation. A complex plot-free story of lives lived, friendship, and lovers. Not for everyone; as a reader you have to be committed, but worthwhile and beautifully written. At the end I’m not sure I could have described in psychological detail any of the characters except perhaps Samir, the only male with a major role, and I suspect in a few weeks I will have a hard time remembering much of what occured! It helps to read the ‘blurb-description’ if you get a bit lost! The cover is beautiful! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Words can not describe nor can they do justice to this remarkable, multi-generational saga of relationships, love -lost and found - happiness, sadness, grief and every other possible human emotion. Beautifully told, the anchors of the story are Samir and his younger sister, Gazala, orphaned in the war in Algeria and separated for decades. I have chills thinking about the way this elaborate but also simple tale evolves, and, in the evolution of the story, the evolution of the characters who leap off the page as an extended family.

It is a story that makes the reader believe in fate while simultaneously believing in the general, remarkable, serendipitous nature of the human condition. Simply a marvelous book with so many layers that I leave it to the next person fortunate enough to read it.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. It was a privilege to read it.

I found this story difficult to follow with how it jumped from time to time and place to place. Read about half then skimmed to the end. Thank you to the author publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Just not for me.