This book was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved all the stories behind the items in the hope chest, and it was so well written.

This was a sweet novel of love, friendship, and chosen family. While the storyline is fairly predictable, it's also very comforting, and that's exactly what many of us need right now. The Hope Chest is a true testament to the things that really matter in life.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Don and Mattie have chosen to move to a new house since the progression of Mattie's ALS has made it impossible for her to navigate their home. When leaving their old home, movers discover the hope chest Mattie's mother gave her when she was a child. Rose has to bring her daughter, Jeri, to the interview to be Mattie's caregiver because Rose can't afford a babysitter. During the interview, Jeri finds Mattie's hope chest and begins to take out and play with the objects inside. Rather than being upset, Mattie is happy to see her beloved objects being used again. They all quickly become close, and Don and Mattie are able to share their memories over the years through the objects in the hope chest.

This book felt like it should be a Hallmark movie. I love sentimental stories, but this one was a little heavy-handed at times. That is about my only complaint for this book, though. Mattie's decline due to her ALS was heartbreaking. Above all, this book is about love and family. This book made me want to buy my nieces a hope chest to keep their treasured memories in.

This book was personal for me. I recently lost a dear cousin to ALS. It was through her mother that I got my antique hope chest. It was one of those dome-lidded train trunks. My grandfather and brother lined that hope chest with cedar and the lid with velvet. With all that family involved in this chest, how could I not fall into the thought processes of the day? Girls grow up and have families. They get married. Become someone else's. That's not all bad. (I've grown to accept that a hope chest could just be hope of growing up and having a place of your own, not put the hope into another person.) But I had a wonderful family full of aunts and uncles and double the grandparents. No matter how life at school or home was, there were other relatives of love I could rely on.

My hope chest aunt taught me to knit. All the cousins, girl cousins, learned to knit slippers. My other aunt taught me to crochet and sew. Mom didn't have the patience for all that but having a fantastic extended family gave me hope and taught me what I think everyone should know. That you can love past differences. The uncle attached to that aunt, taught me how to tie my shoes. That uncle and the uncle attached to my crochet aunt, taught me that even if you disagree so much with ideas the rest of the family hold, everyone will still love you. Just disagree with you.

My brother, who helped my grandfather fix up that chest, was killed in a car accident. That grandfather died of Parkinson's. Even that chest disappeared in the many moves of my life. But the love of that family is still there. My cousins and I see each other on FaceBook daily. It is the only reason I haven't left social media. It is my new hope chest. It's in my heart. And so is the cousin who isn't with us anymore, at least not where we can see her.

This book brought all that up for me. Sure, in ways it is a little hokey. But it wasn't a stupid romance novel. It was about people who love or learn to love and help each other. The writer wrote characters I could believe. The mom was a little too strict with the little girl, seemed she wouldn't let her be a little girl. But there are people like that. The woman with ALS seemed a little too perfect, though in pain and having the disease. The husband was every woman's dream husband, so maybe not so real. Even still, when a book can reach into your heart like this one did and you see and smell the garden and the lake and feel the love, that's a good book. Bring your Kleenex.

Thank you, NetGalley for letting me read this gem!

This is a very emotional read by Viola Shipman. This is my first read by this author and I can say that I was very impressed with her writing.

Mattie has ALS and it has progressed to the point of they are thinking she will not make it to see another anniversary with her husband of nearly fifty years. It is getting harder and harder for Mattie to navigate their house on her own. When it is decided upon to get a caretaker to help with Maddie, things become a little easier for all of them. Rose is a very good caretaker and helps to relive some of the burdens that have been on Mattie's family.

Jeri, Mattie's daughter, also comes to help her mom out. With Jeri and Rose things are so much more bearable for Mattie and her husband. With things sort of leveling out, Mattie is able to share her hope chest with Jeri and Rose. These memories that she passes along will mean more to them that any of them can imagine.

This is a great book about how death can bring people closer together and cause a bond that is unbreakable. I am a fan of Viola Shipman now even if she did make me cry! Can't wait to see what is next from this author.

oh my emotions were all over the place with this read! It was soo good and made my heart cry, and laugh all at the same time! Will be buying a copy for our store! Thanks!!!!

A heartwarming story about love and life. The whole book takes you on an emotional journey with such vivid, realistic descriptions. I was a bit unsure when I began if I would enjoy this story, but as it progressed, I felt more and more in touch with Mattie. Such a soulful read that is full of support, love, and endearment.

This is a beautiful book about a woman with ALS. As she is preparing to move she comes across her hope chest which brings up memories of the items within. This is a touching and beautiful tale. It is filled with courage, strength, and character. The Hope Chest is a great read.

I did not rate this 4 stars for the writing style, which is rather nondescript. However, the subject matter is wonderfully handled. Death and loss are grievous for everyone, no matter the circumstances. Ms. Shipman handles it with warmth and inspiration. This is a lovely book, full of hope, which is often in short supply when a loved one is dying.

Thomas Dunne Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Hope Chest. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Mattie Tice does not want the diagnosis of ALS to change her life, but the day soon comes when her husband Don must hire a caretaker to provide more support. With Rose Hoff and her daughter Jeri by her side, Mattie starts to feel that her life still has meaning. Sharing her mother's hope chest with Rose and her daughter, will Mattie's purpose be found within her memories?

The Hope Chest reminds readers to hold tight to their memories and to ensure that they will be passed on to future generations. The author uses Mattie's saved items, in the form of flashbacks that underscore their importance, to tell her history. I do not mind the format, with regards to the constant back and forth in time, as it helps to tell the story. The problem that I have with this book is the lack of connection that I felt to the characters. Mattie and Don's story, as well as Rose's, should be compelling, but there was something missing in regards to the emotional content. The Hope Chest was very readable, with good pacing and a complete set of characters, but I just did not feel that it was all that memorable.

After reading The Charm Bracelet I couldn't wait to read The Hope Chest. Through one woman's (Mattie) struggles with ALS and the toll it takes on on her husband while caring for her, he engages the assistance of a woman caregiver Rose and her daughter. This is a heartwarming novel about what family really means as the four of them connect and are able to give each other the support they need. Beautifully written, both heartbreaking as well as heartwarming, full of the true meaning of hope and the love and support given and received by "non-biological" family-truly inspiring.

I received this excellent book as an ARC from Net Galley.

This is an emotional story about families, love, and loss. Through the Hope Chest and its contents, the reader follows the early lives of the main characters. This well-written novel reminds us of how important our families and friends are to our lives.

I was curious about this story...the cover art captured my attention. Loved this storyline. Have recommended it to my reading friends and library.

Woman (Rose) hired as caregiver for another woman (Mattie) suffering from ALS.

Rose is a single mother struggling to make ends meet when she is hired to help Mattie, who suffers from ALS, and to relieve her husband, Don, from some of the care required. During their time together, Mattie shows Rose and her daughter, Jeri, family heirlooms stored in her hope chest and shares the meaning behind the items. The more time they spend together, the more the two families bond.

I enjoyed many things about this book, including the knowledge about flowers (because it made me think of my grandma who loved to garden), the stories behind the items in the hope chest, and how friends can become family. Overall, however, this book contained too many platitudes for my liking and was overly sentimental. I found the characters of Don and Mattie to be too perfect and too good at dealing with life's curve balls. They just didn't seem real to me.

If you're looking for a light, beach type read, then this would fit the bill!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

What a sad yet uplifting story. It's hard to imagine anything worse than the slow death from ALS and this is presented so well in this book. I thought the vehicle of the hope chest to spark stories of the past was excellent. I enjoyed The Charm Bracelet last year and was looking forward to reading this book - - I wasn't disappointed.

The book is well written with interesting and real characters that are easily relatable. The stories of the past are interwoven seamlessly with the present.

The end is inevitable - but the journey getting there is remarkable.

The Hope Chest is a beautiful story about family traditions, unconditional love, grace and courage.

The Hope Chest takes me back to all the wonderful memories I have of my mother and grandmother. My mother had her own hope chest and I fondly remember how intrigued I was with all of the things inside. She had a beautiful rich brown lace dress with a velvet sash that I thought was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen. I remember putting it on and twirling around our living room. I was sure my mom was the most glamorous person ever born. My grandmother also had a cherished set of desert rose china that she kept on display in her china cabinet. I hadn't really thought about either of these things for years and reading The Hope Chest instantly took me back to that time in my life.

The books also are precious to me because of the Ozarks setting. I was born and raised in Southwest Missouri and still live here to this day. I'm also an alumni of Drury University in Springfield, Missouri so that particular reference to the chapel there as well as the narrative about the Muny and other locations in Forest Park brought back even more memories for me.

I think for all of these reasons I'm drawn to Viola Shipman's books, both The Hope Chest and The Charm Bracelet. The books are like wonderful trips down memory lane. In my opinion, we could use more novels about family traditions and passing those traditions down through the generations.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there are many more Viola Shipman novels in the future. The Hope Chest would be a perfect book for a book club discussion, Mother's Day gift or to share with a close friend.

I received this book courtesy of Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What are the best women's fiction romances of March?
“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”
-Cesare Pavese
Isn’t that the truth, that we do remember moments, be them good or bad. The commonality of this month’s selection is that character do have notable situations that affect their lives.  And these scenarios are so imaginative. From incorporating the history of Queen Mary, to utilizing early fascination with natural selection, to the despair of finding you have an terminal disease. Then there is the love, concern and worry for a child that considers herself a misfit.
Find yourself a comfortable chair, and be prepared to be entertained!

A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
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February, 1946.World War Two is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors has only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Résistance spy.
 
Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly-held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark...
 
Present day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides—and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings.
Strengths: Strong female friendships; Wonderful backdrop and settings; Engaging characters; Intriguing mystery
Measure of Love: Tablespoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: A very appealing story filled with hope, love and a touch of magic as four young women navigate the complexities of life, love and marriage. Perfect for readers who love reading books with both contemporary and historical settings!

The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick
The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick
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Every child prodigy grows up eventually. For the Promise sisters, escaping their mother’s narcissism and the notoriety that came with her bestselling book hasn’t been easy. Minerva Promise claimed that her three “test tube” daughters—gifted pianist Joanie, artistic Meg, and storyteller Avery—were engineered and molded to be geniuses. In adulthood, their modest lives fall far short of her grand ambitions. But now, twenty years after the book’s release, she hopes to redeem herself by taking part in a new documentary.

Meg, who hasn’t picked up a paintbrush in years, adamantly refuses to participate, until a car accident leaves her with crushing medical bills. While she recuperates in Seattle, the three sisters reluctantly meet with filmmaker Hal Seeger, another former prodigy. Like them, he’s familiar with the weight of failed potential. But as he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets they’ve hidden from each other—and a revelation that will challenge their beliefs, even as it spurs them to forge their own extraordinary lives at last.
Strengths: Unique Scenarios; Multi-faceted characters;Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: There are plenty of twists and turns, in addition to revealing insights that explain the impetuses for some fascinating choices.

Every Wild Heart by Meg Donohue
Every Wild Heart by Meg Donohue
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Passionate and funny, radio personality Gail Gideon is a true original. Nine years ago when Gail’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce, her ensuing on-air rant propelled her local radio show into the national spotlight. Now, “The Gail Gideon Show” is beloved by millions of single women who tune-in for her advice on the power of self-reinvention. But fame comes at a price. After all, what does a woman who has staked her career on being single do when she finds herself falling in love? And is the person who is harassing her in increasingly troubling ways a misguided fan or a true danger to Gail and her daughter, Nic? 
Fourteen-year-old Nic has always felt that she pales in comparison to her vibrant, outgoing mother. Plagued by a fear of social situations, she is most comfortable at the stable where she spends her afternoons. But when a riding accident lands Nic in the hospital, she awakens from her coma changed. Suddenly, she has no fear at all and her disconcerting behavior lands her in one risky situation after another. And no one, least of all her mother, can guess what she will do next…
Strengths: Appealing characters, Multi-generational storyline; Touching animal-human bond; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Dash
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: If music plays an important part in your life, then you will love the integration of popular music within the storyline. In addition, the daughter’s scenario is touching and moving. Well researched information about head injuries is perfectly integrated within the storyline.

Hope Chest by Viola Shipman
Hope Chest by Viola Shipman
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The discovery of one woman’s heirloom hope chest unveils precious memories and helps three people who have each lost a part of themselves find joy once again.
Ever since she was diagnosed with ALS, fiercely independent Mattie doesn’t feel like herself. She can’t navigate her beloved home, she can’t go for a boat ride, and she can barely even feed herself. Her devoted husband, Don, doesn’t want to imagine life without his wife of nearly fifty years, but Mattie isn’t likely to make it past their anniversary.
But when Rose, Mattie’s new caretaker, and her young daughter, Jeri, enter the couple’s life, happiness and the possibility for new memories return. Together they form a family, and Mattie is finally able to pass on her memories from the hope chest she received from her mother.
With each item—including a favorite doll, family dishes, an embroidered apron, and an antique Christmas ornament—the hope chest connects Mattie, Don and Rose to each other and helps them find hope again in the face of overwhelming life challenges.
A beautiful story about the unconditional love and support of family, The Hope Chest by Viola Shipman will remind you that hope can be found where and when you least expect it
Strengths: Endearing love; Resilient characters; beautiful reminders of the history behind family treasures; Uplifting ending;
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: We’ve all heard the saying that you can create your own family and this book is a perfect example of three individuals coming together to create a sense of family. While the romance is shown in flashbacks, we all should be so lucky to have this type of love in our lives.  

Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart
Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart
(Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo)
When celebrated and respected agent Fritz Hudson passes away, he leaves a trail of Hollywood glory in his wake—and two separate families who never knew the other existed. Allie and Des Hudson are products of Fritz’s first marriage to Honora, a beautiful but troubled starlet whose life ended in a tragic overdose. Meanwhile, Fritz was falling in love on the Delaware Bay with New Age hippie Susa Pratt—they had a daughter together, Cara, and while Fritz loved Susa with everything he had, he never quite managed to tell her or Cara about his West Coast family.

Now Fritz is gone, and the three sisters are brought together under strange circumstances: there’s a large inheritance to be had that could save Allie from her ever-deepening debt following a disastrous divorce, allow Des to open a rescue shelter for abused and wounded animals, and give Cara a fresh start after her husband left her for her best friend—but only if the sisters upend their lives and work together to restore an old, decrepit theater that was Fritz’s obsession growing up in his small hometown in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Guided by Fritz’s closest friend and longtime attorney, Pete Wheeler, the sisters come together—whether they like it or not—to turn their father’s dream into a reality, and might just come away with far more than they bargained for.
Strengths: Imaginative Scenarios; Diverse characters; Family drama; Saga storyline
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: This is the first in the series, so it is very much the building block for some developing complex scenarios —like budding relationships and the building of family. Stewart brings alive the history of the region, and the theatre—exploring what it once meant to the community.

Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein
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Karen Neulander, a successful New York political consultant and single mother, has always been fiercely protective of her son, Jacob, now six. She’s had to be: when Jacob’s father, Dave, found out Karen was pregnant and made it clear that fatherhood wasn’t in his plans, Karen walked out of the relationship, never telling Dave her intention was to raise their child alone.

But now Jake is asking to meet his dad, and with good reason: Karen is dying. When she finally calls her ex, she’s shocked to find Dave ecstatic about the son he never knew he had. First, he can’t meet Jake fast enough, and then he can’t seem to leave him alone. Karen quickly grows anxious as she watches Dave insinuate himself into Jake’s life just as her own strength and hold on Jake grow more tenuous.

As she struggles to play out her last days in the “right” way for Jake, Karen wrestles with the knowledge that the only thing she cannot bring herself to do for her son—let his father become a permanent part of his life—is the thing he needs from her the most. With heart-wrenching poignancy, unexpected wit, and mordant humor, Lauren Grodstein has created an unforgettable story about parenthood, sacrifice, and life itself.
Strengths: True life scenarios; Multi-faceted characters; complex family situations; Emotionally rewarding read.
Measure of Love: Dash – past  
Mood: Poignant—Definite tissue alert
Why You Should Read this: Wonderful in-depth story of mother-child love. Even if you’re not a mother, the heroine’s strength, courage, and willingness to put her child first will bring you to tears.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this story which brought tears to my eyes on quite a few occasions throughout.

The conclusion of the story is inevitable, but the journey the author takes the reader on in order to reach that point is something which has to be read to be believed. The author brings two totally different families together in such a beautiful way I almost wish I was able to totally forget what I have read and start again afresh.

The reader relives different stages in the lives of Mattie and Don through items in a chest passed to Mattie many years before and long forgotten. Sharing those stories gives us an insight into the triumphs and heartbreaks she, and Don, endured throughout their lives together. Some are sad, some are happy, but all are necessary to lead us to the end of the story.

The way the author draws you into the world of the characters is brilliantly done, and I could almost see the scenes in my head as I read the words on the page. I will be eagerly waiting for the author's next book.

Book Review: The Hope Chest by Viola Shipman
Review by Dawn Thomas

317 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books

Women’s Fiction

When I started this book, I was not sure where it would take me. What surprised me the most was how fast I was swept away. This is the story of Don and Mattie Tice. Mattie is suffering with ALS and Don needs help taking care of her. Rose, a single parent, arrives at the Tice home for interview. Unfortunately, she was not able to leave her young daughter, Jeri with a sitter so she brings her along and has her waiting in the car. Mattie was looking out the window when they arrived and told Rose to bring the girl in the house. Jeri, like most children, does not have a filter. She asks pointed questions and in the process steals Mattie’s heart.

Mattie’s parents gave her the hope chest when she was a young girl and she begins sharing stories about the items in the box. With each item, the bond between the two families grows stronger. Rose seems to be a daughter Mattie and Don never had. What started out as a job for Rose turns into a personal relationship.

The book is well written in third person and bounces back in forth from Mattie’s recollections to the present time. The characters are well developed as we learn about them through their stories. There are a few religious references but they only reinforce the Tice’s faith in family. I really enjoyed this story. It definitely is an emotional roller coaster. This would be a good choice for fans of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

I loved the way this book tied together two families and the flow of the story with special objects from a hope chest, from Christmas ornaments, to photos to the chest itself the story has a magical quality and it will pull you in to the magic as the pages turn till you reach the last and then you will be sorry to leave the wonderful characters.