published 6/2012
352 pages
Synopsis from publisher -
Three estranged female relatives - two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy - are summoned home to their aunt’s inn on the coast of Maine. Thirty-one-year-old Isabel Nash McNeal is reeling from her husband’s affair, but a secret pact she made years ago may keep her from the one thing she wants most. Twenty-eight-year-old single mother June Nash promised her young son she’ll finally track down his father, and her search will lead her where she least expects it. Their cousin, twenty-five-year old Kat Weller, rocked by her mother’s shocking announcement and the arrival of her cousins, accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal; then has her “yes” tested in ways she never imagined.
Every Friday night, Isabel, June, and Kat reluctantly get together to watch the films of their family matriarch’s favorite actress, Meryl Streep, and find themselves sharing secrets, talking long into the night, and questioning everything they thought they knew about one another, life, and love. Through surprising and heartfelt discussions of movies such as Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, and Mamma Mia, the three women unexpectedly discover who they really are and what they truly want.
My thoughts -
I just enjoy these novels by Mia March so much. They are definitely in the "women's fiction" genre, but have none of the things that often irritate me about novels in this class - irritating heroines, "too perfect" love interests, and convenient situations that could never happen in real life.
The main characters of this novel - four women, all related - have all been touched by tragedy, which has informed their lives in a number of different ways. Each has made a choice that could be regretted, and each choice is impacting their life in the here and now. As with the previous novel, I haven't experienced any of the situations, but March was able to make each one of them relatable - I could understand why each woman made the choice she did, and why she was struggling in the way that she was.
I find the relationships March creates between her main characters to be quite authentic, and never forced - I really believe the difficult roads these women have taken to get where they are today. Their discussions after watching each of the movies was fascinating, and quite honestly made me want to go out and watch each and every one of them.
Mia March might be my favorite author "discovery" of the year - I eagerly await her next novel, and I definitely recommend her work.
Finished - 8/22/13
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - PG-13 for adult situations
My rating - 8/10
2 comments:
I liked this book but don't think I liked it quite as much as you did.
Thank you for the great review. I received this from the publisher just before its release, but have not read it. Your review has me convinced that I have looked at it for far to long. It is time to pick it up. I have not read anything by this author yet.
-Dilettantish Reader
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