The Robbins
household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet
a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia
thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time,
family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their
anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for
failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity,
always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a
unique and vibrant individual. Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a
local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But
her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence, and while
her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into
the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled
family needs. (Goodreads)
Reviewed by Laura Madsen
OLIVIA, by Julie Wright, is the first
of The Newport Ladies Book Club series, which consists of four books, written
by four authors, following the stories of four women who are drawn together by
their love of reading.
Olivia
is a forty-something wife and mother of four. Her husband, Nick, also has two
grown children from a previous marriage but from whom he is estranged. Nick has
grown distant from Olivia and their children, and she feels like her life is
falling apart. Julie Wright perfectly captures the feelings of a deteriorating
marriage: the subtle verbal jabs, the silence, the smothering tension in the
home, the discomfort of being close, and the pain of being apart. After Nick
fails to show up for their anniversary dinner, Olivia sees a flyer for a new
women’s book club. She hesitates; she wants to join but feels like she can’t
take the time away from her troubled family. After arguing with herself, she
joins the club and meets the other women, Daisy, Paige and Athena, whose
stories will be featured in the following books.
All
of the women are in crisis, facing loneliness, divorce, an unexpected
pregnancy, a mother’s death, and a father’s dementia. All are struggling,
trying—as many women do—to bravely solve their problems without inconveniencing
anyone, but they all need help. They reach out to each other, hesitantly at
first but later with a fierce loyalty. They learn to trust each other and
develop deep friendships.
The
other books in the series will be released throughout 2012:
DAISY,
by Josi S. Kilpack
PAIGE,
by Annette Lyon
ATHENA,
by Heather Moore
I’m
looking forward to reading the other books in the series to learn the other
women’s stories from their points of view.
Market:
Adult fiction (women's lit)
Sensuality:
minimal
Language:
minimal
Violence:
none
1 comment:
Thanks for the review!! :)
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