Fellowship Point is a special book. It is one that will resonate with those who love long (almost 600 pages), involved and involving stories. The characters are fully fleshed out and I often felt that I wanted to speak with them, to comment on their life choices and, indeed, to be a part of their lives. The sense of place and concern for the environment were also big draws. Readers will find themselves around Philadelphia, in Maine and New York City.
Interestingly and unusually, two of the books most important characters are in their 80s; Agnes and Polly are lifelong friends who followed different paths and trajectories. Agnes never married. She is the successful author of a book series for children that has become iconic. The “Nan Can” titles, written and illustrated by Agnes, have always portrayed girls as capable; now, they are being studied academically. Agnes is not sure that she is interested. Under a pseudonym, Agnes has written a series of adult novels that portray the lives of women who live on Philadelphia’s Main Line. She wants to finish the last in the series but is suffering from writer’s block when the story opens.
In contract to Agnes, Polly has diligently followed the rule book on being a good wife, mother and homemaker. She has abnegated her own needs and wishes (which she may not always even know), to those of her husband and progeny. Polly’s husband is a self-absorbed professor who profoundly lack insight. He wants Polly present whenever he wants her but also feels free to ignore her whenever that suits him.
There is also a young woman, Maud. She is in her 20s, has a three year old, and works in publishing. She hopes to complete a project with Agnes. Her life is also three dimensional in its presentation. Maud has a precocious child and a mother with mental health issues.
Around these central characters are many others whom readers will get to know over a period of years. This novel travels back and forth in both time and viewpoint. Central is the issue of preserving a very special peninsula in Maine. Not all have the same goals for it.
I very highly recommend this engrossing novel. It may just be my best book of the summer.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Scribner, and Simon and Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title has been published. It received a starred review in Publishers Weekly.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Enthralling, masterfully written . . . Fellowship Point is a novel rich with social and psychological insights, both earnest and sly, big ideas grounded in individual emotions, a portrait of a tightly knit community made up of artfully drawn, individual souls.” –Kate Christensen, New York Times Book Review
“Fans who devoured ‘In the Gloaming’ and other, earlier works, rejoice. Striking from the first for its clear, sharply intelligent voice, streaming wisdom and wit on nearly all of close to 600 pages, Fellowship [Point] embodies a magnificent storytelling feat.” —Boston Globe
“Exquisitely written, utterly engrossing . . . It is hard to write about this novel without gushing. You sink into it with a sigh of contentment, as into a hot bath. Its characters, settings, and deftly woven plot pull you right in, the better to soak in its reflections on aging, writing, stewardship, legacies, independence, and responsibility. At its heart, Fellowship Point is about caring for the places and people we love . . . Fellowship Point has the complexity, pace, and length of an absorbing 19th century epic . . . [and its] various plotlines dovetail with amazing grace, culminating in a moving, well-earned climax . . . This magnificent novel affirms that change and growth are possible at any age.” –Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor
“Engrossing… studded with wisdom about longheld bonds.” —People Magazine, Book of the Week
“An utterly engrossing, sweeping work.” —TIME, Top 10 Books of July 2022
“Friendship is tethered to geography in Alice Elliott Dark’s capacious novel Fellowship Point. . . . . The sense that these characters are still growing, despite their old age, contributes to the novel’s wonderful texture, its feeling of depth and ongoingness. Both women are superbly depicted.” –Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal
“Longing for an old-fashioned 19th century novel – but without the time travel? FELLOWSHIP POINT earns its nearly 600 pages with a quietly complex structure, starring two octogenarian women whose long friendship is entangled with their families’ landholdings in coastal Maine. As they seek to save the acreage from development, Agnes Lee and Polly Wister must also confront their past choices and find some peace in the present.” —Los Angeles Times, 10 Books for July
Expect the unexpected in this fun debut to, what I hope, is a new series by Tamara Berry. It offers some eccentricity, a good story line and some unexpected events, all within the traditional(ish) mystery genre.
Amber must be feeling pretty desperate. She leaves home in the middle of the night and, although well below age, escapes to a community for older adults. Probably desperate to go here and to meet up with a relative she doesn’t even know. And, what about that tortoise? Add murder to the mix and the story is on its way. Lucky Amber has had some PI training.
This title is definitely worth a look and seems perfect for these lazy summer days.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Kirkus Reviews says: A knockout series debut from a veteran author with street cred in both mystery and romance…Despite Berry’s breezy tone and drop-dead-funny japes at Seven Ponds and its eccentric residents and staff, she tells a heartrending tale of how complicated families can be.” ― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Robyn Carr knows how to write the kinds of stories that her readers love. From series like Virgin River to her many standalones, the pages turn with Ms. Carr. Learn about her newest novel below.
Many thanks to the team at HTP for my stop on this blog tour.
THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB
Author: Robyn Carr
ISBN: 9780778311881 Publication Date: January 23rd, 2024
Publisher: MIRA 28.99 US | 35.99 CAN
Book Summary:
Four women who work on a popular cooking show band together when they discover the youngest member of their group has an abusive boyfriend. The Barefoot Contessa meets Big Little Lies in this drama-filled novel about the power of female friendships.
Marni McGuire is the host of a popular television cooking show and leads a very happy life. Twice married, she has been widowed and divorced and now, in her mid-fifties, she enjoys being a successful single woman. But Marni’s daughter Bella, who is pregnant with her first child, is convinced that Marni is lonely and she is determined to find a new man for her mother. To humor her daughter, Marni goes on a series of terrible dates. Marni’s best-friend and colleague from the cooking show, Ellen, is a widow who has no interest in meeting anyone new and the two women have discussed the challenges of marriage and the joys of being single. But, while Ellen is adamant she wants nothing to do with men, Marni has to admit to herself that she would like to be with someone but only if he is the right fit.
As Bella’s pregnancy progresses she admits to her mother that she has some concerns about the state of her own marriage, and all three women are concerned that the young intern on the cooking show is caught in a toxic relationship.
Marni and Ellen are determined to guide the two younger women to have the strength, confidence and support to improve their situations and the women gather regularly to talk about the important issues in their lives.
When Marni and Ellen each unexpectedly find themselves falling for new men in their lives the younger women help them navigate the dating world.
Together these four women form a strong bond of family and friendship that will anchor all of them as they navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of life.
Start reading:
ONE
“And that’s a wrap,” the director said. “I think I have everything I need. I’ll do some editing and you can review it.”
“Thanks, Kevin,” Marni said. “My sister and my daughter are coming by for a glass of wine. Would you like to join us for a drink to celebrate finishing another season?”
“Thanks, no. I’m on the timer. New baby on the way,” he said.
“Of course! How’s Sonja feeling?”
“Huge,” he said with a laugh. “But the baby’s still cooking. The midwife says she has a few more weeks. Sonja cried for an hour after hearing that.”
“I remember that feeling,” Marni said. “Like it was yesterday. You better stay close to her. Thanks for everything this season. I think we got some good stuff.” Then Marni turned to her intern, Sophia Garner. “But you’ll stay, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “It’s going to be an intervention, I think.”
“Oh, fabulous, I love those,” Marni said with a hint of panic. “If you and Ellen clean up, I’ll put out some hors d’oeuvres.”
Of course she was prepared; just a little fixing up and presentation required. Marni Jean McGuire worked every day and took very few breaks from cooking, writing, studying, traveling and experimenting with new recipes but they only filmed the segments of her show sixty days a year. But filming was intense. Twice a year they’d film for thirty days over six weeks—enough for two seasons. She hosted one of the most popular cooking shows on a cable network. Today marked the last day of filming and they always celebrated.
Marni’s kitchen was essentially a set; all their filming was done in her home as opposed to a studio. She smiled as she watched her producer, Ellen, who was busy cleaning up with Sophia. Ellen was a bona fide chef but she had no interest being in front of the camera. Sophia loved the camera and the camera loved her; after being caught on camera accidentally a few times, she had become beloved by the viewers for her quick wit and delicious accent.
Marni Cooks was very popular but hosting a TV show had never been her lifelong goal. Far from it. It fell into her lap like a glorious miracle. When she was a young widowed mother, she did whatever she could to make a dollar and raise her little Bella. She took a job handing out food samples for a chain of grocery stores. With her baby in a carrier on her back, she turned out to be a hit. She sold out her product day after day, probably because Bella was so funny and flirtatious and Marni, despite the fact that life hadn’t been easy, was personable and approachable. Almost immediately after she began, shoppers came looking for her, engaging her in conversation. They gave her good reviews and told store managers how much they liked her.
Once she filled in for a product demonstrator for the same grocery chain, showing interested patrons how to slice, dice, shred, spiral and chop vegetables. Again, Bella rode along; childcare was impossibly expensive. Her sense of humor and ease with being in front of a small audience charmed people—including the producer from a television station. Marni was hired to demonstrate a couple recipes every week on a local morning show. Along with that she did cooking demonstrations at fairs or exhibits, published a couple of small cookbooks, helped out at catering services, began writing a short cooking column for the newspaper and filled in when other chefs were unavailable as a guest on various cooking shows. Then she landed a full-time job as the on-air chef for a cable cooking show. She had been thirty-two. Her viewing audience grew quickly and soon after she hired Ellen, who was an expert in her own right. Marni was syndicated to a handful of affiliates and her popularity continued to grow. She knew she owed as much of her success to Ellen as to her own hard work. Ellen had a knack for delectable creation but she was such an introvert she would never agree to join Marni in front of the camera.
But in Ellen’s hands the food became a living, breathing wonder and she had become the associate producer over time, thanks to Marni. She knew what a gift she had in Ellen and took very good care of her. And Ellen knew what a great opportunity she had with Marni; no one else in the business would let her just cook without taking on any management responsibilities and yet pay her so well. But every time Marni’s fortunes improved, Ellen benefited as well.
A little over twenty years ago Marni had met Jeff, a news anchor for the local affiliate. Since she lost her young husband when Bella was only nine months old, she hadn’t been optimistic she’d ever find another forever man but fate shocked her by delivering up Jeff. It was a great love, filled with promise and passion. They were a team from the start, both of them being in TV and very visible in the community. They worked together, shoring each other up and urging each other on. Jeff was a fantastic stepfather for Bella and proudly walked her down the aisle six years ago.
Shortly after that something changed. Marni was concerned that a woman Jeff worked with had ulterior motives. She’d been stalking him for years, texting him, asking his advice, professing to be his friend and protégé and constant supporter. Marni had warned Jeff many times that he needed to be careful not to encourage this woman and he always said he could handle things. But his behavior changed and Marni grew suspicious. She caught them making out in Jeff’s car in the parking lot of a local park that sat in the shadow of the beautiful Sierras.
When she realized what she was witnessing, she drove very slowly up close to Jeff’s car and laid on the horn. They jumped apart like two heart attacks. It was divine.
She knew in that moment that her marriage, which she had enjoyed a great deal, was over. Clearly Jeff had been lying and leading a double life for years. The pain of that was excruciating. She also instinctively knew that Jeff and the woman had both gotten what they deserved—each other. Neither was honest nor faithful. In an instant she knew, she would not go a second further with a man who could look her in the eye and deceive her. She told him to leave. He didn’t argue or try to save their marriage, but he did hire a good lawyer and fought for a healthy settlement. At that time they both had solid careers, but Marni was edging ahead. Jeff went after a big slice of that success; indeed, he took credit, as he’d given her so much wonderful advice. At least that was his perspective.
At Marni’s insistence, they settled and divorced quickly. Marni had asked herself if she should pause and think it over, maybe try marriage counseling, but a gut instinct said end it fast. When he asked for a percentage of her future earnings, she knew she’d been right. It had to be over as swiftly as possible. She gave him half, though he hadn’t earned half. Since there were no minor children or businesses involved, he couldn’t possibly do better. She cut him a big check, waved goodbye and ran for her life. She learned you can still sprint pretty well with a broken heart.
After a couple of years of hating him, things settled down. Marni had handed over more money than seemed fair to her, certainly more than Jeff deserved, and that angered her but the relationship was over in her heart. And Karma being a vicious soul, Jeff was demoted in his job while Marni’s popularity soared.
Jeff had used his settlement to open a restaurant, hoping to capitalize on Marni’s notoriety as a television chef. But Gretchen, the other woman, was his business partner and Marni refused to endorse the restaurant. While he was busy trying to cash in on her success, Marni just put her head down, worked hard and became even more popular.
Then there was a sea change. Jeff had not married Gretchen, but he had spent a lot of money on her, found her cheating, and she unceremoniously dumped him, leaving Jeff a broken, much poorer man…with a struggling restaurant. Of course he brought his tons of regret to Marni, begging her forgiveness. Telling her that letting her go was the biggest mistake of his life!
“No doubt about it,” Ellen had said.
“Too little, too late,” Bella said. Bella was, if possible, angrier than Marni about Jeff’s betrayal.
“Men are so stupid,” said Sophia when she heard the story.
Marni had long since stopped complaining to her friends. To Jeff she said, “You broke my heart and tore my family to pieces. Don’t expect any sympathy from me.”
“You don’t understand, Marni,” he said. “I think she used me and turned me against you, the only woman who truly loved me.”
“Oh, I believe I understand completely,” she had said. The story was as old as time. He’d succumbed to flattery and been thinking with his dick. No amount of his regret would change the fact that she’d be an idiot to ever trust him again. She was no idiot.
But she did soften her anger slightly and they were now cordial. Every now and then Jeff would call her or text her or stop by, though the locks on the house had long since been changed. Over the past couple of years he had suggested a few times that they go out for dinner and she always declined. He clumsily proposed she might cook something for him. “One of your favorite new recipes… I would love that.”
“Not in your wildest dreams,” she had replied.
Marni heard the dishwasher start and snapped out of her thoughts of the past. She pulled her pesto canapés from the oven, the artichoke dip from the refrigerator and heard Kevin depart.
The door opened again. “Mama?” Bella called.
“Right in here,” Marni said. “How is the bump?” Bella was five months pregnant and cute as a button. It was a pregnancy hard won through wildly expensive in vitro fertilization.
“A little feisty,” she said with a very proud smile.
The door opened again and Marni’s sister, Nettie, came in from the garage.
Marni put down her hors d’oeuvres and transferred the centerpiece from the kitchen island to the long rectangular coffee table in the great room just as Ellen was bringing in a tray of wineglasses. Sophia followed with a large oval-shaped bucket filled with ice and two opened bottles of white wine. She went back for a chilled bottle of sparkling cider in an ice bucket on a tripod stand for Bella since she was off alcohol.
Marni loved watching them enter the room, her colleagues and loved ones. Ellen came into a room with shy demeanor, standing nearly six feet tall, lithe and graceful. She wore her her once blond and now white-gray hair in a simple pageboy. She always bent her head slightly and Marni wasn’t sure if her height made her uncomfortable or if it was her shy nature.
Nettie, ten years younger than Marni and the mother of two sons, was an English professor at the university in Reno.
Marni brought out a couple more plates of hors d’oeuvres, Sophia placed napkins all around, Ellen pushed over an ottoman for Bella to rest her feet upon, and they settled in. First was a toast. “A very good season, I think,” Marni said. “One of our best. I’m sleeping in tomorrow.”
Glasses were clinked in agreement, small plates were filled, napkins unfolded. And Marni looked around with a feeling of warm satisfaction. This was her happy place. This great room with her closest friends and family. And outside, through the patio doors, reflected in the backyard infinity pool was the sight of the Sierra Nevada mountains, still covered with snow, though it was May. They all lived in Breckenridge, Nevada, a picturesque little town nestled into the base of the mountain range just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe. There was a winding road, not exactly a secret but little known, that went switchback up over the mountains and then down into Lake Tahoe. People who grew up in Breckenridge knew it well.
This was an agricultural and ski town, with the mountains so close, and it was beautiful with its million-dollar views of nature at her best. To Marni, it looked similar to Austria.
Marni had overseen every aspect of the construction of this house, the kitchen being the focal point. She and Jeff were married at the time and while he helped by sharing advice and supervising construction, it was her house. She approved the plans and made it part of her business. And she loved it. Knowing it would be caught on camera, it was beautifully decorated in beiges, browns, pinks and mauves. It was redecorated almost annually for the same reason—updating for the viewers. But the most important thing to Marni was that the house felt like a hug to her, making her feel safe and protected.
When Jeff moved out, she filled the empty space he left in no time at all. Filling the empty space in her heart had taken longer. Even though she had stopped loving him and stopped hating him, there was still a hole there. A black cold hole. It frequently reminded her that she had no talent for love.
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at http://www.RobynCarr.com.
The beginning of this novel asks that readers suspend disbelief. Why were these five characters mysteriously invited to attend a society whose mission was not known? The author implies that something higher than the fictional Gilda brought them together. After all, this is a book that is published by a Christian publisher. So…the five are the heir to a cosmetic company, a widower grieving for his wife, a divorced man wanting to see his children, an executive assistant who would feels qualified to be a CEO, and her former husband, an academic who is contemplating a difficult career decision. The story of each of these characters, Coral, Ed, Chuck, Lexa and Jett is told in a way that keeps readers turning the pages. There are romance, secrets revealed and healed, and deep friendships formed over the course of the novel. SPOILER: One of these characters makes a major life decision based on beling called to become an active Christian. I won’t tell you who but in the context of the story, this felt slightly forced to me. Otherwise, I found this novel to be an enjoyable, easy read . Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Sloane faced an unthinkable loss when her sister died (not a spoiler as readers learn this early in the story). She is engaged to a somewhat pompous fiance who has an over involved family and often make Sloane feel inferior. On top of all this, Sloane’s parents are not the easiest people.
Sloane escapes into her work as a librarian although that also has it challenges. One of these is an older gentleman who enjoys mentally fencing with Sloane. Will these two change each other? Will others also be drawn in? Readers may know the answer but will still, I think, enjoy this book. It gives voice to some of what is important in life.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this title. All opinions are my own
Daphne Overture is a professor at a fictional, very selective institution of higher learning where she studies and teaches French Colonial history. Daphne has been highly successful but keeps her head down at her college; she is just one of a handful of Black professors and is even sometimes called by the first name of one of the other ones!
Luckily for both Daphne and the reader, she has strong (if sometimes annoying to her) family connections and good friends. Readers will enjoy getting to know all of them.
Daphne had a paperback book, Papillon. Readers learn early on that it was taken from her, most likely by a professor named Sam who has been murdered. How? Why? What is the connection between this book and a murder? Is the book related to Sam’s work on prison conditions?
Along with getting involved herself, Daphne gets to know a former police officer who is now a bookstore owner. Readers will hope that they find romance, I think.
Along with the characters and the plot, I loved the academic setting. The ins and outs, the competitiveness, the appearance of the physical college , the threats by some in the hierarchy against others, plagiarism, students taken advantage of by professors and more all make for compelling reading.
This book also highlights the experiences Daphne has regarding race on her campus. It offers a reminder of a need to do better.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press-Soho Crime for this title. All opinions are my own. I truly hope that this title is the first in a series.
Pub date: 01 July 2025D
From the publisher:
A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague’s murder before she becomes the next target in this funny, romantic debut mystery, perfect for readers of Janet Evanovich, Kellye Garrett, and Ali Hazelwood.
As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies.
The rising star of Harrison University’s anthropology department was never one of Daphne’s favorites, despite his popularity. But that doesn’t prevent Sam’s killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam—something the killer will stop at nothing to get.
Between grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam’s murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus.
This well-crafted, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for History Lessons
A New York Times Editors’ Choice A Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month
“History professor Daphne Ouverture might be your next favorite unsuspecting sleuth.” —USA Today
“History Lessons brilliantly mixes pointed satire, fabulous characters (especially Daphne’s two besties) and a thoughtful meditation on whose fortunes get to rise, and whose are ground down on the altar of power.” —Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“Wallbrook has crafted a campus mystery that’s both propulsive and cerebral. The book blends classic whodunit pleasures with a reflective exploration of race, power and who gets believed. Also: ‘Drag Race’ jokes, squirrel riots and a simmering romance with a bookish ex-cop. Top marks.” —The Seattle Times
“Clever, quirky, and full of heart, History Lessons is a cozy mystery for the academics and romantics among us.” —Shondaland
What a beautiful, complex, heartbreaking and uplifting novel this is! I rate this story about C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman highly.
Many people know who C.S. (Jack) Lewis was. The first thing that often comes to mind is his children’s (Christian) book series about Narnia. But of course he was and accomplished so much more than this. An Oxford and later Cambridge professor, a writer on many Christian topics, a heartbroken child who lost his mother, a caretaker for a brother whom he loved deeply and a believer in four types of love. (Readers will learn about these in reading the novel.) C.S. Lewis was also a veteran, a person loyal to his commitments and a friend to many including Dorothy Sayers and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Joy Davidman Gresham Lewis was a child of an exacting father, a highly intelligent and well-educated woman, a wife to the dysfunctional Bil, a mother to beloved sons Davy and Douglas, a writer, editor, poet and more. She lived her life fully and complexly.
How did these two, one British and the other American come together? Readers learn fairly early in the novel that Joy had a profound and life changing religious experience. This led to her writing to C.S. Lewis. No spoilers so readers must go to the novel to learn about Joy and Jack’s uniquely evolving relationship.
The settings of the book are so beautifully evoked, both in New York and Vermont, also in London and Oxford. Oxford, in particular, is so lovingly described that Anglophiles will truly rejoice at the sections of the book that are set there.
The full meaning and impact of the title, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, becomes deeply affecting the deeper one travels into Joy’s world. It was a very clever name for the novel, even as it is deceptively simple.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis is published by a press that describes itself as one that publishes “stories that inspire, illuminate, and transform. Stories that captivate the imagination, enlighten the mind, and strengthen the spirit.” They are the right ones for this title. The novel made me think about the complexity of life choices and the meaning of many kinds of love. It has inspired me to learn more about these two remarkable people.
In this paperback edition of the book, there are many extras. These include a map of Oxford, comments by the author, a bibliography, a timeline, discussion questions and more.
I found the novel to be one that did not read especially quickly but I enjoyed the time that I spent with it. The end definitely touched my emotions.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this amazing read!
While reading Jane Austen’s novels not so long ago, I remembered that I had not yet read Jane Austen at Home, even though I have had this title for quite some time. Well, this was just the right moment to read it as it has offered yet another lens through which to see P and P and its author.
Lucy Worsley is known to many because of her tv appearances. She is also a writer, and a good one. This title is a biography of Jane Austen that focuses on the many places where she spent time and the importance of home. (Perhaps she was in advance of Virginia Wool’s A Room of One’s Own.). Ms. Worsley reminds the reader that it was often through marriage that women secured a safe place to live. This is one reason that Charlotte Lucas chooses her husband in P and P.
Throughout this book was an engaging read. I highly recommend it to Austen fans.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
What a beautiful, complex, heartbreaking and uplifting novel this is! I rate this story about C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman highly.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 