Here is a cute and silly story that young children and their adults may well enjoy. The detailed illustrations are charming and add to the enjoyment of this title.
Three mice named Elwood, Bernardo and Vincent are enjoying their lives in a large house until…a cat moves in. Now the mice are afraid that they will be hurt or become homeless. They scheme and plan but, as so often, life takes an unexpected turn.
This is a story that brought a smile to my face. It also has a nice message about not drawing premature conclusions.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Clavis publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
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
I’m really not sure why I never read a book by this author before. Having spent time with The It Girl, I will now always be looking for her new releases. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
The It Girl could be described with words that are used too often for thrillers, words like compelling, page turner, claustrophic (at times) and suspenseful. All would be true. What the author also does is create settings that live and become a part of the story, be it the the impressive Oxford colleges or neighborhoods in Scotland. Ms. Ware, in addition, brings characters to fully, sometimes scary, realized life.
This is a dual time line novel. The early time period centers on the student days of a group of friends. These include the wealthy, privately educated April and the girl who isn’t sure she really belongs at Oxford, Hannah. There are also one other woman, Emily, and the men who include Hugh, Will and Ryan. All come together as term begins when they play a rather tense game of strip poker.
One of these students, the It Girl, is murdered. Another testifies at the trial of the man accused of the crime. BUT…what if there was a miscarriage of justice? How will looking into this impact the lives of those who remain?
In the present time line, there have been couplings, a pregnancy, careers, attempts to move on in life and more. How will it be when a group that was once so close is in contact again? What if one of them is guilty?
The suspense is truly intense, enough to almost make me want to put the novel down at times. Publishers Weekly stars this one and I can really see why. Make it part of your summer reading.
Many thanks to NetGallery and Gallery Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Known for his suprise endings as in The Gift of the Magi. New Yorkers, he wrote that story at Pete’s Tavern on Irving Place. FREEA fantastic deal for those who want to read these novels.I’ve enjoyed other books by this author.
The bright and cheerful cover of this book just drew me in. Here is a warm seasonal read for those who want something happy. As a bonus, there are recipes too.
To start though, there are challenges. London resident and new doctor Holly (I see it’s a Christmas name) has had some professional troubles. She decides to flee to Norway where her brother lives. Of course, when she arrives, she has an encounter (with a cat) that puts her in contact with a potential partner. Will Tor and Holly get together? Readers will surely assume so but hopefully will enjoy watching them get there. The writer has a fun writing style and a sense of humor.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Those who like to start or end their day with contemplation or prayer may want to add this title to their collection. It is very pretty in its design. Included are a short verse and reflection for each of its 365 days. See the example from the publisher below.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 