Small Hours
By Jennifer Kitses
Grand Central Publishing, Hardcover, 9781455598526, June 13, 2017, 288pp.
The Short of It:
Told in one single day, this story is both well written and heartfelt. What happens to a couple when secrets begin to take over their lives?
The Rest of It:
After moving to what Helen believes to be the ideal neighborhood, Tom and Helen raise their daughters and slowly realize that the everyday struggles of work and raising children have created a slight rift between the two of them. The neighborhood is not what it seems to be and Tom’s relationship with another woman, one that results in another daughter almost the same age as the two he has, forces him to keep the secret long after he intends to.
What an interesting story. It’s told hour-by-hour and all in one day so what we see as a reader is the breaking point, really. The point where Helen and Tom have to come to grips with their reality and it’s not pretty but it’s very honest and very real. As readers we get to share in their regret and their fears. I really enjoyed the writing and the deep looks into each of the main characters. There are no “bad guys” here. Each character is trying his or her best to be the best person they can be. It’s a struggle but not impossible.
Lovely. Small Hours is lovely read with deeply flawed characters and a story that’s told in a quiet but direct way. I recommend it.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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Book Chatter 
This sounds like a page turner.
It is and the hour-by-hour format makes it a little intense. So much happens on one day and night.
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and this seems like a good choice for me. I have a HC on my shelves. Glad to read you seemed to enjoy it.
This is actually a perfect book to read during a slump. It’s thoughtful but also holds your attention because you want to know how this one day ends. I heard it was a debut but it did not read like one.
Wow…no bad guys…this one does sound like a book that would be hard to put down…but sad too 😦
There is a little sadness and yes, hard to believe there are no bad guys given that the main character has a child with another woman. I loved the sense of place too and how circumstances can change your opinion of what home is.
I have never heard of this one, but you make me want to read it. I love that there are no bad guys. Our day-to-day lives are so rarely filled with bad guys but rather with people just trying their very best on any given day.
Sounds like this one is good with the deeply flawed characters
Setting a book over just one day is difficult and can be slow, but it sounds like this one did a great job of it!