Marriage | Book Chatter

A Good Neighborhood
By Therese Anne Fowler
St. Martin’s Press, 9781250237279, March 10, 2020, 320pp.

The Short of It:

Absolutely riveting.

The Rest of It:

I wanted an excellent book to kick-off 2020 and let me tell you, A Good Neighborhood was just that.

The story is set in a North Carolina neighborhood that has some history behind it but is in the midst of modernization. Old, beautiful homes being razed for sparkly new homes, and the types of residents you’d expect with such flashiness. Two homes, next to each other have their own stories. One, old and beloved by Valerie and her son Xavier. The other, flashy and new, owned by Brad, his wife Julia and their two children, Juniper and Lily.

One black family. One white. Although one has a little more money than the other due to some opportunistic business dealings, the other is well-educated and well-respected in the community. But when Valerie’s grand oak tree begins to show signs of distress due to all the construction that her neighbor authorized, tensions rise and when Juniper, a white girl, falls in love with Xavier, the tension really ramps up.

This is a timely story of how one thing leads to another and how race can’t help but get in the way. The way the story is told is from an observer’s point of view, so we know early on that something horrible happens to one if these families and although we see hints here and there of how the story will play out, the ending still packs a punch. I finished this book late at night and I was so affected by the storytelling that I had to sit there for many minutes to compose myself.

This is a tragic story and will break your heart in so many ways but it’s so well done. It gives you much to think about. It would make an excellent book club read and I want everyone to read it.

I should note that the book comes out in March, so pre-order it now or request it from your library and once you read it, let me know because you will need to discuss it.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Promises of the Heart
By Nan Rossiter
Harper, 9780062972132, February 4, 2020, 384pp.

The Short of It:

This story is full of heart. It’s a story about acceptance, new beginnings and continuing to have faith in what you cannot see.

The Rest of It:

Macey and Ben appear to have it all but the one thing they miss the most is a family to call their own. After several miscarriages, Macey is beginning to wonder if they will ever have a child of their own. Ben, although supportive, has his doubts too. Especially when Macey sets her sights on a three-legged dog at an adoption event, and then meets Harper, a little girl in foster care who is in need of a new home.

I’ve read everything Nan Rossiter has written and enjoyed all if it. She has a way of pulling you in with likable characters, beachy settings, her extreme love of animals and food and drink! Promises of the Heart is a little different in that it tackles a topic she hasn’t written about before, the foster care system, but she does so through a hopeful approach while bringing the topic into focus.

I enjoy books like this because it forces you to go a little outside of your comfort zone. There are so many children in foster care and many couples who are not able to have children of their own but deciding to foster is not an easy decision and Rossiter presents this doubt in an honest, realistic way.

If you are familiar with her other books, The Gin and Chowder Club or Nantucket, you will notice a difference in tone with Promises of the Heart but the things that remain are still solid and true; wholesome relationships, steadfast faith, and relatable characters.

The author has offered me a copy to giveaway! If you’d like a chance to win a copy, check out the details below. Please note, the book releases in February 2020 so the winner may have to wait a short while to receive it.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Promises of the Heart and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/author once released. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on January 5, 2020 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.