Monday, October 29, 2012

2012 book 307

Leah Stewart's The History of Us
Stewart is one of those reliably good authors--you know a book by her will have complicated relationships, a good story, and great writing, and this one is no exception. It centers on Eloise, a young professor at Harvard who suddenly finds herself the guardian of her sister's children after an accident, and who has to give up her career to move back to Cincinnati. But this isn't the start of a Kate Hudson movie, because then the action moves forward 17 years and we see Eloise and the three now-adults (a grad student, an indie rocker who's quit his band, and a ballerina) grappling with life changes, relationships, and conflicts around the family home. Maybe that sounds boring, but I just read the whole thing in one sitting--it's really compelling stuff and Stewart absolutely nails the characters, particularly Eloise and the two older children. This could be a good choice for book clubs--lots of meaty family stuff and romantic strife to discuss. A-.


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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on January.

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