Sponsored
@tbretc Thoughts on A LITTLE HOPE! I grabbed this to try a few pages and got drawn in right from the beginning. It opens in the morning in the kitchen of Freddie Tyler. She’s getting things organized for the day and reflecting on her life and her marriage. She is actively trying not to worry about her husband Greg, who has just received news of some irregularity in his bloodwork. This is used as the jumping-off point to examine the lives of many of the people in the town of Wharton, CT. They are all loosely connected and a new character narrates each of the chapters. Generally, I prefer a deep dive on a few characters versus getting to know many, but the author was able to craft this story in a way that made me feel like I got to know them without spending a ton of pages getting there. You have Greg’s perspective and his fear of what’s to come. He’s used to being a successful businessman and struggles with being one that needs to be taken care of. There’s Luke, who struggles with addiction. He’s disappointed in the way his life has turned out but doesn’t know how to fix it. Luke’s mother is still mourning the loss of her husband and wishes she could find a way to get through to their son. Luke’s childhood girlfriend Ginger returns to town for a wedding, which causes her to rethink the course of her life. It sounds like there’s too much going on, but the author really wove these stories together seamlessly. I loved the storytelling and although it was quiet, and makes you really realize how you never really know what’s going on behind closed doors. This book is sad, but it wasn’t as heavy as I was expecting. It was also beautiful. I thought it was a really good pick for this time of year, and fans of character-driven books would like it. I enjoyed! Have you tried this one?
A Little Hope - by Ethan Joella
Sponsored
About this item
Description
Book Synopsis
A deeply moving, life-affirming novel about residents in a small Connecticut town facing everyday fears and desires--a lost love, a stalled career, a diagnosis--that pulls at the heartstrings and provides hope, for readers of Olive Kitteridge. In the small city of Wharton, Connecticut, lives are beginning to unravel. A husband betrays his wife. A son struggles with addiction. A widow misses her late spouse. At the heart of these interlinking stories is one couple: Freddie and Greg Tyler. Greg has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a brutal form of cancer. He intends to handle this the way he has faced everything else: through grit and determination. But can Greg successfully overcome his illness? How will Freddie and their daughter cope if he doesn't? How do the other residents of Wharton learn to live with loss, and find happiness again? An emotionally powerful debut that immerses the reader into a community of friends, family, and neighbors, A Little Hope celebrates the importance of small moments of connection and the ways that love and forgiveness can help us survive even the most difficult of life's challenges.Review Quotes
"Joella captures the rhythms of life in Wharton and is skilled at identifying both shifts in the weather and events that mark the passage of time in moments so subtle as to be almost undetectable. Readers who enjoy fiction that reflects the struggles and joys of their daily lives will find much that will resonate here."
--Kirkus "A Little Hope is a sweet and tender take on small town heartbreak, where everybody hurts, and everybody finds some saving comfort, whether in the world or in one another.
--Stewart O'Nan, author of The Night Country and Songs for the Missing "Ethan Joella has written a powerful and compelling novel about people whose lives are on the cusp of collapse in this richly textured story of hope and love. A Little Hope is an absorbing, propulsive, and elegantly written debut. I absolutely loved it."
--Brandon Hobson, National Book Award finalist and author of The Removed "Ethan Joella's emotional and riveting debut tells the story of the Tylers at the moment their lives change forever. It's all here--community, family and friendship, how we love, grieve, let go and hold on when fate takes its course. The author has crafted a story of ordinary moments that connect and eventually transform us in extraordinary ways. Forgiveness and redemption are the soul of this novel, but it's the love you will remember long after you put it down."
--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Lucia, Lucia and The Shoemaker's Wife "A Little Hope is a quietly powerful portrait of small-town life, about how the private worries and dreams of a set of characters intersect, told with wisdom and tenderness."
--Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes "I can't promise you won't cry, but I can promise deft, minimalist prose, flesh-and-blood characters you'll want to hug, and a love story for the ages. With A Little Hope, Ethan Joella establishes himself as an unforgettable new voice."
--Diana Spechler, author of Who by Fire and Skinny
About the Author
Ethan Joella teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware and specializes in community writing workshops. His work has appeared in River Teeth, The Cimarron Review, The MacGuffin, Delaware Beach Life, and Third Wednesday. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters.Additional product information and recommendations
Sponsored