Many thanks to Random House Dial Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this book by Ann Napolitano. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
The story of three generations of a large Irish Catholic family in New Jersey, the story revolves around the matriarch, Catharine, her children, and grandchildren, focusing more on her eldest living daughter, Kelly, her husband, Louis, and their two daughters, Gracie and Lila. Catharine has suffered many losses and as she nears the end of her life, she sees how loss, grief, and lack of communication have caused trickle-down effects throughout her family.
After the well-deserved success of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, this is a re-release of her first book, drawing on her own family stories. This story is told in alternating POV from the main family characters and we see how they struggle in various ways. Louis is grieving the loss of an employee for whom he feels responsible, and pulls away from Kelly and their marriage. Their two grown daughters have yet to find their way and now Gracie is pregnant and alone, while Lila is second-guessing her medical residency path. I was pulled into this family's stories, and liked how there was a spiritual element of past generations running throughout. It's definitely a nod to how important communication is for relationships, but also imperative for second chances. Great read!
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