Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

I adored The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield so much that since I read it years and years ago, I still feel the need to caress it fondly when I see it in a book shop.

What? You don't do that. It's totally normal. Apparently.

Anyway, when I saw that she had finally released a second book, I was very excited to read it and even more so when it was chosen as a book club book. The only thing better than reading a highly anticipated book is reading it along with a group of friends and then discussing it at length over dinner.

Once Upon a River is set in late nineteenth century England in a pub called The Swan that has been a part of the community for decades upon decades. It is known as a great gathering place when one is in the mood to hear, or tell, a story. One night as the stories get started and the regulars are on a roll with their words and their bar tabs, a man bursts through the door in such an injured state no one would be able to recognize him if they even knew him, which they don't. More confusing still is the lifeless little girl he carries in his arms. Or seemingly lifeless. When she is revived hours later, a new story begins to grow around her circumstances that will outlive them all.

I was really excited about this book, and parts of it were wonderful, but I struggled with it. It moved slowly and was often overly wordy. Distinct and seemingly unrelated storylines wove together, then came apart, and then sometimes rewove into what was occasionally a tangled mess. Details that received a spotlight of focus were later forgotten. The character list was so long and scattered that I often forgot who was whom. I was disappointed not to enjoy this book more and perhaps my expectations are partially to blame, but not completely.

I do admit that I find myself less patient, less willing to move into a book for a long period of time. It may just be a phase brought on by my towering TBR pile, but if a book doesn't move, and move me, I grow frustrated. Maybe you will have more patience and will like this book more than I did.

I certainly hope you do.

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert

In The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert, Gina is just trying to get through each day. She desperately misses her late husband, dead only two years, and is struggling to know how to care for her heartbroken teenage daughter, May. Meanwhile May is frustrated that her mother doesn't seem to show any sadness at all or any attention to her. On top of all this, Gina's difficult mother, Lorraine, has had a stroke and Gina must figure out what she needs. When an earth-shifting secret is revealed and a whole lot of together time is required, everyone's perspective gets just a little bit wider.

Gina's struggles with widowhood are heartbreaking and feel very real. Add to that the perplexities of parenting a teenage daughter and it becomes so much more complicated.

..she wanted more than anything to be a good mother. She wanted to be a mommy, or a ma, or a mama. Not the cold "Regina" May had taken to using the last year...when she deigned to address her at all. Gina missed the unconditional love of a baby.

Gina then strives to know how to care for an ailing mother that she never felt cared that much for her. A lifetime of biting criticism and harsh judgement has left Lorraine and Gina unknown to one another.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick, easy read about characters who were easy to like, or at least understand. Everyone has secrets- from each other or from themselves. This book explores a bit about what happens when they are finally revealed.
Add this one to your summer reading list.