A searching collection of tales about women’s quests for self-realization.
Sullivan’s debut short story collection follows modern-day women as they seek change.
In this collection, multiple female protagonists experience travel, success, changes in relationships, and journeys homeward. Many of the characters hail from or immigrate to Italy, and the stories are primarily set in Mediterranean countries. The author explores the complexities of female friendship, dissolving and abusive relationships, quests for autonomy, motherhood, widowhood, discoveries about the self, missed opportunities, envy, and careers. Most of these women find a way to thrive despite the challenges they face in a world that caters to men. Inspiring wanderlust, Sullivan’s characters visit ancient bridges, beautiful Mediterranean landscapes, wine bars, coffee shops, and museums, occasionally venturing off to farther-flung locales including Indonesia and the United States. The prose employs sensory details to establish place as the environments parallel the characters’ internal landscapes. The author takes women out of victimhood roles, allowing them—in most cases—to become agents of their own destiny. In “Stari Most,” a bridge compels a woman named Victoria to face a trauma that has haunted her relationships, leading her to repair her marriage. Valeria, the protagonist of “The Ring,” uses a found ring to enhance a potential relationship. Sullivan juggles multiple perspectives: old and young; wealthy and poor; and conservative and liberal. Occasionally, stories end too abruptly, just before the reader sees the consequences of the character’s actions. Also, while many of the dynamics between the female characters feel authentic, as in the subtle envy depicted in “Wine and Beauty” (“ ‘Look at them, with their perfect clothes and thousands spent on hair and spas. Bet they wouldn’t be agonizing over rent payments or affording college.’ The more she observed, the more resentful she felt”), there are moments when gender roles feel stereotyped, and some interactions lack nuance. Still, this is a strong body of work, and the author is unafraid to experiment, as the stories range from slices of life to near fairy tales. Sullivan’s own adventures abroad and knowledge of history provide solid grounding for her narratives
A searching collection of tales about women’s quests for self-realization.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798986884400
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.
Two struggling authors spend the summer writing and falling in love in a quaint beach town.
January Andrews has just arrived in the small town of North Bear Shores with some serious baggage. Her father has been dead for a year, but she still hasn’t come to terms with what she found out at his funeral—he had been cheating on her mother for years. January plans to spend the summer cleaning out and selling the house her father and “That Woman” lived in together. But she’s also a down-on-her-luck author facing writer’s block, and she no longer believes in the happily-ever-after she’s made the benchmark of her work. Her steadily dwindling bank account, though, is a daily reminder that she must sell her next book, and fast. Serendipitously, she discovers that her new next-door neighbor is Augustus Everett, the darling of the literary fiction set and her former college rival/crush. Gus also happens to be struggling with his next book (and some serious trauma that unfolds throughout the novel). Though the two get off to a rocky start, they soon make a bet: Gus will try to write a romance novel, and January will attempt “bleak literary fiction.” They spend the summer teaching each other the art of their own genres—January takes Gus on a romantic outing to the local carnival; Gus takes January to the burned-down remains of a former cult—and they both process their own grief, loss, and trauma through this experiment. There are more than enough steamy scenes to sustain the slow-burn romance, and smart commentary on the placement and purpose of “women’s fiction” joins with crucial conversations about mental health to add multiple intriguing layers to the plot.
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0673-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Jove/Penguin
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK TO SCREEN
PERSPECTIVES
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