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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Merritt moves from Maine to South Carolina when she inherits her late husband’s grandmother’s estate. Loralee is also a new widow; her husband, Robert, was Merritt’s father. Loralee sells their Georgia home and, with her son, Owen, heads to Merritt’s to establish a family connection that’s been missing.
This is pretty typical Southern chick lit, with family secrets, damaged psyches (which will be healed with “Mama’s sayings”), scenes intended to produce tears and an unexpected (by the characters, at least) romance. The writing is pretty simple, and I figured out Loralee’s secret long before anyone else did. The BIG secret took a little longer to discern, but that was because it is so convoluted and strange as to be completely unbelievable.
This was the second novel by White I’d read, and I’m not likely to volunteer to read another. I certainly understand the popularity of this kind of escapist beach read, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Oh well, it was a quick read and satisfied a few challenges.
This is pretty typical Southern chick lit, with family secrets, damaged psyches (which will be healed with “Mama’s sayings”), scenes intended to produce tears and an unexpected (by the characters, at least) romance. The writing is pretty simple, and I figured out Loralee’s secret long before anyone else did. The BIG secret took a little longer to discern, but that was because it is so convoluted and strange as to be completely unbelievable.
This was the second novel by White I’d read, and I’m not likely to volunteer to read another. I certainly understand the popularity of this kind of escapist beach read, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Oh well, it was a quick read and satisfied a few challenges.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have loved Karen White's books since first stumbling upon one at the bookstore- a random pick and I got lucky enough to have a new favorite author.
The sound of glass takes her writing to a whole other level. She always writes about really complex relationships and finds a way to toss in mystery and a little romance to boot. But this relationship is a new one for her, mother father son wife daughter and domestic violence all rolled into one.
The story takes twists and turns and all the while you feel like you're floating down a slow marsh with no care to stop your slow trudge. What you don't realize is how fast you're really going which is my only complaint- it ended and I felt lost not having any more pages to turn.
You will laugh, you will cry, you'll get angry- and chances are you'll want a little pink journal of your own by the end!
The sound of glass takes her writing to a whole other level. She always writes about really complex relationships and finds a way to toss in mystery and a little romance to boot. But this relationship is a new one for her, mother father son wife daughter and domestic violence all rolled into one.
The story takes twists and turns and all the while you feel like you're floating down a slow marsh with no care to stop your slow trudge. What you don't realize is how fast you're really going which is my only complaint- it ended and I felt lost not having any more pages to turn.
You will laugh, you will cry, you'll get angry- and chances are you'll want a little pink journal of your own by the end!
I am proud to announce I feel privileged to have met this great storyteller. Karen White can write, people! I had the pleasure to meet her recently at a book festival, and I am so glad to have read her novel. This had great elements to a story: sadness, happiness, love, loss, hurt, trauma, suspense. These characters were wonderful. Loralee is a sweet, colorful, and special person; her 10-year-old son Owen is precocious and a gentle soul. Gibbes is a great man, whose childhood did not define his life into adulthood. And Merritt: it was so special to see this timid, lonely woman battling her past and her fears, who evolves into a more confident, beautiful woman. I can't wait to experience more of Karen's stories and lessons.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a wonderfully written, well thought out book. This was the first book I've read by this author and I loved her writing style. This book is one of those that you will want to sink your reader's teeth into and get lost in the story.
This story spans several decades, starting in the 1950's and ending in present day. The story is told primarily in the present with snippets of the past interspersed throughout. These parts are the story of Edith, an interesting individual who has secrets of her own that are uncovered throughout the book. I liked the way the story was told with the present and past mixed together. It was interesting to uncover the secrets of the past throughout the book.
The characters are well developed and complex. They have their own distinct personalities that really came through in the story. Even though I didn't care for her at first Loralee grew on me and I especially enjoyed her words of truth and the "Mama said," bits of wisdom throughout the book. Loralee was much more than the shallow woman she appeared to be at first. Owen was a sweet ten-year-old boy who tugged at my heart. I found Edith to be a very interesting character who was years ahead of where women were throughout the years. The author's true talent was visible in how she created these three very different individuals.
I enjoyed the setting of this book and with the descriptions written felt like I was there. I could feel the sun shining down or storms moving over as I was reading about them.
This book is a little long at 400+ pages but is well worth the time reading. This book is full of secrets, suspense, sorrow and joy. I felt like the story became a little heavy at the end and would have liked a bit more lightness before it ended.
This was the first book by this author but won't be the last. I will be on the lookout for more of her books.
I was given a free copy of this book through Netgally in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
This story spans several decades, starting in the 1950's and ending in present day. The story is told primarily in the present with snippets of the past interspersed throughout. These parts are the story of Edith, an interesting individual who has secrets of her own that are uncovered throughout the book. I liked the way the story was told with the present and past mixed together. It was interesting to uncover the secrets of the past throughout the book.
The characters are well developed and complex. They have their own distinct personalities that really came through in the story. Even though I didn't care for her at first Loralee grew on me and I especially enjoyed her words of truth and the "Mama said," bits of wisdom throughout the book. Loralee was much more than the shallow woman she appeared to be at first. Owen was a sweet ten-year-old boy who tugged at my heart. I found Edith to be a very interesting character who was years ahead of where women were throughout the years. The author's true talent was visible in how she created these three very different individuals.
I enjoyed the setting of this book and with the descriptions written felt like I was there. I could feel the sun shining down or storms moving over as I was reading about them.
This book is a little long at 400+ pages but is well worth the time reading. This book is full of secrets, suspense, sorrow and joy. I felt like the story became a little heavy at the end and would have liked a bit more lightness before it ended.
This was the first book by this author but won't be the last. I will be on the lookout for more of her books.
I was given a free copy of this book through Netgally in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
A special thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Love the stunning front cover!
THE SOUND OF GLASS by talented Karen White is an emotional multi-generational southern Gothic tale of mystery, secrets, crime, guilt, abuse, and lies; mixed with humor, wit, romance, and much needed healing.
No one can tell it better than the "southern queen"--buried secrets, history, and mysterious attics. When all the secrets come to the surface, someone is "bound" to learn something, and be a better person for them.
As the story opens we hear from Edith Heyward Beaufort, SC in 1955, with her three year old son CJ when a plane crashes with sirens, screams, tragedy, and death. Edith notices a brown leather suitcase that sat upright in her garden as if an uninvited visitor had suddenly come to call, which must have been from the plane crash. However, between the nicely folded clothes, she found no toiletry kit. There was however a note. A note she will take to her grave.
She begins to wonder about its owner, possibly a business traveler? She had an inquisitive mind, as the only child of a widower police detective, she had never known any other way to be. So when the handsome lawyer Calhoun Heyward had come to her small town of Walterboro to try a case, she hadn’t known that she would have been better off pretending to be a simpering female without opinions. Because in the end, that was what he really wanted. Deep in her thoughts - a few seconds later, two policemen are at her door giving her news of her husband.
Next, we jump to Merritt Heyward, 2014, a curator for a small art museum in Maine, moving to Beaufort, SC. She is not a happy person. She had been married to Cal which had been dead for two years and he had never spoken of his family or Beaufort in the seven years they were married. The Heyward’s were an old Beaufort family, since the Revolution. Cal’s grandmother left him the Greek Revival home.
Now it is hers and the Beaufort Heritage Society is interested in acquiring the property for a house museum. She soon discovers Edith was a recluse and no one had been in the house in two decades—about the time Cal left. She also left Gibbs a generous sum, while she left all the contents to Cal, since he was the eldest. She was unaware Cal even had a brother, ten years younger than Cal, a pediatrician in Beaufort.
The next character, which will make you smile is Loralee Purvis Connors, a former flight attendant for Delta, thirty-six years old from McDonough, GA. She has learned three main truths about life: "Time was a slippery thing, pain was temporary, and death wasn’t something to be afraid of."
“She knew growing up dirt poor did not mean you had to stay that way and it wasn’t a sin to use the face and figure God gave you to get ahead in life, as long as it was legal.“
She also writes in her Journal of Truths, (loved it) which she will give to her son Owen one day. With his mama’s looks and his daddy’s brains, he would do just fine. Robert her pilot `husband is long gone and now they are on their way to see Robert’s daughter from his first marriage, to allow Owen to get acquainted with his step sister, Merritt. Lucky, they will be headed to South Carolina, which is better than Maine any day of the week.
When Loralee shows up on Merritt’s doorstep with Owen, the last thing she wants is this southern belle with her non-stop chatty talking, her quirky southern phrases, her journal, and her ten year old geeky son Owen (now called Rocky). Merritt wants to be left alone. They are total opposites. However, Loralee knows Merritt is lost and is one of those people who thinks they have to live with their toes pressed against disaster and comes to expect it. "After all Merritt deserves a good hissy fit before she lays more hurt at her feet."
There is much mystery surrounding each of the characters-how are they connected? Slowly we hear from the past, versus present as all the pieces come together, re-uniting of an odd sisterhood, survivors, a tragedy, and sometimes revenge. The lives of each, as they learn from one another; for a poignant and moving story which will warm your heart.
With wind chimes and beautiful sea glass—mermaid tears, through beatings, storms, and weather -standing the test of time without crumbling, becoming even more beautiful. With laughs and tears, a family joined by love as they break free from the past, and chains which have held them.
I loved all of Loralee’s (a true southern belle) wisdom and inspiration from her Journal. Some of my favorites:
A journey of love, redemption, and healing ---If you love rich southern novels and strong women, with a twist of mystery and intrigue -this one is for you! Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will be smiling.
JDC Must Read Books
Be sure and check out Flight Patterns May, 2016. Another winner!
THE SOUND OF GLASS by talented Karen White is an emotional multi-generational southern Gothic tale of mystery, secrets, crime, guilt, abuse, and lies; mixed with humor, wit, romance, and much needed healing.
No one can tell it better than the "southern queen"--buried secrets, history, and mysterious attics. When all the secrets come to the surface, someone is "bound" to learn something, and be a better person for them.
As the story opens we hear from Edith Heyward Beaufort, SC in 1955, with her three year old son CJ when a plane crashes with sirens, screams, tragedy, and death. Edith notices a brown leather suitcase that sat upright in her garden as if an uninvited visitor had suddenly come to call, which must have been from the plane crash. However, between the nicely folded clothes, she found no toiletry kit. There was however a note. A note she will take to her grave.
She begins to wonder about its owner, possibly a business traveler? She had an inquisitive mind, as the only child of a widower police detective, she had never known any other way to be. So when the handsome lawyer Calhoun Heyward had come to her small town of Walterboro to try a case, she hadn’t known that she would have been better off pretending to be a simpering female without opinions. Because in the end, that was what he really wanted. Deep in her thoughts - a few seconds later, two policemen are at her door giving her news of her husband.
Next, we jump to Merritt Heyward, 2014, a curator for a small art museum in Maine, moving to Beaufort, SC. She is not a happy person. She had been married to Cal which had been dead for two years and he had never spoken of his family or Beaufort in the seven years they were married. The Heyward’s were an old Beaufort family, since the Revolution. Cal’s grandmother left him the Greek Revival home.
Now it is hers and the Beaufort Heritage Society is interested in acquiring the property for a house museum. She soon discovers Edith was a recluse and no one had been in the house in two decades—about the time Cal left. She also left Gibbs a generous sum, while she left all the contents to Cal, since he was the eldest. She was unaware Cal even had a brother, ten years younger than Cal, a pediatrician in Beaufort.
The next character, which will make you smile is Loralee Purvis Connors, a former flight attendant for Delta, thirty-six years old from McDonough, GA. She has learned three main truths about life: "Time was a slippery thing, pain was temporary, and death wasn’t something to be afraid of."
“She knew growing up dirt poor did not mean you had to stay that way and it wasn’t a sin to use the face and figure God gave you to get ahead in life, as long as it was legal.“
She also writes in her Journal of Truths, (loved it) which she will give to her son Owen one day. With his mama’s looks and his daddy’s brains, he would do just fine. Robert her pilot `husband is long gone and now they are on their way to see Robert’s daughter from his first marriage, to allow Owen to get acquainted with his step sister, Merritt. Lucky, they will be headed to South Carolina, which is better than Maine any day of the week.
When Loralee shows up on Merritt’s doorstep with Owen, the last thing she wants is this southern belle with her non-stop chatty talking, her quirky southern phrases, her journal, and her ten year old geeky son Owen (now called Rocky). Merritt wants to be left alone. They are total opposites. However, Loralee knows Merritt is lost and is one of those people who thinks they have to live with their toes pressed against disaster and comes to expect it. "After all Merritt deserves a good hissy fit before she lays more hurt at her feet."
There is much mystery surrounding each of the characters-how are they connected? Slowly we hear from the past, versus present as all the pieces come together, re-uniting of an odd sisterhood, survivors, a tragedy, and sometimes revenge. The lives of each, as they learn from one another; for a poignant and moving story which will warm your heart.
With wind chimes and beautiful sea glass—mermaid tears, through beatings, storms, and weather -standing the test of time without crumbling, becoming even more beautiful. With laughs and tears, a family joined by love as they break free from the past, and chains which have held them.
I loved all of Loralee’s (a true southern belle) wisdom and inspiration from her Journal. Some of my favorites:
“The weight of fear goes away as soon as we face our monsters and realize they weren’t as scary as we thought.”
“Those who refuse to acknowledge the past are condemned to repeat it.”
“Southerners would talk a subject to death, until it lay gasping and panting in the dust.”
"Sugar, your clothes should always be tight enough to show that you’re a woman, but loose enough to how that you’re a lady.”
“Even the blackest darkness, there is always light shining somewhere.”
“You’ve been dealt a tough deck of cards, that’s for sure, but it’s time to pull up your big-girl panties and move on. Like my mama used to say, you can’t move forward if you always have one foot on the brake."
"A good hissy fit every once in a while is good for you. And if you want to cry your heart out about all the injustices of the world, then do that too. Bless my Heart! There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going."
A journey of love, redemption, and healing ---If you love rich southern novels and strong women, with a twist of mystery and intrigue -this one is for you! Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will be smiling.
JDC Must Read Books
Be sure and check out Flight Patterns May, 2016. Another winner!
When I was in Florida browsing at a book store I noticed a whole table set up devoted to Karen White books. I was not familiar with her work so decided to give one a try and was pleasantly surprised by the story. The story explores the impact of family secrets and the meaning of family. Merritt has inherited a house that belonged to her dead husband's grandmother. As she settles in, she also has to contend with her estranged step-mother who is full of witticisms and a half-brother that she doesn't know. There aren't any big surprises here but the characters held my interest and it was a nice break from some heavy reading.