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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Following WWII, Nick & Bet Taylor settled into suburban life - Nick as an attorney for Big Oil, with a side of Middle Eastern espionage and Bet as a housewife after a brief stint as a code breaker.
There’s an under current of discontent that they both hope will be cured by purchasing a rustic house in Vermont. This house plays a central role for the family - where they spend summers but also where the children come together in the tumultuous Vietnam era.
Despite the material, the novel is slow-paced mostly from the perspective of Bet & oldest child Katherine. If you’re looking for recent history family conflict, it’s an easy read.
There’s an under current of discontent that they both hope will be cured by purchasing a rustic house in Vermont. This house plays a central role for the family - where they spend summers but also where the children come together in the tumultuous Vietnam era.
Despite the material, the novel is slow-paced mostly from the perspective of Bet & oldest child Katherine. If you’re looking for recent history family conflict, it’s an easy read.
Pretty good! I I liked the generational aspect to this. There was one weird copy editing error early on, where Katherine was described as being six on one page and five several pages later. I know it’s a little thing but it did bug me!
informative
inspiring
reflective
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5 stars
The beginning of the book was filled with intrigue and drama - but when it switched to the kids point of view it lost a lot of steam. Still an interesting tale.
The beginning of the book was filled with intrigue and drama - but when it switched to the kids point of view it lost a lot of steam. Still an interesting tale.
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Nothing happens yet it’s about everything
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a five. The words are powerful. It feels like the book transcends time so that we can once again experience the past and sort out opinions on where we’re headed in our country.
The reader learns all about one family. Nick Taylor, a veteran of the war, and graduate of Yale, is married to Bet, graduate of Vassar. It starts in 1953 with their two young children, Katherine and Harry. They are comfortable with their lives in a small town of Connecticut and they bought a vacation place called: Last House in Vermont. It’s surrounded by beautiful trees, trails, creeks for fishing and it’s an ideal getaway from the big city. They were thinking that it would be a great place to escape -- just in case -- the world falls apart.
While Nick’s career involved meeting with powerful Middle East leaders to discuss oil and government support, his adult daughter Kat has taken another direction in protesting the Vietnam war and big oil. Overtime, their lives changed but Last House was there as a stabilizing structure and retreat for the family.
There’s a lot to take in with this book. Jessica Shattuck’s last book, “The Women in the Castle” made such an lasting impression with the development of her characters. This book does the same with a plot closer to home. It makes you feel immersed with the family’s achievements and shortcomings.
From the start, it’s engaging and makes you remember all sorts of music and news from the 60s. Yes, I remember drive-ins, hippies and Nixon as president. It feels like you could be in the kitchen discussing mundane or world news with them. It’s very well written and the story stays with you especially at the end. It gives you a lot to ponder and is a great book for a discussion.
My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 14, 2024.
The reader learns all about one family. Nick Taylor, a veteran of the war, and graduate of Yale, is married to Bet, graduate of Vassar. It starts in 1953 with their two young children, Katherine and Harry. They are comfortable with their lives in a small town of Connecticut and they bought a vacation place called: Last House in Vermont. It’s surrounded by beautiful trees, trails, creeks for fishing and it’s an ideal getaway from the big city. They were thinking that it would be a great place to escape -- just in case -- the world falls apart.
While Nick’s career involved meeting with powerful Middle East leaders to discuss oil and government support, his adult daughter Kat has taken another direction in protesting the Vietnam war and big oil. Overtime, their lives changed but Last House was there as a stabilizing structure and retreat for the family.
There’s a lot to take in with this book. Jessica Shattuck’s last book, “The Women in the Castle” made such an lasting impression with the development of her characters. This book does the same with a plot closer to home. It makes you feel immersed with the family’s achievements and shortcomings.
From the start, it’s engaging and makes you remember all sorts of music and news from the 60s. Yes, I remember drive-ins, hippies and Nixon as president. It feels like you could be in the kitchen discussing mundane or world news with them. It’s very well written and the story stays with you especially at the end. It gives you a lot to ponder and is a great book for a discussion.
My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 14, 2024.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated