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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Digital Audio performed by Cassandra Campbell.
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. It begins with a tragedy – the death of their father, and their mother’s subsequent depression. Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona are basically left to their own devices over a summer, protecting each other and their mother from intrusion as much as they are able. The result of what they always refer to as “the Pause” is that they are fiercely loyal to one another. Two decades later that connection will be tested by another tragedy.
I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. In this case the siblings’ early experience makes them guarded and as the point of view shifts from character to character and from one time frame to another, that guardedness makes it easy to understand how outsiders (i.e. those outside the family) would be unaware of the need and/or unwilling to assist.
That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I recognized how the roles taken on by siblings in childhood often continue into adulthood; that’s certainly true in m own family, and we didn’t suffer the trauma of losing a parent during our formative years.
I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
Cassandra Campbell is a talented voice artist and does a marvelous job performing the audio. However, the complexity of the novel’s structure, with changing points of views and timeframes, made it a bit more challenging in this format. If I re-read it, I’ll do so in text format.
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. It begins with a tragedy – the death of their father, and their mother’s subsequent depression. Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona are basically left to their own devices over a summer, protecting each other and their mother from intrusion as much as they are able. The result of what they always refer to as “the Pause” is that they are fiercely loyal to one another. Two decades later that connection will be tested by another tragedy.
I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. In this case the siblings’ early experience makes them guarded and as the point of view shifts from character to character and from one time frame to another, that guardedness makes it easy to understand how outsiders (i.e. those outside the family) would be unaware of the need and/or unwilling to assist.
That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I recognized how the roles taken on by siblings in childhood often continue into adulthood; that’s certainly true in m own family, and we didn’t suffer the trauma of losing a parent during our formative years.
I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
Cassandra Campbell is a talented voice artist and does a marvelous job performing the audio. However, the complexity of the novel’s structure, with changing points of views and timeframes, made it a bit more challenging in this format. If I re-read it, I’ll do so in text format.
deanab's review against another edition
4.0
I truly enjoyed this book. I like the way that it was narrated as if it were someone telling their story. It was a warm feel-good story about the love and protectiveness of siblings with some suspense and tragedy. Makes you think just how far you will go to protect those siblings. It reminded me a bit of The Immortalists, which I also enjoyed. I am anxious to read Tara Conklin’s debut, House Girl. It has been added to my TBR.
okayletsread's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel torn with rating this literary fiction novel. On one hand, it's beautifully written with well-crafted prose that makes a slower-paced book feel like a breeze to read. However, there were certain details about the plot, formatting, and characters that, quite frankly, irked me.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the future timeline from Fiona was necessary. It didn't add enough to the book. I would have loved more stories from the four siblings' childhood—especially during "the Pause," as they called it—but most of the book explored their shared adulthood experiences.
Some readers enjoy a buttoned-up ending that tells you everything that happens to every character, but I am not that reader. I was hoping it would end on a less obvious note. Certain characters made wildly uncharacteristic decisions at the end, but I won't gold that against the book itself.
Still, the writing is so wonderful that it makes me very glad I spent time with the Skinner siblings. Fans of Ann Patchett and Richard Powers may be interested in this family tale.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the future timeline from Fiona was necessary. It didn't add enough to the book. I would have loved more stories from the four siblings' childhood—especially during "the Pause," as they called it—but most of the book explored their shared adulthood experiences.
Some readers enjoy a buttoned-up ending that tells you everything that happens to every character, but I am not that reader. I was hoping it would end on a less obvious note. Certain characters made wildly uncharacteristic decisions at the end, but I won't gold that against the book itself.
Still, the writing is so wonderful that it makes me very glad I spent time with the Skinner siblings. Fans of Ann Patchett and Richard Powers may be interested in this family tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Addiction
thefragranthand's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cynical and depressing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
ltulisiak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
suza_looza's review against another edition
3.0
Sweet book. Nice glimpse into family life. Made me smile a lot. Very well written
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
3.0
A famous poet discusses the poem that made her famous and how her extended family inspired it.
I liked this book for many reasons — the plot, most of the characters, and the unique way that the story unfolded. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, which flowed and described scenes and emotions without being too verbose, just vivid. And I love reading a good old family saga.
However, I did have some issues with the trajectories of some characters’ stories. They did not follow how I expected the characters to act, and one could argue that people always behave in unexpected ways, even in real life, but their fundamental traits were altered in ways that seemed false.
I don’t understand why one of the characters who never expressed any other desire than to be a caretaker for her family and was content and defended her life choices to everyone else is suddenly unhappy. Although she was grieving her brother, it was implausible that she decides to become an actress (a highly and unrealistically successful one at an advanced age) and date a bunch of men. Sometimes, women ARE happy just being a caretaker for their families and feeling satisfied with their life’s work. I guess you could also argue that she didn’t sow her wild oats as a young woman, but the character just didn’t strike me that way, and it would be refreshing to have her character choose the caretaker path instead.
Another device used that I did not think worked was the flash forward of the main character to a time when she’s a renown and talented poet speaking to a crowd in an auditorium. She talks about who the characters in one of her poetry collections really is, and I didn’t understand why she was so fixated by her or how a book of poetry became so popular in the first place. I thought her blog sounded more financially viable and interesting ala Carrie of Sex and the City.
During the seminar, they kept hearing sirens like the current time period in the future was the apocalypse or near the end of times. I didn’t see what the point was for incorporating that sci-fi element into the story, and the device kind of dies out without any significant reason for it to be there.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy reading this and would definitely read another of the author’s books. 3.5 Stars
I liked this book for many reasons — the plot, most of the characters, and the unique way that the story unfolded. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, which flowed and described scenes and emotions without being too verbose, just vivid. And I love reading a good old family saga.
However, I did have some issues with the trajectories of some characters’ stories. They did not follow how I expected the characters to act, and one could argue that people always behave in unexpected ways, even in real life, but their fundamental traits were altered in ways that seemed false.
I don’t understand why one of the characters who never expressed any other desire than to be a caretaker for her family and was content and defended her life choices to everyone else is suddenly unhappy. Although she was grieving her brother, it was implausible that she decides to become an actress (a highly and unrealistically successful one at an advanced age) and date a bunch of men. Sometimes, women ARE happy just being a caretaker for their families and feeling satisfied with their life’s work. I guess you could also argue that she didn’t sow her wild oats as a young woman, but the character just didn’t strike me that way, and it would be refreshing to have her character choose the caretaker path instead.
Another device used that I did not think worked was the flash forward of the main character to a time when she’s a renown and talented poet speaking to a crowd in an auditorium. She talks about who the characters in one of her poetry collections really is, and I didn’t understand why she was so fixated by her or how a book of poetry became so popular in the first place. I thought her blog sounded more financially viable and interesting ala Carrie of Sex and the City.
During the seminar, they kept hearing sirens like the current time period in the future was the apocalypse or near the end of times. I didn’t see what the point was for incorporating that sci-fi element into the story, and the device kind of dies out without any significant reason for it to be there.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy reading this and would definitely read another of the author’s books. 3.5 Stars
fuzzyhead's review against another edition
1.0
my eyes rolled so far back in my head that i could see my brain.