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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Groundskeeping is a literary love story set against the backdrop of the U.S. election in 2016. Owen, a 28-year-old broke aspiring writer, moves back to Kentucky to live with his ailing grandfather and bad-tempered uncle. He takes a job on the groundskeeping crew at a small college, so he can attend a writing class for free. Owen falls in love with Alma, a visiting writer, but quickly realizes how different they are. Alma epitomizes “the liberal coastal elite” with her successful immigrant parents, her privileged upbringing, and Ivy League education while Owen’s folks are working class evangelical Trump supporters who have their doubts about evolution.
Lee Cole is so skilled at creating believable characters that it’s hard to believe this is a debut. Owen, Alma, and their families are drawn with wit and empathy, but the author doesn’t let anyone get off the hook for saying and doing questionable, even appalling, things. My favorite relatives were Owen’s softhearted grandpa who loves McDonalds and Western movies, and Alma’s father, a Bosnian dentist with dark family secrets and a fondness for Bruce Springsteen. The two “meet the parents” weekends are priceless highlights — tragicomical, revealing, and sometimes painful. With his carefully chosen details, Cole perfectly captures the thorny political and social rifts on campus and in American living rooms.
This is the kind of understated, compassionate novel about writers and lovers that fans of Lily King, Ann Patchett, and Elizabeth Strout will embrace. Keep an eye out for this thoughtful story about an odd couple doing the best they can in dangerous and uncertain times.
Many thanks to NetGalley and A.A Knopf for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: March 1.
Lee Cole is so skilled at creating believable characters that it’s hard to believe this is a debut. Owen, Alma, and their families are drawn with wit and empathy, but the author doesn’t let anyone get off the hook for saying and doing questionable, even appalling, things. My favorite relatives were Owen’s softhearted grandpa who loves McDonalds and Western movies, and Alma’s father, a Bosnian dentist with dark family secrets and a fondness for Bruce Springsteen. The two “meet the parents” weekends are priceless highlights — tragicomical, revealing, and sometimes painful. With his carefully chosen details, Cole perfectly captures the thorny political and social rifts on campus and in American living rooms.
This is the kind of understated, compassionate novel about writers and lovers that fans of Lily King, Ann Patchett, and Elizabeth Strout will embrace. Keep an eye out for this thoughtful story about an odd couple doing the best they can in dangerous and uncertain times.
Many thanks to NetGalley and A.A Knopf for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: March 1.
really really loved this one.
no plot, just vibes. i feel like those are my favorite kind of books— long character studies.
it doesn’t get 5 stars solely because i found owen & alma to be insufferable characters & not at all right for each other. i did however enjoy the juxtaposition of the two of them being together. i thought it created an interesting dynamic that made for a great character study.
but overall i really enjoyed reading this book for some reason, it kept me throughly entertained the entire time. not bad for some random book i picked up off the library!
no plot, just vibes. i feel like those are my favorite kind of books— long character studies.
it doesn’t get 5 stars solely because i found owen & alma to be insufferable characters & not at all right for each other. i did however enjoy the juxtaposition of the two of them being together. i thought it created an interesting dynamic that made for a great character study.
but overall i really enjoyed reading this book for some reason, it kept me throughly entertained the entire time. not bad for some random book i picked up off the library!
This is such a blah book. Owen really needs to get himself sorted.
3.5 stars relatable story about college romance of 2 individuals with very different upbringing.
Cole provides a nuanced look at political, cultural, and socio-economic divides. I connected with the main character on many levels — we’re a similar age, we both love writing, and we both love many people with whom we disagree — and the moments of his silence and when he chooses to speak are intriguing as someone who struggles with these decisions myself.
Cole treats Alma, a writer from war-torn Bosnia, with equal compassion. Her struggles are similar to the narrator’s, and they encounter each other at a time when both are asking questions, searching for how to represent the world and what they love with generosity and honesty.
While this book is not plot-driven, there are many moments of dialogue, description, and character development that kept me reading. The complexity of the characters and their engagement with each other and their world of 2016 America felt relatable and compelling. Strongly recommend.
Cole treats Alma, a writer from war-torn Bosnia, with equal compassion. Her struggles are similar to the narrator’s, and they encounter each other at a time when both are asking questions, searching for how to represent the world and what they love with generosity and honesty.
While this book is not plot-driven, there are many moments of dialogue, description, and character development that kept me reading. The complexity of the characters and their engagement with each other and their world of 2016 America felt relatable and compelling. Strongly recommend.
“When I’m home, in Kentucky, all I want is to leave. When I’m away, I’m homesick for a place that never was.”
I asked Parnassus books for a book recommendation on IG and they recommended this. I loved it. At first the lack of chapter breaks scared me but I got over it. It’s so smartly written. I loved the writing style. It was extremely atmospheric. I felt like I was IN Kentucky and Pop’s house. At times I wanted to cry because I felt like I could relate to the feelings he was describing. This is a story about family, life, love, and finding your place in the world.
I asked Parnassus books for a book recommendation on IG and they recommended this. I loved it. At first the lack of chapter breaks scared me but I got over it. It’s so smartly written. I loved the writing style. It was extremely atmospheric. I felt like I was IN Kentucky and Pop’s house. At times I wanted to cry because I felt like I could relate to the feelings he was describing. This is a story about family, life, love, and finding your place in the world.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes