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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
A very good story about family, forgiveness, and addiction. I really enjoyed it and plan to read more by the author.
The premise of the book was really good. All of the characters had really realistic backstories with a lot of depth. Their personalities and motivations (however occasionally infuriating) were all unique, which is hard to do, especially for siblings.
However, this is where my issues start. I want to say that I could read whole books about their backstories and relationships, but that’s just a nice way of saying the things happening in present tense weren’t captivating. Almost every time I was interested in the plot, it was during a backstory, which were always more rushed than I’d like. I also found the reaction to Caleb pretty unrealistic, for how much build up there was; I anticipated a much bigger conflict. Some of the characters were also pretty 2D, and the dialogue was occasionally elementary.
All in all, it was a solid book, just not for my favorite reasons.
However, this is where my issues start. I want to say that I could read whole books about their backstories and relationships, but that’s just a nice way of saying the things happening in present tense weren’t captivating. Almost every time I was interested in the plot, it was during a backstory, which were always more rushed than I’d like. I also found the reaction to Caleb pretty unrealistic, for how much build up there was; I anticipated a much bigger conflict. Some of the characters were also pretty 2D, and the dialogue was occasionally elementary.
All in all, it was a solid book, just not for my favorite reasons.
Four Come Sail Away stars to Sailing Lessons! ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️
I am beginning to rely on this author for summer, beachy reads centered around family with lots of heart. Every year, I am looking for Hannah McKinnon’s newest, and I was thrilled to be approved for an early copy of Sailing Lessons, which publishes tomorrow!
Cape Cod is the beatific setting, and Wrenn Bailey has lived there her entire life, along with her sisters, Shannon and Piper, and her mother, Lindy.
Wrenn’s father, Caleb, was absent from her life, and he would drift in and out of it like the sea. After a long period of being away, Caleb returns to Cape Cod and his daughters, now diagnosed with terminal cancer and looking for forgiveness. With three women, there are different responses to Caleb, various ways of seeking healing. I especially loved the focus on the father/daughter relationship, and the exploration of Caleb’s dynamics with each daughter.
Sailing Lessons packs an emotional punch. Keep your tissues handy. But it’s not all sadness and strife with Caleb’s return. There is plenty of hope, forgiveness, and altruistic love. If you enjoy summer reads with emotional depth, I highly recommend Sailing Lessons.
Thank you to Hannah McKinnon (I’m already looking forward to next summer’s book!), Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. Sailing Lessons will be published on June 5, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
I am beginning to rely on this author for summer, beachy reads centered around family with lots of heart. Every year, I am looking for Hannah McKinnon’s newest, and I was thrilled to be approved for an early copy of Sailing Lessons, which publishes tomorrow!
Cape Cod is the beatific setting, and Wrenn Bailey has lived there her entire life, along with her sisters, Shannon and Piper, and her mother, Lindy.
Wrenn’s father, Caleb, was absent from her life, and he would drift in and out of it like the sea. After a long period of being away, Caleb returns to Cape Cod and his daughters, now diagnosed with terminal cancer and looking for forgiveness. With three women, there are different responses to Caleb, various ways of seeking healing. I especially loved the focus on the father/daughter relationship, and the exploration of Caleb’s dynamics with each daughter.
Sailing Lessons packs an emotional punch. Keep your tissues handy. But it’s not all sadness and strife with Caleb’s return. There is plenty of hope, forgiveness, and altruistic love. If you enjoy summer reads with emotional depth, I highly recommend Sailing Lessons.
Thank you to Hannah McKinnon (I’m already looking forward to next summer’s book!), Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. Sailing Lessons will be published on June 5, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
So far, I have not met a Hannah McKinnon novel that I have not liked and Sailing Lessons is no exception. She writes the best family dramas, and that is exactly what this is along with a focus on mother/daughter relationships as well as father/daughter relationships. The story is told from 5 different viewpoints, and I really liked that the author chose these to be the sisters Wren, Piper, and Shannon, their dad Caleb, and their stepfather Hank. Caleb's POV definitely takes a backseat to the rest, and I found it a fascinating choice for McKinnon not to include the mom Lindy as a viewpoint. I feel like that would have colored my view of Caleb, and I much preferred to see through the eyes of their daughters which still gave me plenty of context.
This book originally came out in 2018, but the audiobook only just released in June of 2023, and I can't believe it took them 5 years to release on audio! This is also a very old (clearly) backlist title for me, and I'm glad I got to experience it through listening. It would have been nice to have at least 1 male and 1 female narrator, but Eleanor Caudill still did a wonderful job with all 5 of the POVs. I even thought she sounded a bit different for each of the sisters, and I loved that she didn't try to change her voice when she read from Hank and Caleb's viewpoints. If you are looking for a touching look at a family in pieces fitting themselves back together, I would recommend Sailing Lessons in any format.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book originally came out in 2018, but the audiobook only just released in June of 2023, and I can't believe it took them 5 years to release on audio! This is also a very old (clearly) backlist title for me, and I'm glad I got to experience it through listening. It would have been nice to have at least 1 male and 1 female narrator, but Eleanor Caudill still did a wonderful job with all 5 of the POVs. I even thought she sounded a bit different for each of the sisters, and I loved that she didn't try to change her voice when she read from Hank and Caleb's viewpoints. If you are looking for a touching look at a family in pieces fitting themselves back together, I would recommend Sailing Lessons in any format.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received an ARC of this book in a giveaway. I read a lot of uncorrected proofs, and expect some typos, but his went beyond that. There were so many continuity errors-- Hank opens the book, stating he had been with Lindy for 15 years. Other chapters say 20 and 24. Caleb has been gone nearly 20, 23, or 24. Dates and ages are all over the place. Character names are changed mid-book (Alice to Angela back to Alice; Darby to Eric); descriptions vary (Lucy has James's dark eyes, which are later described as blue). This made it frustrating to read, but I would assume most of this was caught and corrected before the final printing.
Despite the Arc being a hot mess, I really liked the story. I loved the family dynamic between Beverly, Lindy, and the girls. I thought the 2 family matriarchs were strong, positive role models. Hank was the husband everyone wants to have-- kind and understanding and supportive. Even Caleb's return and the relationships he developed with his family were well-done. This book showed that families are messy, and sometimes people make huge mistakes, but they were there for each other and I liked that. (I did have issues with Shannon, especially as she drove her children to activities throughout the majority of the book-- to me some things are not so easily forgiven.)
I've lived in Massachusetts all of my life, and I loved the Cape setting of this book-- it was a great backdrop.
Despite the Arc being a hot mess, I really liked the story. I loved the family dynamic between Beverly, Lindy, and the girls. I thought the 2 family matriarchs were strong, positive role models. Hank was the husband everyone wants to have-- kind and understanding and supportive. Even Caleb's return and the relationships he developed with his family were well-done. This book showed that families are messy, and sometimes people make huge mistakes, but they were there for each other and I liked that. (I did have issues with Shannon, especially as she drove her children to activities throughout the majority of the book-- to me some things are not so easily forgiven.)
I've lived in Massachusetts all of my life, and I loved the Cape setting of this book-- it was a great backdrop.
What a great, feel good read for the summer! I really enjoy Hannah McKinnon's books, and this one was no exception. A great family story featuring three sisters navigating complicated family relationships. The Cape Cod setting is delightful--it will make you want to be there. I also am dying to go shopping at Wren's store, The Fisherman's Daughter! Definitely recommend throwing this one in your beach bag!
The Bailey sisters grew up on Cape Cod--and overall, they are fairly close. The sisters are particularly bonded by the fact that their father, Caleb, left when they were small, after a traumatic incident that affected each sister in their own way. Wren remained on the island and is now raising her daughter, Lucy, while juggling an attempt to open a small business. Her older sister, Shannon, is a perfectionist leading a picture-perfect Cape life with her husband and three children: at least that's how it appears. As for the youngest, Piper, who barely even remembers her father: she fled to Boston, where she's spent years pursuing educational degrees she isn't sure she wants. And her love life? Don't ask. The girls' mother, Lindy, has settled down on the island with her second husband, Hank. All in all, everyone has a routine. But Caleb disturbs all that when he sends a letter, asking to return and see the girls again. Each sister responds differently to his return, and each much confront their own past--and present--in light of Caleb's presence.
I really enjoyed this book, and I found myself quite enraptured by its characters. I'm a sucker for some island-themed fiction (I'd love to go to the Cape or Nantucket someday, though I'll be so sad when everyone there isn't grappling with family issues and/or falling in love at first sight!). This was one of the books that I read at the right time, as I needed a story I could escape into. I started it while I was on "vacation" (a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with six-year-old twins - you determine if this counts as a vacation), and I found myself wishing I could transport myself to a beach somewhere to finish it.
The characters in this tale are simply interesting and fascinating. I don't know how else to say it, except I liked them, you know? OK, it took a little while to warm up to Shannon, but I could definitely relate to bits of her anxious characteristics. But I especially loved Wren and Hank. I could just picture them so easily, and I was rooting for them the entire way. (I sort of want Hank to be my Dad now.) Even Caleb was an intriguing sort of guy in his own way.
"He'd been given a talent for capturing images and a woman whom he'd loved with a fierceness that he could never seem to capture. And he'd lost it all."
So, yes, there's a bit of predictability to this one, but there's a comfortableness to it that I really liked (and needed). And there were definitely some pieces I didn't always see coming, too. Plus, I was so caught up in the characters that I was along for the ride, no matter what. They were well-written, and I was invested in their lives, which is a sign of good women's fiction, in my opinion. I had a bit of a dysfunctional childhood myself, so maybe I could relate well to this one; it just worked well for me.
"'Memory has weight. We carry it around with us in our baskets.' It had sounded lovely to her ears as a kid, this bountiful collection: a bushel of fruit, a bouquet of flowers. But as she grew, it took on a new meaning. There were days Shannon wished to set her basket of memories down; days she wished to abandon it altogether."
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Interesting characters, easy-moving plot--it was just a good read. I was actually a little sad to say goodbye to the sisters and their clan by the end. 4 stars.
I received my copy of this book through one of my favorite websites, Paperbackswap.com, where you can swap copies of all your favorite books (hardcover, paperback, and more). Look, I'm doing a little better at trying to read books I actually *own* (though this will be re-swapped soon)!
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I really enjoyed this book, and I found myself quite enraptured by its characters. I'm a sucker for some island-themed fiction (I'd love to go to the Cape or Nantucket someday, though I'll be so sad when everyone there isn't grappling with family issues and/or falling in love at first sight!). This was one of the books that I read at the right time, as I needed a story I could escape into. I started it while I was on "vacation" (a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with six-year-old twins - you determine if this counts as a vacation), and I found myself wishing I could transport myself to a beach somewhere to finish it.
The characters in this tale are simply interesting and fascinating. I don't know how else to say it, except I liked them, you know? OK, it took a little while to warm up to Shannon, but I could definitely relate to bits of her anxious characteristics. But I especially loved Wren and Hank. I could just picture them so easily, and I was rooting for them the entire way. (I sort of want Hank to be my Dad now.) Even Caleb was an intriguing sort of guy in his own way.
"He'd been given a talent for capturing images and a woman whom he'd loved with a fierceness that he could never seem to capture. And he'd lost it all."
So, yes, there's a bit of predictability to this one, but there's a comfortableness to it that I really liked (and needed). And there were definitely some pieces I didn't always see coming, too. Plus, I was so caught up in the characters that I was along for the ride, no matter what. They were well-written, and I was invested in their lives, which is a sign of good women's fiction, in my opinion. I had a bit of a dysfunctional childhood myself, so maybe I could relate well to this one; it just worked well for me.
"'Memory has weight. We carry it around with us in our baskets.' It had sounded lovely to her ears as a kid, this bountiful collection: a bushel of fruit, a bouquet of flowers. But as she grew, it took on a new meaning. There were days Shannon wished to set her basket of memories down; days she wished to abandon it altogether."
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Interesting characters, easy-moving plot--it was just a good read. I was actually a little sad to say goodbye to the sisters and their clan by the end. 4 stars.
I received my copy of this book through one of my favorite websites, Paperbackswap.com, where you can swap copies of all your favorite books (hardcover, paperback, and more). Look, I'm doing a little better at trying to read books I actually *own* (though this will be re-swapped soon)!
Do you love chic lit, beach reads, or family drama (safely within a book of course)? Then you will thoroughly enjoy Sailing Lessons by Hannah McKinnon. Last summer, I read all of Nancy Thayer and Elin Hildebrand’s books, perfect beach reads set in places like Nantucket and Tuckernuck that involve families surviving turmoil and coming together. This summer, I will be reading Hannah McKinnon, whose work I was recently introduced to with Sailing Lessons.
Set in Cape Cod, the novel follows three sisters as adults, whose alcoholic father left them when they were children to be raised by their mother, who learned to be strong and set an example for the girls. Piper, who is lost after graduating and having never worked a job, must decide who she wants to be. Wren, who is venturing into the unknown opening her shop and raising her own daughter as a single mother must decide if she has chosen the right path, and Shannon, who must always be perfect to survive her own standards must learn to let go. All three women must come to terms with the past when their biological father returns to face what he left behind.
Throughout the story, we see the characters, who are well written and go beyond the surface, grapple with identity, the past, and what the future brings. The end of the book is a bit rushed, but the author works to tie the loose ends together, and the reader will walk beside each character through difficult life decisions and challenges, seeing three strong women in very different relationships at diverse points in their lives learn who they are and who they want to be, as well as how to break free from the past.
Set in Cape Cod, the novel follows three sisters as adults, whose alcoholic father left them when they were children to be raised by their mother, who learned to be strong and set an example for the girls. Piper, who is lost after graduating and having never worked a job, must decide who she wants to be. Wren, who is venturing into the unknown opening her shop and raising her own daughter as a single mother must decide if she has chosen the right path, and Shannon, who must always be perfect to survive her own standards must learn to let go. All three women must come to terms with the past when their biological father returns to face what he left behind.
Throughout the story, we see the characters, who are well written and go beyond the surface, grapple with identity, the past, and what the future brings. The end of the book is a bit rushed, but the author works to tie the loose ends together, and the reader will walk beside each character through difficult life decisions and challenges, seeing three strong women in very different relationships at diverse points in their lives learn who they are and who they want to be, as well as how to break free from the past.