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csd17's review
4.0
Transparency disclaimer: I know the author and her family. Which means I was lucky enough to get an ARC. But it also means that it was hard for me not to "see" her and her family in the characters. Not that the family, person by person, exists in the pages per se, but it is more that the relationships between, say, daughter and father or mature woman to child remind me of them(because family relationships and kindness take priority and it shows in all the good ways here #familyrelationshipgoals).
In some ways, it was really refreshing to read a story about family. So many books are about self-exploration or the development of self-esteem which, more and more, is getting old. But, I did think, though, that there could have been a bit more development of character.
Whitney is so good at describing the quiet moments, the sunsets, the surroundings that I wished that some of the characters(the main female character, in particular) had received the same treatment... not in terms of looks, but behaviors, personal quirks, hobbies etc. The gardening passages really stood out because a) it did that and b) you could tell that the writer knew this topic intimately.
Based on your family situation, this would probably be great for your 10-12 year-old girl who likes light mysteries or realistic fiction. Also, I thought the title was clever! It was a nice retreat back to a simple time in my life(when life wasn't all about COVID and evening meant a good night's sleep ;) ).
In some ways, it was really refreshing to read a story about family. So many books are about self-exploration or the development of self-esteem which, more and more, is getting old. But, I did think, though, that there could have been a bit more development of character.
Whitney is so good at describing the quiet moments, the sunsets, the surroundings that I wished that some of the characters(the main female character, in particular) had received the same treatment... not in terms of looks, but behaviors, personal quirks, hobbies etc. The gardening passages really stood out because a) it did that and b) you could tell that the writer knew this topic intimately.
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