taralpittman 's review for:

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

5.0

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Samuel Hawley has been shot twelve times; his skin bears the scars of each wound and they serve to remind him of his mistakes, his regrets. He does not, however, regret the circumstances that provided him with his daughter, Loo, who has been in his care since childhood; the two of them make a great team. Loo would love to know more of her past, of her father's story, and that's where things get interesting, emotionally raw, and breathtaking.

Their hearts were all cycling through the same madness - the discovery, the bliss, the loss, the despair - like planets taking turns in orbit around the sun. Each containing their own unique gravity. Their own force of attraction. Drawing near and holding fast to whatever entered their own atmosphere.

For the first quarter of the novel, I questioned whether I'd be able to stick with The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley; it seemed to drag a little bit and I wasn't sure if it would be worth the time/pages. Trust me when I say that it is! The reward is the beauty found in this novel's second half.

After a shaky start, I ended up awarding five stars to The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley (it may end up one of my favorites for the year), which was completely unexpected. With an emotionally moving and magnificent story, I will definitely recommend it to many others!

Find more of my book-related musings at Running 'n' Reading.