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melissatrew 's review for:
A Little Hope
by Ethan Joella
”Life, this up and down life. What a gift, isn’t it?”
A Little Hope, the debut novel from Ethan Joella, offers glimpses into the individual stories of an ensemble-cast of characters whose lives are subtly intertwined. Each character in the book has faced significant loss and pain, manifested and dealt with in very different ways, and it is through their shared connections and experiences that they manage to cope with their unique challenges.
”She thinks of the courage, win or lose, it takes to live. She wants to be more courageous.”
Cancer, loss, depression, substance abuse, stillbirth, betrayal, grief. The devastation embroidered throughout Joella’s writing is so thick it chokes you, his characters’ pain so visceral you can feel it in your gut as you read.
”What do you do with hurt? All this hurt.”
Joella’s characters are simple people, their lives ordinary and commonplace. They could be anyone, from anywhere, and that’s the beauty of this story. Their grief is anyone’s and everyone’s grief, and that makes A Little Hope incredibly relatable and authentic.
”How did people survive these things? He wondered that all the time.”
Who among us hasn’t experienced a heartbreak that never healed quite right, or felt ill-equipped for the daunting set of circumstances that life has doled out? Who hasn’t held back tears that threatened to spill out and ruin a show of strength? Who hasn’t dreamed of more—more skill, more confidence, more honesty, more time? Who hasn’t needed a little hope of their own now and then?
”You never know. You never know what can break you. What you can fix, what you can stand up to. You never know what time will do, what will defeat or surprise you. You never know.”
Joella reminds the reader of the responsibility we have, as the living, to really live, for those we’ve loved and lost, who cannot; of the truth that it is only love, love for ourselves and for the people we invite into our lives, that can help to heal our deepest wounds.
”If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this, you never let them go. You love them back, fully.”
A Little Hope reminded me of A Man Called Ove. Not necessarily its plot, but its themes, narrative style, and depth of emotion. Ethan Joella is an American version of Fredrik Backman, with his perfectly-imperfect characters and his effortless wisdom, and he has captured my heart with his heart-wrenching debut novel. An absolutely stunning story that I will never forget.
——
A huge thank you to Ethan Joella, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A Little Hope, the debut novel from Ethan Joella, offers glimpses into the individual stories of an ensemble-cast of characters whose lives are subtly intertwined. Each character in the book has faced significant loss and pain, manifested and dealt with in very different ways, and it is through their shared connections and experiences that they manage to cope with their unique challenges.
”She thinks of the courage, win or lose, it takes to live. She wants to be more courageous.”
Cancer, loss, depression, substance abuse, stillbirth, betrayal, grief. The devastation embroidered throughout Joella’s writing is so thick it chokes you, his characters’ pain so visceral you can feel it in your gut as you read.
”What do you do with hurt? All this hurt.”
Joella’s characters are simple people, their lives ordinary and commonplace. They could be anyone, from anywhere, and that’s the beauty of this story. Their grief is anyone’s and everyone’s grief, and that makes A Little Hope incredibly relatable and authentic.
”How did people survive these things? He wondered that all the time.”
Who among us hasn’t experienced a heartbreak that never healed quite right, or felt ill-equipped for the daunting set of circumstances that life has doled out? Who hasn’t held back tears that threatened to spill out and ruin a show of strength? Who hasn’t dreamed of more—more skill, more confidence, more honesty, more time? Who hasn’t needed a little hope of their own now and then?
”You never know. You never know what can break you. What you can fix, what you can stand up to. You never know what time will do, what will defeat or surprise you. You never know.”
Joella reminds the reader of the responsibility we have, as the living, to really live, for those we’ve loved and lost, who cannot; of the truth that it is only love, love for ourselves and for the people we invite into our lives, that can help to heal our deepest wounds.
”If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this, you never let them go. You love them back, fully.”
A Little Hope reminded me of A Man Called Ove. Not necessarily its plot, but its themes, narrative style, and depth of emotion. Ethan Joella is an American version of Fredrik Backman, with his perfectly-imperfect characters and his effortless wisdom, and he has captured my heart with his heart-wrenching debut novel. An absolutely stunning story that I will never forget.
——
A huge thank you to Ethan Joella, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!