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A review by arisbookcorner
Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith
5.0
IQ "What no one tells you about grief is that you don’t want to figure out a way to live with it—you want the part of you that hurts to die instead."
Wow this book emotionally wrecked me. Thus far I have not endured a loss of the magnitude portrayed here but I still felt like I was gasping for breath sometimes, as deeply grief stricken as the rest of the characters. Even though you know the circumstances of the tragedy, I still felt my eyes welling with tears by the time I got to the end. The writing is poetic, at times melodious in structure. It seems to be reflective of Evie's love for ballet and music. "I wasn't exactly sure where we stood but I wouldn't have guessed it was kind or solid ground. Not as solid as the concrete sidewalk were standing on" (Eamon, 163). I think one quibble would be sometimes Eamon and Dalton were too similar, their voices blended together and sometimes it would take me a minute to figure out who was talking or what distinguished one from the other. I also thought the title was a little silly but it was not a big deal, just felt like a stretch to me aside from the whiskey/Kentucky connection.
The characters are all quiet and delightfully normal, there's plenty of everyday life drama but the characters remain wonderfully level headed throughout. The story moves slowly just like the snowstorm that surrounds most of its present day setting but it never feels like a drag, you're too wrapped up in their lives and tenderness of various moments. So if someone were to ask me if I'd been intimate with Dalton, I'd say yes. Sobbing together was its own unique form of intimacy-a thread wrapped around us so tight it was cutting off our circulation from the rest of the world." (Evie, 6). And the romance(s). It's all knowing looks and pregnant pauses that made me tingle inside (can't believe I just typed that honestly). It's not super explicit but it's not eye-rollingly chaste either which felt like an appropriate balance. It's wholesome and felt like just what I needed at a time when I was feeling really down although I seriously doubt men like this actually exist. Although I do think their bond is realistic, male friendship fascinates me and it's wonderfully explored here. Dalton and Eamon talk shit to each other but are also affectionate towards each other and when talking about each other to other people. The Louisville setting also struck me as a particularly strong choice, I never think of Black people living in Louisville so I fully enjoyed my immersion in middle class Black Louisville. It also touches on religion without being melodramatic or moralizing. Evie and Eamon have strong faith and it holds them together but they don't preach at Dalton or anyone else who might not feel as strongly as they do.
WHISKEY & RIBBONS is an achingly beautiful story about life after tragedy, specifically how to love after a tragedy. A mesmerizing romance but also an intimate look at grief particularly how you get through the day to day with a heavy heart. I wasn't prepared to cry but don't be shocked if you get swept up and emotional. I also think it should be classified as a Southern novel, its emphasis on community, faith, family and whiskey make it the ideal fit. I would love to re-read this during the winter, contrary to the initial subject matter, it's not all despair, it's a cozy story. One of my favorite books of the year.
One of the cutest exchanges between Evie and Dalton:
"'You always tell me to quit it.' (Evie)
'Because I'm trying to stop you from going to much into some...thing,' he [Dalton] says leaning forward to take a bite.
'I go too much into things sometimes. I know I;m doing it. But I don't know how to stop it,' I say, sitting back in my chair.
'That's okay,' he says." (105)
Wow this book emotionally wrecked me. Thus far I have not endured a loss of the magnitude portrayed here but I still felt like I was gasping for breath sometimes, as deeply grief stricken as the rest of the characters. Even though you know the circumstances of the tragedy, I still felt my eyes welling with tears by the time I got to the end. The writing is poetic, at times melodious in structure. It seems to be reflective of Evie's love for ballet and music. "I wasn't exactly sure where we stood but I wouldn't have guessed it was kind or solid ground. Not as solid as the concrete sidewalk were standing on" (Eamon, 163). I think one quibble would be sometimes Eamon and Dalton were too similar, their voices blended together and sometimes it would take me a minute to figure out who was talking or what distinguished one from the other. I also thought the title was a little silly but it was not a big deal, just felt like a stretch to me aside from the whiskey/Kentucky connection.
The characters are all quiet and delightfully normal, there's plenty of everyday life drama but the characters remain wonderfully level headed throughout. The story moves slowly just like the snowstorm that surrounds most of its present day setting but it never feels like a drag, you're too wrapped up in their lives and tenderness of various moments. So if someone were to ask me if I'd been intimate with Dalton, I'd say yes. Sobbing together was its own unique form of intimacy-a thread wrapped around us so tight it was cutting off our circulation from the rest of the world." (Evie, 6). And the romance(s). It's all knowing looks and pregnant pauses that made me tingle inside (can't believe I just typed that honestly). It's not super explicit but it's not eye-rollingly chaste either which felt like an appropriate balance. It's wholesome and felt like just what I needed at a time when I was feeling really down although I seriously doubt men like this actually exist. Although I do think their bond is realistic, male friendship fascinates me and it's wonderfully explored here. Dalton and Eamon talk shit to each other but are also affectionate towards each other and when talking about each other to other people. The Louisville setting also struck me as a particularly strong choice, I never think of Black people living in Louisville so I fully enjoyed my immersion in middle class Black Louisville. It also touches on religion without being melodramatic or moralizing. Evie and Eamon have strong faith and it holds them together but they don't preach at Dalton or anyone else who might not feel as strongly as they do.
WHISKEY & RIBBONS is an achingly beautiful story about life after tragedy, specifically how to love after a tragedy. A mesmerizing romance but also an intimate look at grief particularly how you get through the day to day with a heavy heart. I wasn't prepared to cry but don't be shocked if you get swept up and emotional. I also think it should be classified as a Southern novel, its emphasis on community, faith, family and whiskey make it the ideal fit. I would love to re-read this during the winter, contrary to the initial subject matter, it's not all despair, it's a cozy story. One of my favorite books of the year.
One of the cutest exchanges between Evie and Dalton:
"'You always tell me to quit it.' (Evie)
'Because I'm trying to stop you from going to much into some...thing,' he [Dalton] says leaning forward to take a bite.
'I go too much into things sometimes. I know I;m doing it. But I don't know how to stop it,' I say, sitting back in my chair.
'That's okay,' he says." (105)