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denasweeney 's review for:

The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill
3.0
emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The Turtle House 
Author - Amanda Churchill
Pages - 304 
Publish Date - 02/20/2024 

Dual POV
Dual Timeline 
General Fiction 

This book was a lot different than most books I’ve read. It’s about two women, a grandmother and her granddaughter, that are reflecting on different points in their lives. Mineko, grew up in Japan and during the war, after a series of events, married an American man from Texas. You journey with her from the 1940s to 1999 and learn about how she handled coming to a new country with her family. Then in 1999 you meet her granddaughter Lia who has mysteriously left her life in Austin and refuses to tell anyone why. As Mineko tells Lia her story she starts to accept what has happened to her and begins her own journey of healing. 

What I really liked about this book was the relationship between Lia and Mineko. It’s a silent yet stable support between the two of them. As Mineko takes Lia (and you) through her life, you hear her sacrifices and struggles and Lia really comes to understand and respect her grandmother more; more importantly that she can choose to not what happened to her become her identity. This story was heartbreaking and inspiring. 

I was given this book by the publisher, Harper Collin’s and am leaving this review voluntarily.