A review by abookwormwithwine
Sailing Lessons by Hannah McKinnon

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So far, I have not met a Hannah McKinnon novel that I have not liked and Sailing Lessons is no exception. She writes the best family dramas, and that is exactly what this is along with a focus on mother/daughter relationships as well as father/daughter relationships. The story is told from 5 different viewpoints, and I really liked that the author chose these to be the sisters Wren, Piper, and Shannon, their dad Caleb, and their stepfather Hank. Caleb's POV definitely takes a backseat to the rest, and I found it a fascinating choice for McKinnon not to include the mom Lindy as a viewpoint. I feel like that would have colored my view of Caleb, and I much preferred to see through the eyes of their daughters which still gave me plenty of context.

This book originally came out in 2018, but the audiobook only just released in June of 2023, and I can't believe it took them 5 years to release on audio! This is also a very old (clearly) backlist title for me, and I'm glad I got to experience it through listening. It would have been nice to have at least 1 male and 1 female narrator, but Eleanor Caudill still did a wonderful job with all 5 of the POVs. I even thought she sounded a bit different for each of the sisters, and I loved that she didn't try to change her voice when she read from Hank and Caleb's viewpoints. If you are looking for a touching look at a family in pieces fitting themselves back together, I would recommend Sailing Lessons in any format.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.