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A review by katmarhan
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
7.5/10
A few too many “coincidences”, but still, a heart-warming story of love, courage, perseverance, & resilience. I listened to the audiobook & thought the narrators were excellent. The story follows Soline, a French seamstress, and Rory, an American fiber artist, with 3 main timelines: France during the lead-up to and early years of WWII, Rhode Island during the war, and Boston in the 1980s. Although the book is centered around these women (and their mothers), they are powerfully affected by the men in their lives, and I found it a little disheartening that only Rory’s mother had built a life without a man at its center. Soline & Rory certainly forged ahead independently, but it seemed they were always waiting for that certain male someone to complete their lives. Given the title of the book, it’s not surprising that they got their “happy endings”.
A few too many “coincidences”, but still, a heart-warming story of love, courage, perseverance, & resilience. I listened to the audiobook & thought the narrators were excellent. The story follows Soline, a French seamstress, and Rory, an American fiber artist, with 3 main timelines: France during the lead-up to and early years of WWII, Rhode Island during the war, and Boston in the 1980s. Although the book is centered around these women (and their mothers), they are powerfully affected by the men in their lives, and I found it a little disheartening that only Rory’s mother had built a life without a man at its center. Soline & Rory certainly forged ahead independently, but it seemed they were always waiting for that certain male someone to complete their lives. Given the title of the book, it’s not surprising that they got their “happy endings”.