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reneedecoskey 's review for:
The Imperfects
by Amy Meyerson
I loved the Bookshop of Yesterdays so I couldn't wait to read Amy Meyerson's new book, The Imperfects. It's the story of the Miller family, a mother, Deborah, and her children who are somewhat fractured, who come together after the death of Deborah's mother Helen. When Helen dies, she leaves her house to her daughter and a mysterious brooch to her youngest grandchild, Beck, with whom she'd been closest. The brooch isn't one that anyone remembers and it has a very large diamond in it.
As the Millers begin to research, they discover that Helen has, for years, been harboring the missing Florentine Diamond -- one of the Crown Jewels from the fallen empire of Austria. But how did she get it?
The book sees the Millers, all dealing with some kind of personal conflict, come together as they work to prove that the diamond belongs to them. Once they can prove that it does, they hope to sell it. Ashley needs the money to save her house. Jake needs the money to live off of after he loses his job, especially with his first child due in a few months. Beck wants to finally be able to live independently and free of debt after Deborah used her identity to open credit cards and rack up debt when Beck was a teenager. In the process, they learn about Helen's past (and therefore their own) and their family history. Their ties to the Holocaust. Their real father and grandfather. They learn that their family is much more complex than even they knew.
I liked that the book took something real (the missing Florentine Diamond) and dropped it into a fictional world to suppose what could have happened to it (there is still mystery with the diamond in the end of the book, too). I also liked that it took place in and around Philadelphia because I could picture the locations and atmosphere of the towns (and am confident in my pronunciation of Bala Cynwyd, haha).
From a writing perspective, I thought it was well done and drew me in and made me care about the characters. It gave me This is Where I Leave You vibes, and I really loved that book too. You were rooting for them all in different ways even though they were definitely not always likable. They were real in that sense.
From an editing perspective, I did notice a weird amount of typos in the book. It didn't change my understanding or enjoyment of the story at all. Just something I noticed.
Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys family dramas and mysteries, as well as anyone who liked Meyerson's Bookshop of Yesterdays.
As the Millers begin to research, they discover that Helen has, for years, been harboring the missing Florentine Diamond -- one of the Crown Jewels from the fallen empire of Austria. But how did she get it?
The book sees the Millers, all dealing with some kind of personal conflict, come together as they work to prove that the diamond belongs to them. Once they can prove that it does, they hope to sell it. Ashley needs the money to save her house. Jake needs the money to live off of after he loses his job, especially with his first child due in a few months. Beck wants to finally be able to live independently and free of debt after Deborah used her identity to open credit cards and rack up debt when Beck was a teenager. In the process, they learn about Helen's past (and therefore their own) and their family history. Their ties to the Holocaust. Their real father and grandfather. They learn that their family is much more complex than even they knew.
I liked that the book took something real (the missing Florentine Diamond) and dropped it into a fictional world to suppose what could have happened to it (there is still mystery with the diamond in the end of the book, too). I also liked that it took place in and around Philadelphia because I could picture the locations and atmosphere of the towns (and am confident in my pronunciation of Bala Cynwyd, haha).
From a writing perspective, I thought it was well done and drew me in and made me care about the characters. It gave me This is Where I Leave You vibes, and I really loved that book too. You were rooting for them all in different ways even though they were definitely not always likable. They were real in that sense.
From an editing perspective, I did notice a weird amount of typos in the book. It didn't change my understanding or enjoyment of the story at all. Just something I noticed.
Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys family dramas and mysteries, as well as anyone who liked Meyerson's Bookshop of Yesterdays.