After reading A Little Hope by debut author Ethan Joella and falling in love with the characters and the tender way he wrote about their struggles and triumphs, I knew that he would be a must-read author for me. So, when I saw that he had a new book coming out in November, I immediately requested to review it.
A Quiet Life follows three characters who are facing challenges in their life and grappling with loss and grief.
Chuck Ayers had recently lost his dear wife, Cat, and he is trying to decide if he is going to make their yearly trip to Hilton Head to spend the winter alone. Staying frozen in place at home as he has done for the last few months is unimaginable, but so is going on a journey to this loved and shared destination. He is stuck in his indecision.
Ella Burke is desperately waiting on information about her missing daughter–kidnapped by her ex-husband. She is delivering newspapers and working at a bridal shop to make ends while feeling like her life is falling apart. Her missing daughter is never out of her thoughts.
Kirsten Bonato’s mind is occupied with thoughts of her recently deceased father who was killed in a convenience store robbery. Her life feels like it is at a stand still and she feels lost and unmoored–working at an animal rescue shelter and fighting complicated feelings about two of her co-workers.
By the end the novel the lives of these three characters intersect in unforeseen, yet beautiful ways. Each of these characters is bravely pressing onward and trying to recover something precious they have lost.
A Quiet Life is one of the most beautifully written, heartwarming, pleasant book that speaks to the interconnectedness of humanity. It is quiet and hopeful and left me with with such a peaceful, joyful feeling in my heart.
“Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them—the same way a painting or photograph will leave its shadow on the wall after it’s gone, the way a tree will leave a crater where the roots and stump were.”
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance readers copy to review!