Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
A Novel
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the author of The Restoration of Celia Fairchild, comes a novel about the meaning of family and the places we call home. If you love “southern summer” fiction authors like Mary Alice Monroe and Kristy Woodson Harvey you’ll love this delicious novel about family, friendship, and finding your true path in life.
Esme Cahill thinks she has failed spectacularly: fired from her New York City publishing job, divorced from her husband, and possessing little more than a broken-down car and a pile of unfinished manuscripts, she drives home to Asheville at the request of her late grandmother, Adele, who had begged her, just before she died, to return to the place she grew up.
There she discovers the once-charming lakeside retreat run by her family is sliding toward financial ruin, so with the help of her grandfather, George; estranged mother, Robyn; and a travelling chef Dawes (maker of the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich) they set to work. In the attic, Esme unearths a trove of museum-worthy art quilts, sewn by Adele. Piecing together the inspiration behind them, Esme discovers a forgotten chapter in her family history and her grandmother’s untold story, that of a gifted artist who never received her due.
This is an always-emotional, sometimes humorous, very human novel of what it means to be family—the ties that bind us together and the unintentional hurts that can rend us apart. And, along the way, Esme learns that failure can be the first step toward the life you’re meant to find.
Customer Reviews
Highly Recommend!
Esme Cahill was raised by her grandparents in Asheville, NC. At the age of 19, she decided it was time for her to move to NYC to become a writer. She quickly found herself a job as an editor. As quickly as she was successful in NYC, it all came crashing down with a failed marriage and job. In addition, her grandmother had died just before. Esme had no choice but to move back to her grandparents’ home where her mother, who abandoned her and grandfather, currently lived. When her grandfather starts showing signs of dementia, Esme and her mother have to face reality and figure out what the future will hold for the falling-apart lake house inn? Will they be able to save it or will they be forced to sell it? Can she rebuild her life and figure out her relationship with her mother?
I loved how the quirky characters in this book highlighted how life has its ups and downs, which made this story unique and entertaining. A well told and satisfying story that will tug at your heart. Perfect for book clubs as it will lead to many good discussions on abandonment by a mother, success vs failures, second chances, friendships, synesthesia and dementia of a loved one, etc.