The Blessings
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3.4 • 20 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A novel about a tight-knit Irish Catholic family that is “so real in all their sorrow, joy and complexity that they could be yours or mine.”*
The Blessings rally around one another in times of celebration and those of sorrow, coming together for departures and arrivals, while its members harbor private struggles and moments of personal joy.
College student Abby ponders homesickness in her first semester away from her Philadelphia home, while her cousin Stephen commits a petty act of violence that takes a surprising turn, and their aunt Lauren faces a crisis in her storybook marriage she could never have foreseen.
Through the lens of one unforgettable family, this beautifully moving novel explores how our families define us and how we shape them in return.
“Juska's portrait of this close-knit clan is bursting with wise observations about the nature of love and belonging. I enjoyed every page.” —*New York Times–bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan
“There's no shortage of novels about the quirks and tragedies of large families, but The Blessings is a uniquely poignant, prismatic look at an Irish-Catholic clan.” —Entertainment Weekly, “Must List”
“A knowing portrait of a sprawling Irish-American family in Philly across the last thirty years, in all their shared strength and separate weaknesses. Elise Juska is deft and tender, letting us get close to her characters in their most vulnerable moments.”-Stewart O'Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster
Customer Reviews
Okay book
I purchased this book based upon Entertainment Weekly's recommendation, and the sample hooked me so I purchased it. However, I struggled with the style of writing each chapter from a different character's perspective. I also was disappointed how she jumped so many years forward with each chapter, for instance when the uncle died, we never got to read what happened, how his wife felt, it just suddenly jumped forward about 5 years and a new perspective from another character. I wanted to know what happened to Stephen after he beat the guy up, but that was just dropped and never discussed again in the book. I gave it 3 stars because I thought the book was okay, but not great. It just kind of ended, and didn't seem to really have a story line or a point. I leave the book disappointed.
Familiar and intriguing
Juska's novel Will take you on a ride that will seem familiar to many. The struggles of family are well defined and the characters within are developed realistically.
I am looking forward to her upcoming work, whatever it might be.