Waiting on Wednesday (2-13-13)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly anticipating. This week, I'm looking forward to Fly Away by Kristin Hannah (release date: April 23, 2013).

Synopsis (from Amazon): Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate---to be there for Kate’s children---but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people.

Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother’s death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her . . . until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world.

Dorothy Hart---the woman who once called herself Cloud---is at the center of Tully’s tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter’s side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs.

A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need each one another---and maybe a miracle---to transform their lives.

An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss, and new beginnings, Fly Away reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Told with her trademark powerful storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day.

I love Kristin Hannah and cannot wait for this book! So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Night Road
Author: Kristin Hannah
Published: March 22, 2011
Genre: contemporary fiction
Hardcover: 385 pages
Source: purchased from Barnes & Noble


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. 

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them. 

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

My Thoughts: Kristin Hannah is a truly gifted writer, and this novel proves why she is one of the best. Once again focusing on friendships and family, Hannah tells the tale of the Farraday family and Lexi, a teen that comes from a troubled background but always tries to be a good kid. One night changes all of their lives and the small town that they are from. The novel shows how one choice can change so many people's lives and how to live with the consequences of that choice. I thought that this was a slight departure from the other Kristin Hannah novels that I've read, since it's focused more on the outside choices instead of an itnernal drama. It's still centered around a family, but focuses on something that affected the whole town.

I loved the characters in this story. Lexi was such a beautiful young woman and someone who I loved to read about. Her background is harsh and made her a much more believable character. I thought she was well written and seemed like someone who understands how the world works. I loved the Farraday family. Each of them brought something special to the story. As individuals, they were flawed, but together, they made this beautiful family. To me, that's the mark of a Kristin Hannah novel: a flawed group of individuals that, when brought together, made a beautful family.

To me, the only downside of this book is that I had trouble relating with Jude. I could understand the emotions that she felt, but I am not a mother, so to me, it was difficult to relate to her at times. I enjoyed the story and continue to love Kristin Hannah and her work.

Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden
Author: Kristin Hannah
Published: February 2, 2010
Genre: chick lit
Paperback: 436 pages
Source: purchased at Borders


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.


My Thoughts: After reading Firefly Lane and True Colors this past summer, I fell in love with Kristin Hannah's writing. Her stories are beautifully written and emotional and are able to touch a chord in me that I haven't experienced with other authors. So, I purchased this book, figuring that I would like it just as much as those first two books that I read. And while it was good, it certainly didn't live up to those first two books.


This story seemed to focus more on the individual members of a family instead of the family as a whole. You get Meredith's story and Nina's story, but even when they are together, it's almost as if their stories are separate. I didn't feel that bond between them that I felt in Hannah's other novels. And the relationship that they have with their mother, Anya, was a departure from Hannah's other books. They are three individuals instead of a family. And while that was part of the story, even when they came together at the end, it still didn't feel like they were truly a family.


I did like the historical aspect of this novel and how Hannah was able to balance the present and the past. It was great that Anya told the story to her daughters instead of using flashbacks. I also liked that Anya was from Russia, and I haven't read many World War II stories that are set in Russia. It was heartbreaking reading about the lives of the people living in Leningrad during this period in history.


While not my favorite Kristin Hannah novel, it was still a good book and I can't wait to read more of her work. If you haven't read any of Hannah's novels yet, then what are you waiting for?!?

Waiting On Wednesday (10-26-11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly awaiting. This week, my pick is: Home Front by Kristin Hannah (expected publication date: January 31, 2012).

From a distance, Michael and Joleen Zarkades seem to have it all: a solid marriage, two exciting careers, and children they adore.  But after twelve years together, the couple has lost their way; they are unhappy and edging toward divorce.  Then the Iraq war starts.  An unexpected deployment will tear their already fragile family apart, sending one of them deep into harm’s way and leaving the other at home, waiting for news.   When the worst happens, each must face their darkest fear and fight for the future of their family.  An intimate look at the inner landscape of a disintegrating marriage and a dramatic exploration of the price of war on a single American family, HOME FRONT is a provocative and timely portrait of hope, honor, loss, forgiveness, and the elusive nature of love.

I love Kristin Hannah's novels and cannot wait for this one! What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

True Colors
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: February 3, 2009
Paperback: 528 pages
Source: purchased at Borders


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): The Grey sisters had only each other when their mother died years ago. Their stern, unyielding father gave them almost no attention. Winona, the oldest, needs her father’s approval most of all. An overweight dreamer, she never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that had been in her family for three generations. Aurora, the middle, is the peacemaker. Vivi Ann, the youngest, is the undisputed star of the family. Everything comes easily to Vivi Ann, her father’s love most of all. But when Vivi Ann makes a fateful decision to follow her heart, rather than take the route of a dutiful daughter, events are set in motion that will test the love and loyalties of the Grey sisters. They will be pitted against each other in ways none could have imagined. Secrets will be revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both the family and their beloved town. With breathtaking pace and penetrating insight, Kristin Hannah’s True Colors is a novel about sisters, vengeance, jealousy, betrayal—and ultimately, what it truly means to be a family.


My Thoughts: Kristin Hannah's novel focuses on family: how we interact with one another, how family shapes our life and decisions, and how our family impacts our world around us. The Greys have lived in the same place, on the same piece of land, for decades now. They are considered a prominent family in the town, not because of their generosity, but because they have been there the longest. Their father recognizes this and makes sure that they always do the "right" thing, such as going to church once a month, going to the yearly parade, and not doing anything stupid. After the girls' mother dies, they rely on their father for direction and support but he provides little, if any. The novel focuses on the relationship among the three sisters, Winona, Aurora, and Vivi Ann. Each of their decisions seems to affect the other two, with some affecting their whole town.


I really enjoyed the sister's relationship with one another. Hannah gives them each of them such a distinct personality that they are easy to tell apart. They reminded me of actual people and not characters in a book. I could definitely identify with Winona (the oldest ... I'm the oldest too!) and her need to always do the right thing, even if it might hurt her sisters. Vivi Ann is so strong-minded that she seems to leap off the pages. No matter where I was in the story, her actions never seemed contrived or fake; they are always realistic, or what I think would happen to real people in these situations. The only sister I didn't like was Aurora. Maybe it was because she didn't really have a part in the story, so she only appeared occassionally, but there wasn't anything special about her. She didn't leap off the page, she was just always there. That was probably one of the things that I didn't like about this book. While it's a story about sisters, the one sister never seemed to be a part of the story. 


I don't want to give away too much of the story, but it really had me turning the pages at some points. It was a legal thriller at times, chick lit at others, and a bit of a mystery at other times. It was very engrossing (I'm hoping all of Hannah's books are like this) and hard to put down! While I didn't enjoy it as much as Firefly Lane, it was a great summer read and makes me anxious to read another one of Hannah's novels.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Firefly Lane
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: January 6, 2009
Paperback: 479 pages
Source: purchased at library sale


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from borders.com): In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve becomeTullyandKate.Inseparable. So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest,Firefly Laneis the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness. 

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Laneis for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you.Firefly Laneis a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.

My Thoughts: Following the friendship of Tully and Kate for over 30 years, Firefly Lane spans the decades to show the connection that women share with their closest friends and how they handle the good times and the bad. Starting in 1974, the novel shows how clothes, hairstyles, and fads changed over the years, but through it all, Tully and Kate were always there for one another. While covering so much time can be daunting and too much, Kristin Hannah's writing is so masterful that you really do feel as if you are growing up with these two women without it ever becoming boring.

There were so many things that I enjoyed about this book that I don't know where to begin. First, within 100 pages, Hannah had pulled me into this story. I was crying as I read about Tully's senior year of high school, relating to her experiences of losing a loved one. I rarely cry, especially whie reading, so this was the first sign that I was reading something truly touching. As the story progressed and Tully and Kate grew, I was able to relate to both women. As a young woman in her 20s, I feel like there is so much to do and see in the world, that I won't be able to get it all done, let alone have a family, so I definitely connected with Tully on that level. But I could also identify with Kate, the hopeless romantic that she is, wanting that fairy tale life and knowing that without family, nothing is worth it. Hannah crafted two perfect characters in these women; one the driven, ambitious go-getter, the other relishing motherhood and her family. While both are relatable, there were times that I didn't like one of them. But a few pages later, Hannah would have me back on their side. She is truly a master of her work, one that I cannot wait to read more of. While not a literary classic, Firefly Lane is a great book that I think every woman should read. It's a great summer read, and one that will stay with you for a long time.