Synopsis: A photo of her sons. A doormat from Target. Twenty-three tubs of fabric. Somehow it comforts Lily to list the things she lost when a wildfire engulfed the Santa Barbara avocado ranch she shared with her husband, Tom. He, too, didn't survive the devastating fire. His last act was to save her grandmother's lace from the flames-an heirloom she has never been able to take scissors to, that she was saving for someday.
As she negotiates her way through grief, mourning both the tangible and intangible, Lily wonders about her long marriage. Was it worth all the work, the self-denial? Did she stay with Tom just to avoid loneliness? Should she have been more like her mother, Eileen thrice-married and, even now in her elderly years, cavalier about men and, it seems, even about her daughter's emotions?
Type: Fiction
Quick Take: Recommend - A quick read, I enjoyed this book. The Omaha Bookworm's are reading this book and will be discussing it with the author later this year.
The character's develop quickly and you will quickly begin to think about relationships, mother/daughter, husband/wife, parent/child and friendships. There were parts of this book that were difficult for me but purley on a personal level - my family lost everything in a fire and I find I still have issues reading about fire a decade later. The smell after a fire is undescribable... I'm always taking inventory (making lists).
After the discussion guide are a few stories behind the story - I happened to read these before reading the book which I thought was an added benefit. I enjoy learning about an authors writing process and how they get their ideas for plot, character developmet etc...
Source: Review Copy
Contest: WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL MOTHER-DAUGHTER PAIR?
27 BLOGGERS WANT TO KNOW! WIN A BOOK CLUB IN A BOX!
The Threadbare Heart is a story about a mother and a daughter torn apart by grief, jealousy and misunderstanding — and the family heirloom that finally brings them together. To celebrate its publication, and in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m running a ―"Favorite Fictional Mother & Daughter" pair contest.We want to know which fictional mother-daughter pair made you laugh? Made you cry? Made you cringe? Which pair revealed something true about your own mother-daughter relationships? (And yes, mothers and daughters in film are eligible. Fiction is fiction, right?)
HOW TO ENTER:
• On MAY 2, 3 or 4, visit one of the blogs and enter 250 words explaining your favorite fictional mother-daughter pair. These are some of the best blogs about books, literature and life. Have fun exploring them – but you can only enter on one blog.
• ON MOTHER’S DAY, each blogger will post the entry they like best. Each blog’s winners will receive a signed copy of The Threadbare Heart and will be entered in the Grand Prize Giveaway.
• On MAY 16, I will choose a Grand Prize winner from all the winning blog entries. (How will I pick? Whichever entry just hits me as being heartfelt and true.) The Grand Prize will be announced on the participating blogs, on my website and on twitter. WHAT YOU WIN: The Grand Prize winner will receive a ―Book Club in a Box‖ — ten signed copies of The Threadbare Heart, a call-in from the author, and a delicious rum cake to share with your book-reading friends. (Why rum cake? You’ll have to read the book to understand! I’ve picked out a cake by a baker named Kelli because she started selling rum cakes when she lost her baking buddy to cancer and I loved her story - and I happen to think that good stories are a big part of a good life.) Happy Mother’s Day! Jennie Nash
How to enter: You can leave a comment or email me directly with your favorite fictional mother/daughter relationship.
Looking at the books I have read since beginning to blog my favorite mother/daughter relationship would be Catherine and her mother, from The Heretic's Daughter. Catherine's mother was so strong, had conviction and faught for her family and had strong values.
I will have to think about movies... the possibilities are endless!