Stephanie Sullivan: May 2021

May 22, 2021

TITLE: A Man Called Ove

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

REVIEW: Such a great story! I think it’s safe to assume that all of us have an Ove in our lives. (Mine greatly resembles my husband...but I digress). Still, there’s something about those aggravating curmudgeon’s that tugs on my heartstrings, and reading Ove’s story was no different. I knew he would be a beloved character from the very first chapter. I will admit it took me awhile before I felt truly drawn into the story, but once it grabbed hold of me I finished the remainder of the book in one afternoon. I encourage everyone to read A Man Called Ove, and if you enjoy Backman’s writing style then you should definitely read his newest book, Anxious People. (My 2020 favorite!) P.S. The movie, A Man Called Ove, is wonderful too...but read the book first!

Review - The Nightingale

May 12, 2021

TITLE: The Nightingale

AUTHOR: Kristin Hannah

RATING: ★★★★★

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Summary (from Goodreads): In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

REVIEW: True to Kristin Hannah’s storytelling, I was sobbing by the time I finished this book. She has an unparalleled way of pulling her readers into her stories and leading them through every possible emotion. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m always left in awe of her talent. The Nightingale is a heartbreaking tale of love, war, family, sorrow, strength, and survival. If you aren’t deeply touched in some way by what Vianne and Isabelle go through, then you should seriously check your pulse. I highly recommend this book to everyone - just make sure you keep the Kleenex within reach.