Blog Tour and Review: The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard

I'm very thankful once again to Trish from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour for the newest novel by Joyce Maynard.  Maynard has proven once again to me that she is an exceptional author.  Here is a summary of The Good Daughters from the Harper Collins website:

They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike. 

Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life. The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family's birthright for generations. 

Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world. Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness. 

Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged. They also share a love for Dana's wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts. 

Told in the alternating voices of Ruth and Dana, The Good Daughters follows these "birthday sisters" as they make their way from the 1950s to the present. Master storyteller Joyce Maynard chronicles the unlikely ways the two women's lives parallel and intersect—from childhood and adolescence to first loves, first sex, marriage, and parenthood; from the deaths of parents to divorce, the loss of home, and the loss of a beloved partner—until past secrets and forgotten memories unexpectedly come to light, forcing them to reevaluate themselves and each other. 

Moving from rural New Hampshire to a remote island in British Columbia to the '70s Boston art-school scene, The Good Daughters is an unforgettable story about the ties of home and family, the devastating force of love, the healing power of forgiveness, and the desire to know who we are.

My Review:
When I first read the summary of The Good Daughters I figured it would end up being a 'switched at birth' plot, but really it turned out to be a story that  focuses on two girls lives as they struggle trying to find their places in the world.  The chapters alternate between Ruth and Dana, through love, secrets, and loss, as we follow them through their adult lives.

Ruth Plank was born into a family that owned a lucrative farm.  With just her and her sisters, her parents no longer had any hope of passing the farm down to a son as was the custom with previous Plank generations.  Her father accepted this outcome and loved all of his girls equally and was not shy in showing his pride for his lovely family of daughters.  Ruth just cannot understand why her relationship with her mother is such a struggle through her whole life.

Dana Dickerson is born to a family that cannot seem to put roots down in any one area.  She finds herself longing for stability and a place to call home.  The Plank family seems to show up at their doorstep for a visit at least once a year and although the Dickerson's don't look forward to these visits, Dana does enjoy spending time with Edwin, Ruth's father, as he is always generous in sharing agricultural information with her.

As much as Dana enjoys agriculture, Ruth finds an artistic side of her just waiting to burst out of her skin.  She has no desire at all to join her sisters in the farmwork, except for managing the small roadside vegetable stand.  Through the work that she does in the stand she finds a special place in her heart for the farm that helps her develop a closer relationship with her father.

As truths and secrets are revealed in the book I found myself getting angry with Ruth's parents, Edwin and Connie Plank.  Before I knew it, I was all upset with the story as I couldn't imagine the path that Edwin and Connie decided to take.  Connie especially frustrated me as she appeared to be such a God-fearing and strong-willed woman, but then I came to understand why her character reacted the way that she did.  Everything did come full circle for me in this novel that let me find the appreciation that this book deserves.

I think this book would make a great book club selection with themes of love, family, secrets, and loss.  As I was reading it I could only imagine the different comments that would be made from various members of my group.  I did enjoy this novel and I'm confident that many of you would also!

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour and Review: Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

I must admit that I've had my eyes on this book since it first came out, and thanks to Trish from TLC Book Tours I've finally had the opportunity to read it!  Thanks so much Trish because I absolutely loved this book!

Here is a summary of Labor Day from the Harper Collins website:

With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, lonely, friendless thirteen-year-old Henry spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming with only his emotionally fragile, long-divorced mother for company. But everything changes on the Thursday before the holiday weekend when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank asks Henry for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons, about the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting those we care about above ourselves—and that real love is worth waiting for. 

From acclaimed author Joyce Maynard comes a beautiful, poignant tale of love, sex, adolescence, and devastating treachery as seen through the eyes of a young teenager—and the man he later becomes. 

My Review:
I've always loved Labor Day weekend-being the weekend that we say goodbye to summer, so I think that was part of the attraction for me with this book.  This story takes us into the lives of a young boy and his divorced mom as it covers the events that take place over a Labor Day weekend many years ago.  Henry is an adult now and he is basically retelling how the series of events that took place that weekend many years ago changed and reshaped his life.

As a young boy Henry watched his mother change from a vibrant and loving woman to someone that was basically afraid to interact with people or leave her home.  When his father left and remarried, started a new family, things only became worse at home for Henry and his mother.  Here is an excerpt from page 31 that described what Henry was thinking about how his mother may have felt:
I could feel her loneliness and longing, before I had a name for it.  It had probably never been about my father really.  Looking at him now, it was hard to imagine he could ever have been worthy of her.  What she had loved was loving.

The Thursday before Labor Day everything changed for Henry and his mother when they walked into the hardware store.  They bumped into Frank, who appeared to be wounded and trying to hide.  Before you know it they are driving home with Frank in the car, offering to give him somewhere to rest for the weekend.  This is the part of the novel that I know many people did have a problem with, indicating that no-one would willingly invite a stranger into their home.  I do agree with this in most cases, but it is important to realize that at this point Adele, Henry's mother, was obviously mentally unstable and was not able to make rational decisions.

The atmosphere within Henry's home changes throughout the weekend as he sees a sense of normalcy slowly creeping back into their daily routines.  Rather than opening their usual can of Campbell's soup for dinner, Frank cooks them a meal of the best chili they have ever had.  Frank even teaches Henry the proper way to make a pie crust so they can make a homemade peach pie.  Henry gets a glimpse over this weekend of some regular family interaction and realizes how much he craves this lifestyle.  Here is an excerpt from page 106 that explains how Henry is excited to be able just have fun as a kid:
And the thought occurs to me that here is one of the best parts about his showing up.  I am not responsible for making her happy anymore.  That job can be his now.  This leaves me free for other things.  My own life, for instance.

I thought the writing in this book was wonderful and I just found myself loving the story.  As I was nearing the end I found myself flipping the pages to find out how many pages I had left because I didn't want it to end!  There are some parts of this book that some of you may not enjoy, as Henry is a thirteen year old boy during this time and there are physical changes happening to him that he is trying to learn to accept.  This didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel as I found the writing beautiful.  I think this would make a great book club selection with themes of coming of age, acceptance, love, and secrets.

Since Labor Day is next month, I suggest that you pick up this book to read over that weekend-I might just read it again over that weekend because I enjoyed it so much.  Joyce Maynard will be joining Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio on August 30th at 7pm ET, and you can listen here.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Harper Collins to participate in the TLC Book tour.