Linger Echoes by Erica Kiefer

From Amazon.com

"She's broken with guilt. He harbors a chilling past.
It's safer if they keep their distance . . . But, the echoes that linger connect them."

Lingering Echoes is easily one of my favorite books of the past year.  It’s the kind of book that made me wish my commute were longer so I would have more time to continue reading.  Allie’s story broke my heart; I felt her pain and struggles as she dealt with the memories she could no longer run from.  Damien intrigued me; I needed to find out for myself what secrets this mysterious stranger held.  Their story absorbed and I loved every minute of it.  I would highly recommend this novel but be warned, you won't be able to put it down.

Thanksgiving by Ellen Cooney

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Thanksgiving by Ellen Cooney tracks the Morley family throughout 350 years of Thanksgivings.  Told through the perspective of generations of Morley women, the reader is able to follow the family as it grows and changes throughout the centuries.  We are able to see how traditions develop and change.  Each chapter skips ahead several years glossing over major changes in the family, which we become aware of throughout the chapter.

When I started the reading, I was really excited by the plot and captivated by the story.  After a few chapters, I lost interest but kept reading hoping that something more would happen.  Unfortunately, the plot development that I was anticipating didn’t occur and I was left disappointed overall.  I would rate this  novel 2 out of 5 stars.

Oh to Grace by Abby Rosser

Oh to Grace begins as the required interview of a great great aunt for a creative writing assignment.  Throughout the novel, we learn more about the family history through non-sequential stories told from alternating perspectives.  In these stories, we learn of the how the family has struggled and preserved, we read about their tragedies and successes, of love and death.

I found myself hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put the novel down.  I loved learning more about the Watson family and found myself transported back to their rural town in Tennessee. I couldn’t wait to dive in deeper and finally be able to connect the stories together.  To be honest, I was a bit confused at first by the switching of dates and perspectives but believe that the author did a good job at interweaving the story together in the end and was happy with the ending.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and would recommend the novel to others.