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Original Essays | December 12, 2009

Alexander McCall Smith: IMG The Courage of Others



I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War... Continue »
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Shelter Me

by Juliette Fay

Shelter Me Cover

ISBN13: 9780061673399
ISBN10: 0061673390
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the tradition of Marisa de los Santos and Anne Tyler comes a moving debut about a young mother's year of heartbreak, loss, and forgiveness...and help that arrives from unexpected sources

Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her.

As she reluctantly allows construction to begin, Janie clings to the familiar outposts of her sorrow—mothering her two small children with fierce protectiveness, avoiding friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is breached by a cast of unlikely interventionists: her chattering, ipecac-toting aunt; her bossy, over-manicured neighbor; her muffin-bearing cousin; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.

As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.

Review:

"After Janie LaMarche's husband, Robby, dies in a motorcycle accident, the 38-year-old Pelham, Mass., widow embarks on a year of transformations in Fay's wise and inspirational debut. Going through the bewildering and painful cycle of grief and anger while trying to hold it together for her children — preschooler Dylan and toddler Carly — is no walk in the park. Enter Tug Malinowski, an attractive contractor Robby had hired to build a screened-in porch to surprise Janie. Tug is divorced, childless and attracted to Janie while she's tempted by Fr. Jake Sweeney, who has 'a secret life of misery' and fears casting aside his vow of celibacy. Fay's mingling of Janie's pithy journal excerpts with crisp traditional plotting adds a nice depth to Janie's journey to emotional healing. The concerns of single motherhood after sudden tragedy come vividly to life, and as Janie learns to appreciate everyday miracles, readers will be charmed." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

In the tradition of Marisa de los Santos and Anne Tyler comes a moving debut about a young mother's year of heartbreak, loss, and forgiveness--and help that arrives from unexpected sources.

About the Author

Juliette Fay received a bachelor's degree from Boston College and a master's degree from Harvard University. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four young children. Shelter Me is her first novel.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
meapeak, January 14, 2009 (view all comments by meapeak)
A rich, dense, fulfilling read - the kind that keeps you reading far too late into the night. You cry, you laugh, you wish it was hundreds of pages longer. The characters stay with you for days afterward. Juliette Fay - I hope you are working on your next novel!!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780061673399
Author:
Fay, Juliette
Publisher:
Avon a
Author:
Fey, Juliette
Author:
by Juliette Fay
Subject:
General
Subject:
Contemporary Women
Subject:
Family life
Publication Date:
January 2009
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
415
Dimensions:
8.06x5.31x1.08 in. .71 lbs.

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