#NewRelease: Genealogy
*CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*
Book: Genealogy by Mae Wood
Genre: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content Warning: minor language
Summary:
Inspired by real, hundred-year-old love letters.
My great-grandmother’s name is bold across the cream envelope, now golden at the seams with age. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not the hasty scrawl of ballpoint.
Alice Hirshhorn, Astoria Hotel, Seattle Washington.
“Letters to Great-grandma Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers over the faded postmark and foreign stamps.
December 1915. Philippine Islands.
I turn the thick envelope in my palm, slide out the tightly folded pages, and unfold the thin paper, taking care not to tear the letters that were important enough to keep for a century.
My dearest Alice
“Great-grandpa was in the Philippines?” I ask.
“Oh no. Not your great-grandfather,” answers Grammie, her eyes twinkling with her mother’s secrets. “Elliott.”
~~~
At thirty-three and with her future unclear, Ali Waller finds her way home again. A box of long-forgotten love letters written to her great-grandmother holds the unlikely key to Ali finding her new path.
As she tracks down the letter writer and his descendants, Ali learns the magic of love, hope, and resilience.
Told by three characters, and across century and an ocean, Genealogy is an enchanting story about love and loss, taking chances, and embracing the surprises that life brings.
My Thoughts:
It’s taken me quite some time to process and form words adequate enough to do this book justice. I wanted to ensure that what I said would really inspire someone— everyone— to take a chance on this book and buy it. So here we go.
First of all, don’t let the “historical” label of this story deter you from clicking the buy button. While it is historical romance, it’s so much more. It’s not a harlequin romance either. In fact, though there is a very present romance story within the book, it is not a romance per se. It’s really a story about family. A story about finding who you are. Just like the title suggests. The romance is just a sweet extra gift we’re given.
As soon as I saw the blurb for the book, I new I needed it. But I never knew I needed it as much as I did until I devoured every word and sat back in awe of the amazing story Mae Wood had just told.
There are only a handful of books that I have read that have made a profound mark on my heart— my soul. This is one of them.
You have two intermingling stories being told. The first is Ali, the heroine who is in the present. She is a lovely character who is trying to discover who she is, what she wants in life, and where she is going. I think we can all relate to Ali at some point in our lives which makes for a wonderful read.
But the real hero of this story is Elliott. He’s half of the past story. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. It wasn’t just the love he had for Alice. No, it went deeper. So much of this part of the book the two lovers spent without each other. So you really got to see who they were without each other. You got to fall in love with the characters rather than the romance. Elliott is the lovely result of Mae Wood’s writing such a unique story. I sat, knowing how it would end yet praying for some sort of miracle that I could be wrong. But when it was all said and done, the story had to take the path it did, and you’ll know what I mean when you read the book.
This is a story that you can read with your mom, sister, aunt, even your grandma. It is something I want to buy for everyone I know.
Go in with tissues. At least for me, I found the story to be an emotional read. In such a good way.
So, with less than perfect words for such a perfect book, I leave you with this: GO AND GET THIS BOOK.
Audiobook:
Currently there are no audiobooks available for this story. Check back at a later date!
About the Author:
Professional sassypants and novelist, Mae Wood has been a bookworm her entire life.
She loves cheeses, complicated crafts that she’ll start but never complete, and puns.
A while ago Mae decided that she needed to give up the fear that she couldn’t write “great literature” and write what she wants to read.
And she wants romance. And laughter. And real life.
She wants heroines who are brave. Brave enough to be themselves and brave enough to fall in love. She wants men who are strong and kind.
Mae is married, and has two darling children and an old dog who naps at her feet while she writes.
Keep in touch with Mae and find bonus content at her website — http://www.maewood.com
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authormaewood/
Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pigandbarley/
BOOK LINKS:
