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I Gave My Heart to Know This
Ellen Baker is beloved for crafting intimate domestic stories that resonate deeply with readers. In I Gave My Heart to Know This, the award-winning author returns with a sweeping multigenerational saga of the searing power of war, memory, friendship, and family.
In January 1944, Grace Anderson, Lena Maki, and Lena’s mother, Violet, have joined the growing ranks of women working for the war effort. Though they find satisfaction in their jobs at a Wisconsin shipyard, it isn’t enough to distract them from the anxieties of wartime, or their fears for the men they Lena’s twin brother, Derrick, and Grace’s high school sweetheart, Alex. When shattering news arrives from the front, the lives of the three women are pitched into turmoil. As one is pushed to the brink of madness, the others are forced into choices they couldn’t have imagined—and their lives will never be the same.
More than five decades later, Violet’s great-granddaughter, Julia, returns to the small farmhouse where Violet and Lena once lived. Listless from her own recent tragedy, Julia begins to uncover the dark secrets that shattered her family, eventually learning that redemption—and love—can be found in the most unexpected places.
Beautifully written and profoundly moving, I Gave My Heart to Know This is a riveting story of loyalties held and sacred bonds broken; crushing loss and enduring dreams; and what it takes—and what it means—to find the way home.
In January 1944, Grace Anderson, Lena Maki, and Lena’s mother, Violet, have joined the growing ranks of women working for the war effort. Though they find satisfaction in their jobs at a Wisconsin shipyard, it isn’t enough to distract them from the anxieties of wartime, or their fears for the men they Lena’s twin brother, Derrick, and Grace’s high school sweetheart, Alex. When shattering news arrives from the front, the lives of the three women are pitched into turmoil. As one is pushed to the brink of madness, the others are forced into choices they couldn’t have imagined—and their lives will never be the same.
More than five decades later, Violet’s great-granddaughter, Julia, returns to the small farmhouse where Violet and Lena once lived. Listless from her own recent tragedy, Julia begins to uncover the dark secrets that shattered her family, eventually learning that redemption—and love—can be found in the most unexpected places.
Beautifully written and profoundly moving, I Gave My Heart to Know This is a riveting story of loyalties held and sacred bonds broken; crushing loss and enduring dreams; and what it takes—and what it means—to find the way home.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
80 people are currently reading
1538 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Baker
4 books349 followersEllen Baker is the author of the novels SUMMERLAND COVE (coming June 2, 2026), THE HIDDEN LIFE OF CECILY LARSON, KEEPING THE HOUSE, and I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW THIS. She has worked as a museum curator and as a bookseller and event coordinator at an independent bookstore. Originally from the Upper Midwest, Ellen currently lives on the coast of Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
July 19, 2012
This author’s debut novel, Keeping the House, is one of my all-time favorite books so I was excited to dive into this. It took me forever to get into. I almost gave up, something I normally never do, and the only reason I didn’t is because I’m on vacation and I have time to kill. For whatever reason the writing didn’t grab me this time, neither did the characters. I did think the angle of women working as welders while the men were away at war was interesting and unique and I loved the finer details of what went into their lives, the letters with the men away, etc. I think my issue is that this quickly devolved into soap opera territory. Also, the modern day storyline just felt out of place and somewhat rushed as well as too neatly tied up. I didn’t know Julia (the modern day protagonist) at all. Her character did not stand out to me in any way. Then the brother appeared and I doubly didn’t care. Overall just not that impressed, particularly considering the scope and beauty of her debut.
June 19, 2011
*I won this book from first reads.
After reading I Gave My Heart to Know This, I'm finding myself in the strangest position. I didn't *not* like it, per se . . . but I didn't really like it either.
The story itself is interesting. The entire way through I was curious to know how things were going to play out. But at the same time, I kind of didn't care, because I didn't care in the least about any of the characters.
No, I take that back. I did care about one - I absolutely couldn't stand Derrick, which is ironic since he never actually appears in the flesh. We only see him in letters sent to other characters, but in is letters he has the most annoying habit of putting practically every other word in quotation marks. I understand it's a style choice, or a character quirk, but there's never any explanation given for it, and it was just too distracting for my inner grammar nazi.
Examples (quoted verbatim): My sister tells me you've been battling the "flu" . . .
Ummmm . . . do you think she's secretly got AIDS or something?
My sister has this notion that we'll be . . . "next door neighbors" the rest of our lives . . .
Ummmmm . . . and by that does your sister mean something slightly creepy and illegal in most states?
I guess Lena's right that it's "home" and where I belong, and I suppose it's "inevitable" I'm bound to get back there "someday."
Ummmmmm . . . okay, you lost me - just what is that supposed to be code for?
For me, the constant misuse of quotation marks was distracting, and quite frankly I rejoiced when Derrick's ship went down and he was listed as MIA. Pretty sure that's not the emotion I was supposed to feel. Nor was I supposed to spend the rest of the book dreading he'd show up again and I'd be subjected to more of his letters.
That said, I did read an ARC copy, so with any luck the text went through a few more rounds of edits and the published version will look a little cleaner. I'd say the book is worth a shot - it just wasn't for me.
After reading I Gave My Heart to Know This, I'm finding myself in the strangest position. I didn't *not* like it, per se . . . but I didn't really like it either.
The story itself is interesting. The entire way through I was curious to know how things were going to play out. But at the same time, I kind of didn't care, because I didn't care in the least about any of the characters.
No, I take that back. I did care about one - I absolutely couldn't stand Derrick, which is ironic since he never actually appears in the flesh. We only see him in letters sent to other characters, but in is letters he has the most annoying habit of putting practically every other word in quotation marks. I understand it's a style choice, or a character quirk, but there's never any explanation given for it, and it was just too distracting for my inner grammar nazi.
Examples (quoted verbatim): My sister tells me you've been battling the "flu" . . .
Ummmm . . . do you think she's secretly got AIDS or something?
My sister has this notion that we'll be . . . "next door neighbors" the rest of our lives . . .
Ummmmm . . . and by that does your sister mean something slightly creepy and illegal in most states?
I guess Lena's right that it's "home" and where I belong, and I suppose it's "inevitable" I'm bound to get back there "someday."
Ummmmmm . . . okay, you lost me - just what is that supposed to be code for?
For me, the constant misuse of quotation marks was distracting, and quite frankly I rejoiced when Derrick's ship went down and he was listed as MIA. Pretty sure that's not the emotion I was supposed to feel. Nor was I supposed to spend the rest of the book dreading he'd show up again and I'd be subjected to more of his letters.
That said, I did read an ARC copy, so with any luck the text went through a few more rounds of edits and the published version will look a little cleaner. I'd say the book is worth a shot - it just wasn't for me.
April 21, 2014
Why does it seem that the ones we hurt the most are the those whom we love the most? Grace dreams of designing costumes for Hollywood stars. She puts her dreams on hold to care for her family and her father who is ill. As men are drafted into service during World War II, Grace takes a job as a welder at a ship builder's yard. Yet, she yearns to see the world. Fellow welder's Violet and Lena, mother and daughter, are holding out hope that Lena's twin brother Derrick will one day return after being declared missing-in-action. Violet desires the stability that her husband Jago cannot provide. Lena wants their family farm. Paralleling their story is Julia who is mourning the loss of her fiancé. Connecting them all is the family farm. When Violet returns in her final days her desire is to close the gaps and put together the missing pieces and people so important to her life. We can't take back our past mistakes, but we can strive for a better future.
September 25, 2011
I was a little disappointed in this book and wanted to like it more than I did. The story was interesting enough, but I just never got involved with any of the characters. It was even a little hard to follow at times. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood!
March 26, 2012
Enjoyed the parts about women working during the war, but the crazy Lena/family secrets storyline went on and on and on.
December 2, 2012
Really poorly written. Hard to follow all the characters. Some characters never developed.
February 12, 2015
I felt this book was well written but quite depressing. Never the less I warned to finish it song could see how it turned out and was satisfied in the end. It's a book that takes place during World War II. I think it was a very difficult time for many.
December 24, 2021
I almost gave up on this one, but I’m glad I endured I suppose. I love this author’s other book, Keeping the House. It’s one of my favorite books, at least it was as of 2015. This one was DEFINITELY not as good, but I did enjoy it overall.
Things I liked:
The setting, Grace & Joe (for the most part), Julia, and the fairly happy ending for everyone. I would’ve loved to have seen more of Grace and her life in the missing CA years, and even Joe as well.
Things I didn’t like:
The entire Maki family!!! They were all awful in their own ways, and made choices that only hurt themselves and their family.
Derrick and Lena’s letters to each other almost made me stop reading. Not only were they unbelievably immature for 18-19 year olds, but the punctuation was infuriating. Do the author and editor(s) really think every turn of phrase has to be in quotes? It got to be so ridiculous with quotes in every sentence where they definitely didn’t belong, I was going insane. And speaking of punctuation, there were just so many misused colons, parentheses, quotation marks, and especially exclamation marks! in the whole story !! just so many !!!!! that don’t belong!!!! Do the author and editor not know what an exclamation mark means? They were used like periods. Was this some sort of stylistic choice I’ve never encountered? It was so distracting. There were also too many similes throughout to where you forgot the point the author was trying to make with them.
Back to the Maki family. I can’t say I knew Derrick that well other than from his letters, so I will leave him alone. Lena was a total monster, so conniving and manipulative and oddly obsessed with Grace. I never really understood her push to have Grace and Derrick end up together when Grace already had a boyfriend, and had never met Derrick. It was inconceivable that Violet sold the farm to Joe & Grace, how could she not see it would send Lena over the edge she was already precariously teetering on? Everyone knew Lena’s fixation with the family home and never leaving there, especially her own mother. It set off a course of events that I am certain Violet saw coming. Then she just disappeared for 55 years and let it all play out while turning a blind eye, never even checking up on her daughter and any possible grandchildren or great grandchildren. As dreadful as they all were, I think I blame Violet the most for what went on in their family. I was honestly surprised she hadn’t poisoned Jago after all.
I never understood why Grace was so weak and let Lena control and use her. She seemed like a strong person, but I suppose her insecurities about being a farm wife, and her deep desire to fulfill her dreams made her too pliable. Who knows what would have happened to Grace & Joe left on their own, if their marriage would have stood the test of time and Grace’s ambitions. But Lena living with them was like a cancer growing between them, pushing them further and further apart, planting doubt and mistrust… how could they not see it? Grace began to, but Joe wouldn’t let himself see it because he just wanted the farm to succeed so badly, and Lena was a huge help in that.
Jago’s life was depressing, I will give him that. But from the references to it, I was expecting it to be even worse than it actually was. At nearly the end of the book there is a long, boring, and unnecessary backstory thrown in, (inexplicably a random stranger at a nursing home knows the whole saga even though no one else did, eye roll) that really added nothing to the overall plot. Yes, we all wanted to know what the ruby ring was doing hiding in his tree stand, but a few sentences would have cleared that up. Because of his hardscrabble childhood and broken heart, Jago was selfish and gambled away his family’s money and property to try to drown out his own demons. He perhaps could’ve been happy or at least content had he just confided in Violet from the beginning of their marriage, and tried to put his past behind him with her help.
There are definitely things I would’ve done differently if I’d written this, but overall I liked the story, and I have thought a lot about the characters after finishing. Ellen Baker has a unique way of transporting me; of creating places that become so real I feel like I’ve been to them and can describe everything about them. Her writing isn’t overly descriptive, but I get a chilly yet cozy, painful yet beautiful vibe from her novels that stays with me for a long time. I do hope she writes more soon.
Things I liked:
The setting, Grace & Joe (for the most part), Julia, and the fairly happy ending for everyone. I would’ve loved to have seen more of Grace and her life in the missing CA years, and even Joe as well.
Things I didn’t like:
The entire Maki family!!! They were all awful in their own ways, and made choices that only hurt themselves and their family.
Derrick and Lena’s letters to each other almost made me stop reading. Not only were they unbelievably immature for 18-19 year olds, but the punctuation was infuriating. Do the author and editor(s) really think every turn of phrase has to be in quotes? It got to be so ridiculous with quotes in every sentence where they definitely didn’t belong, I was going insane. And speaking of punctuation, there were just so many misused colons, parentheses, quotation marks, and especially exclamation marks! in the whole story !! just so many !!!!! that don’t belong!!!! Do the author and editor not know what an exclamation mark means? They were used like periods. Was this some sort of stylistic choice I’ve never encountered? It was so distracting. There were also too many similes throughout to where you forgot the point the author was trying to make with them.
Back to the Maki family. I can’t say I knew Derrick that well other than from his letters, so I will leave him alone. Lena was a total monster, so conniving and manipulative and oddly obsessed with Grace. I never really understood her push to have Grace and Derrick end up together when Grace already had a boyfriend, and had never met Derrick. It was inconceivable that Violet sold the farm to Joe & Grace, how could she not see it would send Lena over the edge she was already precariously teetering on? Everyone knew Lena’s fixation with the family home and never leaving there, especially her own mother. It set off a course of events that I am certain Violet saw coming. Then she just disappeared for 55 years and let it all play out while turning a blind eye, never even checking up on her daughter and any possible grandchildren or great grandchildren. As dreadful as they all were, I think I blame Violet the most for what went on in their family. I was honestly surprised she hadn’t poisoned Jago after all.
I never understood why Grace was so weak and let Lena control and use her. She seemed like a strong person, but I suppose her insecurities about being a farm wife, and her deep desire to fulfill her dreams made her too pliable. Who knows what would have happened to Grace & Joe left on their own, if their marriage would have stood the test of time and Grace’s ambitions. But Lena living with them was like a cancer growing between them, pushing them further and further apart, planting doubt and mistrust… how could they not see it? Grace began to, but Joe wouldn’t let himself see it because he just wanted the farm to succeed so badly, and Lena was a huge help in that.
Jago’s life was depressing, I will give him that. But from the references to it, I was expecting it to be even worse than it actually was. At nearly the end of the book there is a long, boring, and unnecessary backstory thrown in, (inexplicably a random stranger at a nursing home knows the whole saga even though no one else did, eye roll) that really added nothing to the overall plot. Yes, we all wanted to know what the ruby ring was doing hiding in his tree stand, but a few sentences would have cleared that up. Because of his hardscrabble childhood and broken heart, Jago was selfish and gambled away his family’s money and property to try to drown out his own demons. He perhaps could’ve been happy or at least content had he just confided in Violet from the beginning of their marriage, and tried to put his past behind him with her help.
There are definitely things I would’ve done differently if I’d written this, but overall I liked the story, and I have thought a lot about the characters after finishing. Ellen Baker has a unique way of transporting me; of creating places that become so real I feel like I’ve been to them and can describe everything about them. Her writing isn’t overly descriptive, but I get a chilly yet cozy, painful yet beautiful vibe from her novels that stays with me for a long time. I do hope she writes more soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2018
I really enjoyed reading a book based out of my home state. It was an interesting story line about women having to help work at the shipyard during the war, but then expected to go back to being housewives as if the war never happened. Very interesting story of two families that were intertwined, and held long deep secrets for decades.
September 2, 2011
During World War II when the men went off to war the women went to work, many took on jobs as welders. This book follows the story of three of those women, Violet, Grace and Lena. Alongside the story of these friends we also have a present day story, that of Julia, granddaughter of one of the women. She has returned to the family farm to nurse a broken heart. While there she begins to unravel some long held family secrets.
This book started off pretty well, I enjoy stories set during the war and especially when they focus on the women on the home front. Unfortunately this book was full of so much foreshadowing and far too many coincidences to sustain believability. There was just too much going on, too many elements. Mysterious pictures, possible murder, a missing pilot, unfinished letters, long lost lovers, the list goes on and on. Instead of being a book focusing on the three women it became a soap opera with behaviors that defied logic.
The only reason it gets 3 stars is because until it slid into the odd mystery at the core of the story it was an intriguing read that I was enjoying; it just went over the top with the completely inexplicable behavior of some people, and the almost perfect resolution of the mystery which caused me to roll my eyes more than once.
This book started off pretty well, I enjoy stories set during the war and especially when they focus on the women on the home front. Unfortunately this book was full of so much foreshadowing and far too many coincidences to sustain believability. There was just too much going on, too many elements. Mysterious pictures, possible murder, a missing pilot, unfinished letters, long lost lovers, the list goes on and on. Instead of being a book focusing on the three women it became a soap opera with behaviors that defied logic.
The only reason it gets 3 stars is because until it slid into the odd mystery at the core of the story it was an intriguing read that I was enjoying; it just went over the top with the completely inexplicable behavior of some people, and the almost perfect resolution of the mystery which caused me to roll my eyes more than once.
September 17, 2012
I was really looking forward to this book and even saved it as a birthday present to myself, since I loved Keeping the House so much. I won't say I was altogether disappointed -- if I had read it independently of Keeping the House, I think I would have liked it very much -- but in context, with such high expectations, it was a bit of a let down.
Baker is really good at spinning a yarn, but the relationships between these characters is missing something elemental and truthful. I just don't believe some of the characters's actions or reasons for them, and not enough explanation is given as to why they would do what they do. That's all I'll say for fear of spoilers.
But it's a very good glimpse of the life of a Rosie in WWII (obviously lovingly researched), and there are facets of the story that, when isolated as a tale, are quiet little gems. I just feel like this wasn't as well put together as Keeping the House; hence, 3 stars. I think I would have given it 4 if I didn't love the other so well.
Baker is really good at spinning a yarn, but the relationships between these characters is missing something elemental and truthful. I just don't believe some of the characters's actions or reasons for them, and not enough explanation is given as to why they would do what they do. That's all I'll say for fear of spoilers.
But it's a very good glimpse of the life of a Rosie in WWII (obviously lovingly researched), and there are facets of the story that, when isolated as a tale, are quiet little gems. I just feel like this wasn't as well put together as Keeping the House; hence, 3 stars. I think I would have given it 4 if I didn't love the other so well.
February 10, 2012
I am so thankful to have won this book! Thanks firstreads giveaways!
WOW! I am truly thankful for winning this book. I finished it just now and am glad to have been able to read it. I really enjoyed my time with the characters. The aging of the characters and the way their stories played out was wonderfully written. An amazingly wonderful book. I would highly recommend this one to everyone. I will tell my friends this is a must read! Thanks for the giveaway firstreads! Just did a reread of this wonderful book. The story of Violet, Grace, Lena, and the others in their lives is a story that spans any years and still teaches you that lost things and people can always be found.
WOW! I am truly thankful for winning this book. I finished it just now and am glad to have been able to read it. I really enjoyed my time with the characters. The aging of the characters and the way their stories played out was wonderfully written. An amazingly wonderful book. I would highly recommend this one to everyone. I will tell my friends this is a must read! Thanks for the giveaway firstreads! Just did a reread of this wonderful book. The story of Violet, Grace, Lena, and the others in their lives is a story that spans any years and still teaches you that lost things and people can always be found.
July 7, 2017
The present-day portions of this story were disappointing, with little character development. The unraveling of various mysteries of the past was also a letdown--too melodramatic to be believable. However, the parts of this book dedicated to the1940's felt fresh and realistic. Unfortunately, the author did little to realistically tie together the past and the present, resulting in a lackluster novel overall.
January 28, 2012
This book, despite a lovely title, failed to move me. Spanning multiple generations from 1912 to present day, the lives of mothers, daughters and friends are affected by secrets kept and loves lost. I thought the characters were shallow and unlikeable and the plot felt like a Lifetime movie gone awry. This was not the fine piece of historical fiction I was expecting.
May 4, 2016
What a wicked web we weave
An exciting well written story about WWII, about love and loss and the prices we pay for the choices we make in life. How some of us cannot or will not let go of the past. And how to move on.
An exciting well written story about WWII, about love and loss and the prices we pay for the choices we make in life. How some of us cannot or will not let go of the past. And how to move on.
January 1, 2025
This one has a few things I enjoy in book; multiple perspectives, time shifts, one of those being set during WWII, family dynamics, and mystery. At times the coincidences were a bit unbelievable but I liked the book so I can overlook it. I felt the range of emotions with this one!!
July 19, 2011
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May 19, 2013
Good story, not a fan of the jumping back and forth from past to present.
March 9, 2019
Keeping the House is a better book
I read Keeping the House by Ellen Baker several years ago and I just loved it. I recommended it to several people and it is a book that I would re-read. Her more recent book starts out strong but I did not enjoy most of the final section (Part 4: Home). I ended up feeling let down because I really enjoyed the first three sections. I am waivering between 3.5 and 4 stars. Since I enjoyed most of the book, I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
I Gave My Heart to Know This is family saga that moves back and forth in time. The book is set predominately between 1944-47 and in the summer of 2000. In a small town near Superior, Wisconsin, Grace, Violet, and Lena. are all welders in a ship yard. Violet is supporting her gambler husband, Jago, and her daughter Lena is helping out. Violets’s son has just joined the war. Grace dreams of being a costume designer in Hollywood while Lena dreams of setting Grace up with her twin brother so they all can live together on the farm. This despite the fact that Grace is basically engaged to her high school boyfriend, who is also at war. I don’t want to spoil how the story unfolds since not much works out as planned. Fast forward to 2000 and Julia comes back to the farm in Wisconsin. Julia is Lena’s granddaughter and the farm now belongs to Julia’s aunt Alice. She comes to farm-sit while her aunt and uncle travel and also to heal her heart after the end of her engagement.
One reason I enjoy Ms. Baker’s books is because they are set in Wisconsin. She also writes a great family saga with some mystery and with characters that I care about. She is an excellent story teller. I certainly got drawn into the story. The writing is solid and is more plot driven. My disappointment about the last section involves a too tidy ending. Generations of family hurt and misunderstanding are healed rather quickly and everyone lives happily ever after. There is one family mystery that is open to interpretation, in my opinion. In order to salvage my enjoyment of this book, I prefer to think that a certain elderly lady character may not be as innocent as she seems.
I read Keeping the House by Ellen Baker several years ago and I just loved it. I recommended it to several people and it is a book that I would re-read. Her more recent book starts out strong but I did not enjoy most of the final section (Part 4: Home). I ended up feeling let down because I really enjoyed the first three sections. I am waivering between 3.5 and 4 stars. Since I enjoyed most of the book, I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
I Gave My Heart to Know This is family saga that moves back and forth in time. The book is set predominately between 1944-47 and in the summer of 2000. In a small town near Superior, Wisconsin, Grace, Violet, and Lena. are all welders in a ship yard. Violet is supporting her gambler husband, Jago, and her daughter Lena is helping out. Violets’s son has just joined the war. Grace dreams of being a costume designer in Hollywood while Lena dreams of setting Grace up with her twin brother so they all can live together on the farm. This despite the fact that Grace is basically engaged to her high school boyfriend, who is also at war. I don’t want to spoil how the story unfolds since not much works out as planned. Fast forward to 2000 and Julia comes back to the farm in Wisconsin. Julia is Lena’s granddaughter and the farm now belongs to Julia’s aunt Alice. She comes to farm-sit while her aunt and uncle travel and also to heal her heart after the end of her engagement.
One reason I enjoy Ms. Baker’s books is because they are set in Wisconsin. She also writes a great family saga with some mystery and with characters that I care about. She is an excellent story teller. I certainly got drawn into the story. The writing is solid and is more plot driven. My disappointment about the last section involves a too tidy ending. Generations of family hurt and misunderstanding are healed rather quickly and everyone lives happily ever after. There is one family mystery that is open to interpretation, in my opinion. In order to salvage my enjoyment of this book, I prefer to think that a certain elderly lady character may not be as innocent as she seems.
November 20, 2022
An easy read, but not a page turner.
Found a couple of problems with the writer's choice of words.
"Restive" used incorrectly.
The distracting choice of the word, F_k, in several conversations.
One time, instead of going to the store, a character goes to "Target."
Lingonberry jam eaten by Grace's father. (Lingonberries are wild fruit, grown mostly in the Pacific Northwest in USA. They are common in Nordic countries, but it seems unlikely that jam would be imported to the USA in 1940s or that a city girl like Grace, who admittedly didn't know how to can, would find and can wild lingonberries.)
These choices make me think that the author's editor (or her high school English teacher!) told her to use specific details to ground her fiction. But, instead, these deliberate word choices smack of insincerity, as if they've been plucked from a thesaurus, without understanding the meaning, i.e., restive. (I can picture the author at her desk thinking, "Hmmm, I want the speaker to be rough around the edges. I know! I'll have him use curse words as exclamation points!") (Or, "Hmmm, jam, jam, jam. Let me see, what kind of jam he could be eating. Oh! Here's an interesting one! Lingonberry!")
Many parts of the novel are well researched, especially the parts about the welding.
But so many of the plot devices are awkward. I don't understand why the granddaughter was cleaning and restoring the farmhouse. Alone. I suppose it's a way to get her to discover the trunks and the letters. But, the sadness of her boyfriend's death, channeled into cleaning, painting, and running marathons seems forced.
As well as giving her a "meet cute" moment at the end of the book.
The last couple of chapters are simply a mess of pulling characters together, when they don't want to be. As the reader, you feel the author's stress, as she tries to wrap it up.
This is exactly the kind of published book that inspires me to write my own book, because I think I can do better than this.
Found a couple of problems with the writer's choice of words.
"Restive" used incorrectly.
The distracting choice of the word, F_k, in several conversations.
One time, instead of going to the store, a character goes to "Target."
Lingonberry jam eaten by Grace's father. (Lingonberries are wild fruit, grown mostly in the Pacific Northwest in USA. They are common in Nordic countries, but it seems unlikely that jam would be imported to the USA in 1940s or that a city girl like Grace, who admittedly didn't know how to can, would find and can wild lingonberries.)
These choices make me think that the author's editor (or her high school English teacher!) told her to use specific details to ground her fiction. But, instead, these deliberate word choices smack of insincerity, as if they've been plucked from a thesaurus, without understanding the meaning, i.e., restive. (I can picture the author at her desk thinking, "Hmmm, I want the speaker to be rough around the edges. I know! I'll have him use curse words as exclamation points!") (Or, "Hmmm, jam, jam, jam. Let me see, what kind of jam he could be eating. Oh! Here's an interesting one! Lingonberry!")
Many parts of the novel are well researched, especially the parts about the welding.
But so many of the plot devices are awkward. I don't understand why the granddaughter was cleaning and restoring the farmhouse. Alone. I suppose it's a way to get her to discover the trunks and the letters. But, the sadness of her boyfriend's death, channeled into cleaning, painting, and running marathons seems forced.
As well as giving her a "meet cute" moment at the end of the book.
The last couple of chapters are simply a mess of pulling characters together, when they don't want to be. As the reader, you feel the author's stress, as she tries to wrap it up.
This is exactly the kind of published book that inspires me to write my own book, because I think I can do better than this.
September 28, 2018
This book takes place during WWll when the men are off fighting overseas and the women pick up the jobs at various factories, to keep the war effort going! It also takes place in present day , with the women looking back at their choices and the consequences that occur with those decisions.
The book starts off very slow but definitely picks up within a few chapters.
In present time, when the "older generation" now meets up with the "new generation" and stories are shared, I did find the writing a bit confusing as to who was related to who....who was speaking for who....and how this actually affected the people involved.
I did like this story, but I feel ambivalent about giving it more stars.
The book starts off very slow but definitely picks up within a few chapters.
In present time, when the "older generation" now meets up with the "new generation" and stories are shared, I did find the writing a bit confusing as to who was related to who....who was speaking for who....and how this actually affected the people involved.
I did like this story, but I feel ambivalent about giving it more stars.
September 10, 2017
A Nice Surprise
I had read another book by this author and liked it so I usually like to read another book by the same author. I was not sure as I started to read that I was going to like it but as I read I was pleasantly surprised.
The setting is Minnesota and as I live in Michigan I was instantly drawn into the story of harsh winters, the Great Lakes, and the mention of the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Also it was set in the early 1940's and I am very interested. In history.
The author keeps the reader guessing as to what the outcome will be so it is quite the page turner! Will definitely follow this author!!!
I had read another book by this author and liked it so I usually like to read another book by the same author. I was not sure as I started to read that I was going to like it but as I read I was pleasantly surprised.
The setting is Minnesota and as I live in Michigan I was instantly drawn into the story of harsh winters, the Great Lakes, and the mention of the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Also it was set in the early 1940's and I am very interested. In history.
The author keeps the reader guessing as to what the outcome will be so it is quite the page turner! Will definitely follow this author!!!
January 27, 2018
This was actually a re-read for me. I first read the book in 2011 or 2012. The book was our book club's January selection and it only took me two or three pages to realize I had read the book before. But like so many books I've already read, I did not remember enough details to just go to club without re-reading the book. I am so glad that I did the second reading. Although the plot is a bit convoluted, Baker's writing draws you into the story, and I love the Wisconsin WWII. Our book club discussion was one of the best we have had in more than a year, partly due to an author interview our leader found which detailed how Baker came to write this book.
April 6, 2022
There were memorable characters creating a plot with twists and turns that kept me reading until the end. Because I read quickly, perhaps too quickly, I often found myself floundering with the switching back and forth between present day and back story and attempting to figure out which character was doing what. I expect the author to create a reason why the past events enter the story so they can be intertwined with the present, and, for me, that was missing in the construction of the plot. I might reread this one to discover if the connections were there but I skimmed over them. At this point, I’d give the book 3 stars.
August 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Set during World War II, not a period piece at all, the story of those left behind to keep their households going while the men were at war. The book starts off very slow but definitely picks up within a few chapters. I normally don't like books where chapters bounce back and forth from current dates and then back again to the war period. It gets a a bit confusing as to who was related to who, kind of like keeping track of a family tree in your head. That being said, the book did come full circle with the past and the present. Bottom line, how it affects not only the soldiers who fought but those left behind to mourn the losses.
May 25, 2020
3.65 This book was better than I was expecting after reading the online reviews. It was a family story of love, mystery, lies , and loss. “Lost things can be found sometimes.” Violet, Lena, Grace...along with Derrick, Jago, and Joe...have a family history and connection that Julia is discovering throughout this story. Nice story. PS..glad our libraries are opening back up tomorrow for book checkout!!
November 15, 2021
This book has been sitting on my shelf for ten years and I'm so glad I finally picked it up and enjoyed it. Historical fiction that moves back and forth from the 1940s to the present, I loved the twists and turns of this family and the secrets that were finally revealed (and weren't exactly what I expected). I read Baker's first book and loved it, and also love this one. I only wish there were more of her novels to enjoy.
July 23, 2022
Very involved book. I don't mind having to concentrate or take notes to stay on track but this was daunting without a reward.
Timelines shift willy-nilly. The characters are selfish and numbing to read.
The book started out just fine and then went completely off the rails. The storytelling lacks staying power and the author's use of quotation and exclamation marks is over-the-top from what was used during that time period.
Three stars for the beginning of the book. Skip this one.
Timelines shift willy-nilly. The characters are selfish and numbing to read.
The book started out just fine and then went completely off the rails. The storytelling lacks staying power and the author's use of quotation and exclamation marks is over-the-top from what was used during that time period.
Three stars for the beginning of the book. Skip this one.
March 18, 2019
An historical novel that sprawls across time -- but is grounded by the Italian Hall panic/massacre in Calumet, Mi in 1913. Since I think that event is so important, I am ready to accept any book that keeps that memory alive. Here's a little thing I wrote about this a few years back:
https://annarborobserver.com/articles...
https://annarborobserver.com/articles...
September 21, 2017
Ellen Baker is just a great story teller. This time she sets her historical novel in 1944 Wisconsin where women are joining the war effort as welders as their men are heading off to war. This is a story about relationships and expectations and disappointments which are echoed five decades later.
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