What do you think?
Rate this book
Cold Comfort
A tender, moving love story...It's Thanksgiving weekend and workaholic photojournalist Anna Maria "A.M." LaRusa returns to Federal Hill, a small Italian-American enclave in Rhode Island, to spend a quiet holiday with her only remaining relative, her Aunt Minnie, a hip, 96-year-old who texts and has a blog. But when a blizzard Nor'easter threatens New England, there is a change in plans. As A.M. and her aunt prepare for the holiday and the storm, A.M. unexpectedly runs into a man she hasn't seen in ten years--a man whom she still refers to as "the guy who broke my heart in college"--and her weekend and her life are suddenly upended. Stuck amid the snowy deep freeze that paralyzes the region, A.M. begins to wonder if her cold, wounded heart from an unrequited love will ever thaw.
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2014
8 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Gerard
16 books42 followersKathleen Gerard is a writer whose work has been awarded The Perillo Prize, The Eric Hoffer Prose Award and nominated for Best New American Voices and Short Story America, all national prizes in literature. Kathleen writes across genres. Her short prose and poetry have been widely published in magazines, journals and anthologies. Her essays have been broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR).
Kathleen’s woman-in-jeopardy novel In Transit won The New York Book Festival – “Best Romantic Fiction” (2011). Kathleen is a book reviewer for and a contributor to Shelf Awareness and maintains the blog, “Reading Between the Lines.”
Kathleen’s woman-in-jeopardy novel In Transit won The New York Book Festival – “Best Romantic Fiction” (2011). Kathleen is a book reviewer for and a contributor to Shelf Awareness and maintains the blog, “Reading Between the Lines.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 24, 2016
Great Thanksgiving short story!
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershea...
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershea...
November 16, 2018
I'd been looking for stories that are set at "Thanksgiving" and it's really hard because most of them that are recommended, I've already read. I purchased "Cold Comfort" as a $0.99 kindle book and am happy not to regret it. This is a very moving second chances romance with our heroine, "Anna Maria LaRusa" better known as "A.M.". I thought she was a DJ or radio host but it turns out, she's a photojournalist and workaholic. A.M. is spending the Thanksgiving weekend with her only living relative, her Great-Aunt Minnie who is a very hip, blog writing 96 year old. My favorite character in this story is Aunt Minnie but not because she's ditsy or colorful but wise and as you would expect, set in her ways then doles out very sage advise. Our hero is "Giacomo" better known to A.M. as "Jack" or "the man that broke my heart in college". The plot is not only a romance but what innovative ways to continue to celebrate the holiday during an "Nor'Easter". Short novella but characters are well written and the plot keeps you interested in the outcome. Recommended.
November 16, 2016
‘Oh, what have I gotten myself into!’
Kathleen Gerard is a writer whose work has been awarded The Perillo Prize, The Eric Hoffer Prose Award and nominated for Best New American Voices and Short Story America, all national prizes in literature. Kathleen writes across genres. Her short prose and poetry have been widely published in magazines, journals and anthologies and have been awarded and nominated for many prizes including The Saturday Evening Post "Great American Fiction" Prize, The Mark Twain House Humor Prize and the Faulkner-Wisdom Prize. Her essays have been broadcast on National Public Radio. Kathleen writes for Shelf Awareness and maintains the blog, "Reading Between the Lines."
For those fortunate enough to have read other books by Kathleen, COLD COMFORT will come as no surprise as it is her special brand of polished prose and that rare quality of being in touch with feelings we all own but rarely allow to surface – feelings she so easily translates to the written word. He ability to draw unique characters is a gift, one obvious in the opening paragraphs of this very special love story: ‘“Be back in an hour,” Aunt Minnie said, handing me a shopping list longer than my arm. “I don’t want to be late for my appointment at the chiropodist.” I didn’t know what a chiropodist was any more than I could read Aunt Minnie’s warbling scribble. The intensity of her penmanship— the shape and form of each carefully constructed letter, both upper and lower case— could be felt like Braille bleeding through the post-marked and addressed business-sized envelope. She’d cut it open length-wise in order to accommodate her long list of instructions. Frugality, even when it came to recycling uses for paper, was Minnie’s middle name. “I can’t read this. What does this say?” I asked, pointing to one of the many stops listed on the itinerary. “Let me see.” Aunt Minnie slipped on the pair of bifocal glasses hanging from a chain around her neck. She peered down at the list and spouted, “Okay, we’ve got the turkey, gizzards and hot and sweet saus-seige from Arturo the Butcher; potatoes and parsley, pinnolis and lemons from Dutchy at the veg-a-table stand; cannolis and strufuli from Palermo’s… With the cod, you tell Giacomo that I want four fill-its, as big as my hand, half-inch thick.” She gestured at the length of her palm then held up her thumb and forefinger to demonstrate what she meant.'
In need of some spirit picker-upper this season? Then by all means read this book, summarized as follows – ‘It's Thanksgiving weekend and workaholic photojournalist Anna Maria "A.M." LaRusa returns to Federal Hill, a small Italian-American enclave in Rhode Island, to spend a quiet holiday with her only remaining relative, her Aunt Minnie, a hip, 96-year-old who texts and has a blog. But when a blizzard Nor'easter threatens New England, there is a change in plans. As A.M. and her aunt prepare for the holiday and the storm, A.M. unexpectedly runs into a man she hasn't seen in ten years--a man whom she still refers to as "the guy who broke my heart in college"--and her weekend and her life are suddenly upended. Stuck amid the snowy deep freeze that paralyzes the region, A.M. begins to wonder if her cold, wounded heart from an unrequited love will ever thaw.’
Everything you need for a short, sit by the toasty fire and prepare for the holidays – and life as it can be. Another winner for Kathleen Gerard.
Kathleen Gerard is a writer whose work has been awarded The Perillo Prize, The Eric Hoffer Prose Award and nominated for Best New American Voices and Short Story America, all national prizes in literature. Kathleen writes across genres. Her short prose and poetry have been widely published in magazines, journals and anthologies and have been awarded and nominated for many prizes including The Saturday Evening Post "Great American Fiction" Prize, The Mark Twain House Humor Prize and the Faulkner-Wisdom Prize. Her essays have been broadcast on National Public Radio. Kathleen writes for Shelf Awareness and maintains the blog, "Reading Between the Lines."
For those fortunate enough to have read other books by Kathleen, COLD COMFORT will come as no surprise as it is her special brand of polished prose and that rare quality of being in touch with feelings we all own but rarely allow to surface – feelings she so easily translates to the written word. He ability to draw unique characters is a gift, one obvious in the opening paragraphs of this very special love story: ‘“Be back in an hour,” Aunt Minnie said, handing me a shopping list longer than my arm. “I don’t want to be late for my appointment at the chiropodist.” I didn’t know what a chiropodist was any more than I could read Aunt Minnie’s warbling scribble. The intensity of her penmanship— the shape and form of each carefully constructed letter, both upper and lower case— could be felt like Braille bleeding through the post-marked and addressed business-sized envelope. She’d cut it open length-wise in order to accommodate her long list of instructions. Frugality, even when it came to recycling uses for paper, was Minnie’s middle name. “I can’t read this. What does this say?” I asked, pointing to one of the many stops listed on the itinerary. “Let me see.” Aunt Minnie slipped on the pair of bifocal glasses hanging from a chain around her neck. She peered down at the list and spouted, “Okay, we’ve got the turkey, gizzards and hot and sweet saus-seige from Arturo the Butcher; potatoes and parsley, pinnolis and lemons from Dutchy at the veg-a-table stand; cannolis and strufuli from Palermo’s… With the cod, you tell Giacomo that I want four fill-its, as big as my hand, half-inch thick.” She gestured at the length of her palm then held up her thumb and forefinger to demonstrate what she meant.'
In need of some spirit picker-upper this season? Then by all means read this book, summarized as follows – ‘It's Thanksgiving weekend and workaholic photojournalist Anna Maria "A.M." LaRusa returns to Federal Hill, a small Italian-American enclave in Rhode Island, to spend a quiet holiday with her only remaining relative, her Aunt Minnie, a hip, 96-year-old who texts and has a blog. But when a blizzard Nor'easter threatens New England, there is a change in plans. As A.M. and her aunt prepare for the holiday and the storm, A.M. unexpectedly runs into a man she hasn't seen in ten years--a man whom she still refers to as "the guy who broke my heart in college"--and her weekend and her life are suddenly upended. Stuck amid the snowy deep freeze that paralyzes the region, A.M. begins to wonder if her cold, wounded heart from an unrequited love will ever thaw.’
Everything you need for a short, sit by the toasty fire and prepare for the holidays – and life as it can be. Another winner for Kathleen Gerard.
November 27, 2016
In my haste to pick my next library ebook just before bedtime, I didn't pay attention that this was a short story. I'm not a fan of short stories which have a tendency to feel incomplete or rushed. This story wasn't so great so it was just as well that it didn't drag on. I got tired of Anna Maria's constant reference to "the guy who broke my heart in college". The main reason I chose this book was because it took place during Thanksgiving.
December 8, 2020
Great short romance! Lacked a little bit. Yes was a bit annoying too of line " the boy who broke my heart from college". But its only mentioned 4-5x. So not overly annoying but still bit. Other than that, so much more gonna been. But still a great short one mostly.
July 26, 2016
One of the worst books I have ever read. Flat characters, predictable plot, stilted dialogue. It read like a first draft from a writer's workshop.
I will not be seeking other works by this author.
I will not be seeking other works by this author.
July 3, 2019
nothing exciting here, romance novel with typical parts but I do like the elderly Aunt
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews