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The Solitaire Diaries
When Tiffany’s gemologist Cay Vitale marries in court to do right by her unborn child, she does so without a diamond ring and winds up internally devastated. To ensure it would not happen again decades later, she carves out of raw grit three two-carat solitaires for her three sons to give to their future soul mates.
As Cay’s skilled obsession with diamonds eventually takes its toll on her marriage to her Marine Master Sergeant husband Clinton, her sons Clive, Chris and Coby grow increasingly torn on whether to classify their mother’s ultimate gift as a blessing or a burden. In the end, all involved must determine what really lasts forever: love or diamonds.
As Cay’s skilled obsession with diamonds eventually takes its toll on her marriage to her Marine Master Sergeant husband Clinton, her sons Clive, Chris and Coby grow increasingly torn on whether to classify their mother’s ultimate gift as a blessing or a burden. In the end, all involved must determine what really lasts forever: love or diamonds.
- GenresWomens Fiction
348 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2014
345 people want to read
About the author
Chiara Kelly
5 books85 followersChiara Kelly is an American freelance writer and editor currently living in Seoul, Korea with her husband and three sons. Her debut novel, "The Lady Leathernecks" is based in part on her service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-2005. She is a graduate of Campbell University and Boston University. Her genre of interest involves contemporary women's fiction with a military twist and some added Korean spice.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 15, 2015
`I was practically the Tiffany's black market, as I made jewelry pieces upon request'
US born Chiara Kelly lives and writes in Seoul, South Korea. She earned a Bachelor's degree in social science form Campbell University in North Carolina and a Master's degree in criminal justice form Boston University. Chiara served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005 as a tactical data network administrator with the 8th Communication Battalion in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Which provided the background for her debut novel THE LADY LEATHERNECKS, a realistic portrayal on the unique plight of women Marines. She is now a freelance writer and editor in Seoul, South Korea, where she lives with her husband and three sons.
Chiara has that gift to present a Prologue that so fully establishes her characters and sets the tone of the coming story that not immediately proceeding to the end of the book is not a choice. Her flow of language is excellent and her dialogue well crafter and she manages to create sidebars of interest (diamonds in this case) that educate as well as entertain the reader. She ties in her won experiences in subtle ways that enhance the credibility of the tale. Her main character, Cay Vitale, learns her trade of gemologist while her early-marriage husband Clint is stationed in Seoul - the site of the Gemology Institute of America campus. She suggests this as an important issue in the Prologue: `Diamonds had stories, didn't they? Diamonds were brilliant, valuable, costly and virtually indestructible by anything other than their own kind-- save for that menacing steel hammer that cleaved raw stones, including diamonds, into multiple gems. Did these qualities perhaps personify the fortunate recipients of them? Those two-carat plus ideal cut rocks which graced the fingers of worthy ladies came from dust in the ground, did they not?' And the `facets' of the plot begin to unwind.
The brief synopsis is concise: When Tiffany's gemologist Cay Vitale marries in court to do right by her unborn child, she does so without a diamond ring and winds up internally devastated. To ensure it would not happen again decades later, she carves out of raw grit three two-carat solitaires for her three sons to give to their future soul mates. As Cay's skilled obsession with diamonds eventually takes its toll on her marriage to her Marine Master Sergeant husband Clinton, her sons Clive, Chris and Coby grow increasingly torn on whether to classify their mother's ultimate gift as a blessing or a burden. In the end, all involved must determine what really lasts forever: love or diamonds.'
Terrific idea for a story and a very well written one at that. Look to see more form this young author - she has style!
US born Chiara Kelly lives and writes in Seoul, South Korea. She earned a Bachelor's degree in social science form Campbell University in North Carolina and a Master's degree in criminal justice form Boston University. Chiara served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005 as a tactical data network administrator with the 8th Communication Battalion in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Which provided the background for her debut novel THE LADY LEATHERNECKS, a realistic portrayal on the unique plight of women Marines. She is now a freelance writer and editor in Seoul, South Korea, where she lives with her husband and three sons.
Chiara has that gift to present a Prologue that so fully establishes her characters and sets the tone of the coming story that not immediately proceeding to the end of the book is not a choice. Her flow of language is excellent and her dialogue well crafter and she manages to create sidebars of interest (diamonds in this case) that educate as well as entertain the reader. She ties in her won experiences in subtle ways that enhance the credibility of the tale. Her main character, Cay Vitale, learns her trade of gemologist while her early-marriage husband Clint is stationed in Seoul - the site of the Gemology Institute of America campus. She suggests this as an important issue in the Prologue: `Diamonds had stories, didn't they? Diamonds were brilliant, valuable, costly and virtually indestructible by anything other than their own kind-- save for that menacing steel hammer that cleaved raw stones, including diamonds, into multiple gems. Did these qualities perhaps personify the fortunate recipients of them? Those two-carat plus ideal cut rocks which graced the fingers of worthy ladies came from dust in the ground, did they not?' And the `facets' of the plot begin to unwind.
The brief synopsis is concise: When Tiffany's gemologist Cay Vitale marries in court to do right by her unborn child, she does so without a diamond ring and winds up internally devastated. To ensure it would not happen again decades later, she carves out of raw grit three two-carat solitaires for her three sons to give to their future soul mates. As Cay's skilled obsession with diamonds eventually takes its toll on her marriage to her Marine Master Sergeant husband Clinton, her sons Clive, Chris and Coby grow increasingly torn on whether to classify their mother's ultimate gift as a blessing or a burden. In the end, all involved must determine what really lasts forever: love or diamonds.'
Terrific idea for a story and a very well written one at that. Look to see more form this young author - she has style!
November 17, 2015
Once upon a time, Cay Bassett married Clint Vitale because she was pregnant, and she spent years regretting that their budget could not afford a diamond engagement ring for her. That regret led to Cay learning to cut gems and ultimately working full-time at Tiffany’s. It also led to Cay’s obsessive need to make sure her own sons would never lack diamonds for their brides; Cay hand-cut gorgeous two-carat solitaires for all three. Now nearing middle-age, Cay, Clint, and their three grown sons are facing all kinds of new beginnings and endings in their lives. As the boys struggle with life decisions and relationships, their mother’s diamonds are always in the back of their minds, but their paths might not lead to the soul mates and happy marriages Cay dreams of. And Cay and Clint must face their own mid-life surprise. In the end, will the Vitale family discover happiness?
Chiara Kelly’s novel "The Solitaire Diaries" is a fascinating exploration of the lives of the Vitale family. It is a relatively realistic glimpse into the life of a military wife, and while Clint’s career in the Marines is an important foundation of the book, the military lifestyle also doesn’t overpower other aspects of the story. Kelly does a decent job developing distinct personalities for all of her main characters, and their individual stories weave together to form a cohesive novel that ultimately will draw readers in and keep them interested until the end. It was fun (and absolutely necessary) to experience the story from the points of view of both Cay and Clint, as well as all three of their children. All in all, "The Solitaire Diaries" was a great character-driven novel with a satisfying conclusion.
Originally written for San Francisco Book Review.
Chiara Kelly’s novel "The Solitaire Diaries" is a fascinating exploration of the lives of the Vitale family. It is a relatively realistic glimpse into the life of a military wife, and while Clint’s career in the Marines is an important foundation of the book, the military lifestyle also doesn’t overpower other aspects of the story. Kelly does a decent job developing distinct personalities for all of her main characters, and their individual stories weave together to form a cohesive novel that ultimately will draw readers in and keep them interested until the end. It was fun (and absolutely necessary) to experience the story from the points of view of both Cay and Clint, as well as all three of their children. All in all, "The Solitaire Diaries" was a great character-driven novel with a satisfying conclusion.
Originally written for San Francisco Book Review.
October 22, 2016
GOOD EDITOR NEEDED.
I was intrigued by the title and was looking forward to a good read.
This is a story about one woman’s obsession about the ‘indignity of getting married without a diamond.’ Cay’s diamond-less state inspires her to become a gemologist and to fashion and cut diamonds for her three sons that they can ‘give to their brides in order to make queens out of their princesses.’
This obsession follows through her life and we are told the story of her family through the various voices. ‘I want,’ Cay tells her sons, tears welling up, ‘what I never got from your father.’ There are details about the color and cut of diamonds that could be quite poetic if the author could meet the challenge of tying the title to the narration. It only turns out to be clunky prose.
This book is also about class: those that have money and are comfortable with it and those that do not and are uncomfortable with it.
Unfortunately, a long list of grammatical, punctuation and syntax errors mar the facets of this gem-like book. A few examples: ‘I was in awe to be the boyfriend…;’ ‘The Hudson love rock us;’ ‘flabbergasted at how cute she looked;’ ‘extravert,’ ‘Morgane loved expressing herself to give to the world.’
At Rosarita’s funeral, Clive comes off as cynical instead of the grieving almost ex-boyfriend. While ruminating her death, he still manages to notice Felicia for ‘Rosie was not my first love, nor will she probably be my last as I was barely 22.’
What sympathy I had for Clive flew out the window!
This book wants a good editor to guide it over the rocky path of publishing. This is a butterfly waiting to burst out of its chrysalis.
I was intrigued by the title and was looking forward to a good read.
This is a story about one woman’s obsession about the ‘indignity of getting married without a diamond.’ Cay’s diamond-less state inspires her to become a gemologist and to fashion and cut diamonds for her three sons that they can ‘give to their brides in order to make queens out of their princesses.’
This obsession follows through her life and we are told the story of her family through the various voices. ‘I want,’ Cay tells her sons, tears welling up, ‘what I never got from your father.’ There are details about the color and cut of diamonds that could be quite poetic if the author could meet the challenge of tying the title to the narration. It only turns out to be clunky prose.
This book is also about class: those that have money and are comfortable with it and those that do not and are uncomfortable with it.
Unfortunately, a long list of grammatical, punctuation and syntax errors mar the facets of this gem-like book. A few examples: ‘I was in awe to be the boyfriend…;’ ‘The Hudson love rock us;’ ‘flabbergasted at how cute she looked;’ ‘extravert,’ ‘Morgane loved expressing herself to give to the world.’
At Rosarita’s funeral, Clive comes off as cynical instead of the grieving almost ex-boyfriend. While ruminating her death, he still manages to notice Felicia for ‘Rosie was not my first love, nor will she probably be my last as I was barely 22.’
What sympathy I had for Clive flew out the window!
This book wants a good editor to guide it over the rocky path of publishing. This is a butterfly waiting to burst out of its chrysalis.
August 16, 2015
This was a unique story in a number of ways, but I think most notably was the author's disinterest in making the protagonist immediately likable. Typically, an author will try to make the main character sympathetic in certain ways, and while some elements of her own back story elicit some sympathy and interest in Cay, she is also a bit hard, more interested in things than people, and so passionate about her job that it borders on obsession rather than true craftsmanship. Having Cay be responsible for creating tangible representations of eternal love for countless people stands in stark juxtaposition to her own story, and her own expectations for life. What I particularly enjoyed was the author's switching of perspectives, allowing us to get the story through many different eyes. It's amazing how much more complex a story can become once you can peek into the minds of other characters, and we are consequently influenced by their own unique opinions on certain events and people.
Kelly masterfully weaves this tale of love, family, loss, and fortitude like an old pro, carving out meaning and sharp wisdom from the rough. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and her meticulous use of vocabulary, demonstrating a love of language almost as deep as Cay's love of all that shines. An interesting and engaging read, to be sure.
Kelly masterfully weaves this tale of love, family, loss, and fortitude like an old pro, carving out meaning and sharp wisdom from the rough. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and her meticulous use of vocabulary, demonstrating a love of language almost as deep as Cay's love of all that shines. An interesting and engaging read, to be sure.
August 17, 2015
The Solitaire Diaries, by Chiara Kelly, is a unique story, unlike one that I've read before. This is more of a dramatic romantic novel, that brings a lot of twists and turns along the way. I was drawn in from chapter one, which is not something that easily happens. I found Kelly's writing style to be refreshing, easy to follow, and very well done. I almost felt as if I was a part of the story with all the main characters.
This is a story about a woman's journey through pregnancy and motherhood. Main character Cay falls in love and marries her high school sweetheart, almost instantly. Her rich father disowns her, so she's pretty much left to fend for herself. She has one infatuation; diamonds! She sees other women with them, and she wants them for herself. She decides to go back to school to learn everything and anything that she can about diamonds. She decides to make her own engagement rings for her sons, to give to their future wives someday.
This is a great story that focuses on the military family lifestyle, and what lengths a mother will go through for her children. It's a pretty quick read, so I would definitely recommend it; it will keep you entertained.
This is a story about a woman's journey through pregnancy and motherhood. Main character Cay falls in love and marries her high school sweetheart, almost instantly. Her rich father disowns her, so she's pretty much left to fend for herself. She has one infatuation; diamonds! She sees other women with them, and she wants them for herself. She decides to go back to school to learn everything and anything that she can about diamonds. She decides to make her own engagement rings for her sons, to give to their future wives someday.
This is a great story that focuses on the military family lifestyle, and what lengths a mother will go through for her children. It's a pretty quick read, so I would definitely recommend it; it will keep you entertained.
August 15, 2015
This is a very dramatically written novel with a clearly written romantic sideline. Chiara Kelly writes her main character, a mother of three boys, as being a very caring individual who wants the best for her children, but at the same time is consumed with the need for her diamonds (that she passed down to each of her sons) to make it into the hands of a deserving soul mate. This applies pressure to the sons to try and figure out what it is that their mother truly wants from them adding to the interest that I had for the novel. The Solitaire Diaries reminds me of a soap opera because having an obsession with diamonds doesn’t seem like something that a book should be revolved around, but Kelly does a fantastic job of making a believable, yet satisfyingly romantic situation. The boys end up teaching their mother a valuable lesson, where diamonds do not hold a high value when being compared to love.
August 6, 2015
Cay Vitale married in a courthouse without ever getting a diamond from her husband, Clint. He's a marine. She was sort of uneasy about not getting a diamond and promised herself that her children, all boys by the way, would have diamonds to give to their true loves.
Cay eventually became a gemologist and created three two-carat solitaires for her sons to give to their mates. She kept them in a safe until the right day arrived for her boys.
Many relationship adventures later, the boys realized what their mother hoped for them.
You will enjoy reading about the Vitale family and all their ups and downs in relationships.
I won this book through the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway. Thank you to Chiara Kelly for great novel.
Cay eventually became a gemologist and created three two-carat solitaires for her sons to give to their mates. She kept them in a safe until the right day arrived for her boys.
Many relationship adventures later, the boys realized what their mother hoped for them.
You will enjoy reading about the Vitale family and all their ups and downs in relationships.
I won this book through the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway. Thank you to Chiara Kelly for great novel.
August 15, 2015
This book started out with Cay being very emotional about not having a diamond engagement ring which I considered to be trivial. As the story progressed where the different aspects of the characters -Cay, her husband and others - come to life, you get an appreciation of the similarity between quality diamonds and quality people.
The diaries expressed in the voice of the first person, their views, insecurities and hopes for their future. You can't help being drawn into their stories while seeing the knitting of a family of caring individuals.
The Diaries are engrossing and do have a number of surprising twists that certainly add to the interest.
The diaries expressed in the voice of the first person, their views, insecurities and hopes for their future. You can't help being drawn into their stories while seeing the knitting of a family of caring individuals.
The Diaries are engrossing and do have a number of surprising twists that certainly add to the interest.
August 17, 2015
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But Cay Vitale didn’t get one when she got engaged to her Marine and she never got over it. So she determined that each of the girls her sons married would have an engagement ring, even if she had to provide it herself. So she sets out to do just that.
Chiara shows us the love story and journey of each of her sons as they near the point of asking her for the ring she promised them. At first I found jumping from one point of view to another and one life and set of characters to another very confusing. But she kept my interest, and after a while, I sorted them all out and found it a good story.
Chiara shows us the love story and journey of each of her sons as they near the point of asking her for the ring she promised them. At first I found jumping from one point of view to another and one life and set of characters to another very confusing. But she kept my interest, and after a while, I sorted them all out and found it a good story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews