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Stowe Away
Samantha Latham is a little socially awkward and a lot brilliant. When she arrives at Yale, thrilled to finally escape her rural Vermont hometown called Stowe, the focused and driven Sam knows exactly what she wants: an illustrious career as a medical researcher and a relationship with her new best friend Natalie, a talented yet capricious girl who keeps Sam guessing.
Everything changes when Sam must suddenly withdraw from school to care for her invalid mother back in Vermont. Moving back to Stowe means no more brilliant career in medicine, and definitely no more Natalie. As she finds herself alone, faced with a life she never wanted, Sam slowly learns to recalibrate what she considers success, discovering the artistic side of Stowe, a community of lesbians she never imagined existed there, and a new woman who inspires Sam to rethink everything she thought she knew—especially about love.
Everything changes when Sam must suddenly withdraw from school to care for her invalid mother back in Vermont. Moving back to Stowe means no more brilliant career in medicine, and definitely no more Natalie. As she finds herself alone, faced with a life she never wanted, Sam slowly learns to recalibrate what she considers success, discovering the artistic side of Stowe, a community of lesbians she never imagined existed there, and a new woman who inspires Sam to rethink everything she thought she knew—especially about love.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2016
4 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Blythe Rippon
12 books64 followersBlythe Rippon holds a PhD in the humanities and currently teaches writing to undergraduates. Until now, her publishing has been of the academic variety. When not grading papers or imagining plots for future novels, she is usually holding forth about the political injustice of the day, hiking, or experimenting in the kitchen. She has lived all over the United States and at present can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 13, 2018
Three years ago I read the online version of this story. It was shorter by almost 40,000 words and was told in different time order (with a lot of flashbacks). The published version is told in chronological order divided into two equal parts -- Sam's years in Yale and Stanford, and her homecoming to Stowe. There are some other differences including a somewhat different ending (I liked the one from the online version more).
In the first part (a kind of coming-of-age story) the main characters are Sam and Natalie, and in the second (a slow-paced family values romance) the protagonists are Sam and Maria. Something very unusual happened to me -- I liked the story in general, although I didn't like Sam and Natalie. Sam was so persistently boring and single-minded in her infatuation with Natalie (that was even more pronounced in the published version because there are more pages), and Natalie was such an off-putting, wild and promiscuous character that it was very strenuous to read about how much Sam pines for her.
Unlike the two of them, Maria, her brother Pauly and Sam's mother, Eva, are very likable characters, and they fully carry the second part of the book. The mother-daughter relationship and its development after Eva's illness is very well written, and is one of the better things in the book. The same goes for the sister-brother relationship.
I find the published version, although better written and edited, less appealing than the shorter and unedited online version. The book would have been much better if the first part was shorter, and the second one longer -- with a 30/70 ratio instead of 50/50. The author should have given more screentime to the healthy relationship with Maria instead of the ambiguous relationship with Natalie. It would have made for a better story.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
In the first part (a kind of coming-of-age story) the main characters are Sam and Natalie, and in the second (a slow-paced family values romance) the protagonists are Sam and Maria. Something very unusual happened to me -- I liked the story in general, although I didn't like Sam and Natalie. Sam was so persistently boring and single-minded in her infatuation with Natalie (that was even more pronounced in the published version because there are more pages), and Natalie was such an off-putting, wild and promiscuous character that it was very strenuous to read about how much Sam pines for her.
Unlike the two of them, Maria, her brother Pauly and Sam's mother, Eva, are very likable characters, and they fully carry the second part of the book. The mother-daughter relationship and its development after Eva's illness is very well written, and is one of the better things in the book. The same goes for the sister-brother relationship.
I find the published version, although better written and edited, less appealing than the shorter and unedited online version. The book would have been much better if the first part was shorter, and the second one longer -- with a 30/70 ratio instead of 50/50. The author should have given more screentime to the healthy relationship with Maria instead of the ambiguous relationship with Natalie. It would have made for a better story.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
May 12, 2017
I really enjoy this author. Blythe Rippon is an excellent writer and this book does not disappoint. She has a great style which keeps you interested and makes you look out for her books. This book is mainly about changing one's attitude and the problems change can bring both expected and unexpected. It's about dreams having to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances and tells us how with the right support and commitment how plans can be brought back to reality. It's a really nice feel good book. I'm glad I read it and I think you'll enjoy it too.
January 26, 2016
Stowe Away by Blythe Rippon was a pleasant surprise. I have never read anything by this author and going into this book I only had the basic premise of the story to go by. I found myself totally into this book, and fascinated by its characters.
So what’s the story about? Samantha “Sam" Latham is a college freshman at Yale and our main character. Yeah, Sam is super genius level smart and has a voracious appetite for learning. She has amazing skills in the science department and is headed to become a medical doctor with a strong desire to do research. Sam has school down, she reads and studies with vigor and college is a chance for her to really unleash her love for learning. This one is one of those college kids who does not freak out every time she had a test (totally unlike myself). What she does not have down is social skills. She is very limited on how to interact with friends and let’s just forget about any type of game with potential ladies.
Natalie is the polar opposite of Sam. She has not known her whole life what she wants to be when she grows up, and she has a “don’t tie me down” attitude about life. She goes through lovers, male and female, at a staggering pace. Natalie also changes majors at Yale at about the same rate. She makes no apologies for this. Natalie is going to have the full on college experience, whether her best friend, Sam likes it or not.
So why does Sam care? Well, Sam falls head over heels in love with Natalie in the very early days at Yale, and spends the next 4 years pining away. She for the life at her doesn’t understand why Natalie does not see why they are perfect for each other. It’s at times hard to read. I wanted to grab Sam so many times and say “wake-up, she’s just not that into you”, I resorted to shaking my Kindle instead.
Now I’m about to spoil it, so if you are interested in this book STOP.
I enjoyed that Blythe Rippon could create characters that you at times wanted to smack and other times you wanted to hug. I thought this was a well thought out book, and she gives you enough room to really get into the characters and understand their motivations. Solid book, interesting characters and I would definitely read another book by Ms. Rippon.
So what’s the story about? Samantha “Sam" Latham is a college freshman at Yale and our main character. Yeah, Sam is super genius level smart and has a voracious appetite for learning. She has amazing skills in the science department and is headed to become a medical doctor with a strong desire to do research. Sam has school down, she reads and studies with vigor and college is a chance for her to really unleash her love for learning. This one is one of those college kids who does not freak out every time she had a test (totally unlike myself). What she does not have down is social skills. She is very limited on how to interact with friends and let’s just forget about any type of game with potential ladies.
Natalie is the polar opposite of Sam. She has not known her whole life what she wants to be when she grows up, and she has a “don’t tie me down” attitude about life. She goes through lovers, male and female, at a staggering pace. Natalie also changes majors at Yale at about the same rate. She makes no apologies for this. Natalie is going to have the full on college experience, whether her best friend, Sam likes it or not.
So why does Sam care? Well, Sam falls head over heels in love with Natalie in the very early days at Yale, and spends the next 4 years pining away. She for the life at her doesn’t understand why Natalie does not see why they are perfect for each other. It’s at times hard to read. I wanted to grab Sam so many times and say “wake-up, she’s just not that into you”, I resorted to shaking my Kindle instead.
Now I’m about to spoil it, so if you are interested in this book STOP.
I enjoyed that Blythe Rippon could create characters that you at times wanted to smack and other times you wanted to hug. I thought this was a well thought out book, and she gives you enough room to really get into the characters and understand their motivations. Solid book, interesting characters and I would definitely read another book by Ms. Rippon.
August 27, 2017
Gonna' admit on this one, at 20% I was going to give this one up... It just felt like nothing was happening and I thought it was going to be one of them 'reads' that just goes on and on, with nothing happening but some college kid with a crush and doing nothing about it. BUT, I'm so glad I did carry on with it. Once the story began to lay out a bit more, the characters seem to become more alive and story turned into a fantastic read.
February 26, 2016
So I almost bailed on this a bunch of times, mostly because I couldn't stand Sam. But I'm glad I kept going, because I ended up really liking it. She has a hard road to growing up, but I liked where she ended at. Also, like with Bunny Finds a Friend, I like that it's a coming of age story that isn't about high schoolers.
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/stowe...
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/stowe...
January 17, 2016
What a journey Blythe Rippon has taken us on with the story of Sam. We travel about 6 years with Sam of her time in College and medical school with some highs and a lot of lows. The story is filled with a lot of angst that even though was difficult to read at times I found it realistic. I thought that the character development of Sam was well done and by the end of the story you felt like an old friend who has been through a lot together.
Natalie is an interesting character where you have a love hate relationship. What I did like about the relationship between Sam and Natalie is that they were both to blame for their rocky road of friendship. Natalie can't be blamed for the way she felt but she could have been more sensitive to Sam's feels and how her actions would affect her. And I loved where their relationship was left at the end not what I had expected while reading.
I thought Maria was perfect for Sam. She was direct and didn't take her crap. She had direction like Sam but was able to be flexible with finding a purpose. One of Sam's main issues was that once she got an idea in her head about what she wanted she struggled to find direction when things didn’t go to plan. Maria showed her how to find another path to her goals.
The relationship with Sam and Eva was beautiful. There were some really beautiful mother and daughter moments of being the others strength. I loved the quilt moment when Sam brought Eva home from the hospital.
Even though I think there was more angst then happy moments I enjoyed the read. I found that I savoured the good moments which made it more meaningful.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
Natalie is an interesting character where you have a love hate relationship. What I did like about the relationship between Sam and Natalie is that they were both to blame for their rocky road of friendship. Natalie can't be blamed for the way she felt but she could have been more sensitive to Sam's feels and how her actions would affect her. And I loved where their relationship was left at the end not what I had expected while reading.
I thought Maria was perfect for Sam. She was direct and didn't take her crap. She had direction like Sam but was able to be flexible with finding a purpose. One of Sam's main issues was that once she got an idea in her head about what she wanted she struggled to find direction when things didn’t go to plan. Maria showed her how to find another path to her goals.
The relationship with Sam and Eva was beautiful. There were some really beautiful mother and daughter moments of being the others strength. I loved the quilt moment when Sam brought Eva home from the hospital.
Even though I think there was more angst then happy moments I enjoyed the read. I found that I savoured the good moments which made it more meaningful.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
January 25, 2016
The first half of this novel drags badly. We meet the brilliant, clueless and clumsy Samantha as she begins her first term at Yale. She immediately falls for Natalie, a party girl who is interested in college for its entertainment value and the marketplace of men and women she can bed. Four long years watching Sam pine for Natalie only to be spurned time and again was exhausting, for both Sam and the reader.
Maybe it’s a New Adult thing and as an adult far from new at anything I was unable to enjoy watching the emotional immaturity displayed by both Natalie and Samantha. I’m good with unrequited love. I just think we could have grasped the concept and the mind space in which Samantha finds herself in half the chapters leading up to her return to Stowe.
The second half of the book flows so much better. It is almost like a different novel. Sam revels in her sorrows for a time but thanks to a more diverse set of characters and situations the story develops the depth it lacks in the first half. With the guidance of Maria, Pauley, Eva and yes, even Natalie she finally wakes up, grows up and discovers how fulfilling life can be once you leave your childhood baggage behind. I doubt she will ever lose the large vocabulary.
I continue to enjoy Ms. Rippon’s writing style and her abilities with setting and dialogue which make it easy for the reader to slip into every scene and situation with ease. The second half of this novel saves the story and makes the endurance test that is the first half worth the effort.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via Net Galley.
Maybe it’s a New Adult thing and as an adult far from new at anything I was unable to enjoy watching the emotional immaturity displayed by both Natalie and Samantha. I’m good with unrequited love. I just think we could have grasped the concept and the mind space in which Samantha finds herself in half the chapters leading up to her return to Stowe.
The second half of the book flows so much better. It is almost like a different novel. Sam revels in her sorrows for a time but thanks to a more diverse set of characters and situations the story develops the depth it lacks in the first half. With the guidance of Maria, Pauley, Eva and yes, even Natalie she finally wakes up, grows up and discovers how fulfilling life can be once you leave your childhood baggage behind. I doubt she will ever lose the large vocabulary.
I continue to enjoy Ms. Rippon’s writing style and her abilities with setting and dialogue which make it easy for the reader to slip into every scene and situation with ease. The second half of this novel saves the story and makes the endurance test that is the first half worth the effort.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via Net Galley.
January 30, 2016
The more I read this book, the more I thought it would make an excellent drinking game to distract from the repetitive use of the word "Stowe". However, if you're taking a shot every time "Stowe" appears, you'd probably be dead by the end of chapter 2.
Part 1 dragged for me with repetition. Maybe it was due to the structure of each school season being a chapter, or just the constant extols of Sam's obsession with Natalie. I didn't particularly care about Natalie, though I did fear somewhat for her safety at times. Sam struck me as someone just a hair's breadth away from hacking off Natalie's limbs and keeping her under her bed. Then again, that may have made a more interesting book.
Part 2 isn't much better in terms of interesting plot points and couple that with annoying puns using "Stowe".
All throughout this book I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around how easily Sam let her father off the hook. He seemed to exist solely to support Sam's school career, pay for the mortgage, make car payments, pay nurses, and pay every single living expense indefinitely as long as no one said his name or even attempted calling him.
I would have a hard time believing that a lesbian wrote this book, had the author's bio not specifically stated such. Lesbian courtship in this book consisted of profuse drinking (usually Magic Hat--but seriously, there are many more and better beers in the Stowe area than Magic Hat), cringe-worthy pick up lines/obvious double entendres masquerading as real dialogue, and then immediate trips to the bedroom. Nothing about the various hook ups was particularly sexy or even seemed like natural progressions of a relationship.
And I'll just get it out there--I was no fan of Sam. I had no mental picture of her--and didn't even find out she had dark hair until over half way through the book. She's described as being a poet, yet there's almost no payoff for this skill; it goes no where. Her dialogue just really sounds like the author wrote one set of dialogue, then got out a thesaurus and replaced all the words with their multi syllabic equivalents. Quite honestly, I never saw the appeal she seemed to have with any of her romantic partners; she was an insensitive jerk most of the time. What was so appealing about that?
Not a fan of the story, not a fan of the characters. Star and a half at best.
One of the other reviewers mentioned that this was originally a nonlinear story posted online. Whatever editor made the suggestion that this story follow a linear path should be fired. A nonlinear telling could at least have broken up some of the monotony and had the potential to be somewhat creative.
ARC copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Part 1 dragged for me with repetition. Maybe it was due to the structure of each school season being a chapter, or just the constant extols of Sam's obsession with Natalie. I didn't particularly care about Natalie, though I did fear somewhat for her safety at times. Sam struck me as someone just a hair's breadth away from hacking off Natalie's limbs and keeping her under her bed. Then again, that may have made a more interesting book.
Part 2 isn't much better in terms of interesting plot points and couple that with annoying puns using "Stowe".
All throughout this book I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around how easily Sam let her father off the hook. He seemed to exist solely to support Sam's school career, pay for the mortgage, make car payments, pay nurses, and pay every single living expense indefinitely as long as no one said his name or even attempted calling him.
I would have a hard time believing that a lesbian wrote this book, had the author's bio not specifically stated such. Lesbian courtship in this book consisted of profuse drinking (usually Magic Hat--but seriously, there are many more and better beers in the Stowe area than Magic Hat), cringe-worthy pick up lines/obvious double entendres masquerading as real dialogue, and then immediate trips to the bedroom. Nothing about the various hook ups was particularly sexy or even seemed like natural progressions of a relationship.
And I'll just get it out there--I was no fan of Sam. I had no mental picture of her--and didn't even find out she had dark hair until over half way through the book. She's described as being a poet, yet there's almost no payoff for this skill; it goes no where. Her dialogue just really sounds like the author wrote one set of dialogue, then got out a thesaurus and replaced all the words with their multi syllabic equivalents. Quite honestly, I never saw the appeal she seemed to have with any of her romantic partners; she was an insensitive jerk most of the time. What was so appealing about that?
Not a fan of the story, not a fan of the characters. Star and a half at best.
One of the other reviewers mentioned that this was originally a nonlinear story posted online. Whatever editor made the suggestion that this story follow a linear path should be fired. A nonlinear telling could at least have broken up some of the monotony and had the potential to be somewhat creative.
ARC copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2016
I received an ARC from the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Stowe Away" written in the third person is about Sam, who lives for the day she escapes from her boring childhood home located in Stowe, Vermont. Upon graduating from high school she sets off for Yale hoping life will become so much better. Sam meets Natalie and instantly falls in love with her. They become best friends and I just couldn't understand the need for Natalie in Sam's life. She came across as a flighty and brainless twit. Both Sam and Natalie end up in different grad schools in California and seem to have parted ways. Unfortunately, Sam's mother suffers a severe brain anuerysm and she returns home to Stowe, Vermont to take care of her mother as she recuperates. Sam comes across as a spoiled child during this time, she is continuously whiny about what she has given up to tend for her brain damaged mother. I found this extremely annoying and distracting and wondered why the author portrayed Sam in such a why.
Overall, the story is not a bad one. I gave it 2 stars as there were several things that disturbed me while reading "Stowe Away".
* The beginning of the story talked so much about how Sam was a poet and always writing and then where did that go?
* Natalie should have just disappeared and never reappeared after Sam went back home to Stowe, Vermont. Natalie was a character that just didn't make the story better or more interesting. Natalaie was like that fly buzzing around your head annoying the heck out of you.
* There was a distinct lack of character development and good conversational interactions between the characters. This left me with an inability to really feel the characters and get close to them.
I actually put this book down and read 2 others before I finished it. It just didn't hold my interest until the last quarter.
"Stowe Away" written in the third person is about Sam, who lives for the day she escapes from her boring childhood home located in Stowe, Vermont. Upon graduating from high school she sets off for Yale hoping life will become so much better. Sam meets Natalie and instantly falls in love with her. They become best friends and I just couldn't understand the need for Natalie in Sam's life. She came across as a flighty and brainless twit. Both Sam and Natalie end up in different grad schools in California and seem to have parted ways. Unfortunately, Sam's mother suffers a severe brain anuerysm and she returns home to Stowe, Vermont to take care of her mother as she recuperates. Sam comes across as a spoiled child during this time, she is continuously whiny about what she has given up to tend for her brain damaged mother. I found this extremely annoying and distracting and wondered why the author portrayed Sam in such a why.
Overall, the story is not a bad one. I gave it 2 stars as there were several things that disturbed me while reading "Stowe Away".
* The beginning of the story talked so much about how Sam was a poet and always writing and then where did that go?
* Natalie should have just disappeared and never reappeared after Sam went back home to Stowe, Vermont. Natalie was a character that just didn't make the story better or more interesting. Natalaie was like that fly buzzing around your head annoying the heck out of you.
* There was a distinct lack of character development and good conversational interactions between the characters. This left me with an inability to really feel the characters and get close to them.
I actually put this book down and read 2 others before I finished it. It just didn't hold my interest until the last quarter.
March 6, 2016
Blythe Rippon’s second novel lives up to the promise of the first – Barring Complications. Completely different stories, setting and even sub genre, but the writing, the characterisation and the intelligence are all there.
Sam is a science genius, destined for great things. At Yale she falls for Natalie, straight and unobtainable, a player who never settles. Even when Natalie starts dating girls she doesn’t want Sam, and the unrequited love tears Sam to pieces.
When Sam’s mother needs her home she goes, willingly, but with a huge resentfulness about losing her dreams. Back in her hometown she needs to see that all things are possible, that what she wants can still be achieved despite the obstacles, and that there is more to life than the unreachable Natalie.
Here we have 3 main real life characters and a very strong supporting cast. The women are independent, ambitious and determined. They may stumble, but they never fall. They reach for what they want and form a great set of role models in different ways. Each has a different definition of success, but as the novel progresses we see that all are valid.
The first half of the novel is slow. Setting the scene for Sam’s fall, like an epic tale of the Greek tradition, she has everything and everything is achievable if she pushes hard enough. But life – fate – intervenes, and her world comes crashing down like a Homerian hero. Gradually she must learn to value things differently. The second half of the book sees her grow and change, adapt to her new life circumstances, eventually finding the peace she was incapable of before the fall.
Well written, interesting and entertaining Stowe Away shows that Blythe Rippon is a great addition to the Lesbian Fiction fold. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.
Sam is a science genius, destined for great things. At Yale she falls for Natalie, straight and unobtainable, a player who never settles. Even when Natalie starts dating girls she doesn’t want Sam, and the unrequited love tears Sam to pieces.
When Sam’s mother needs her home she goes, willingly, but with a huge resentfulness about losing her dreams. Back in her hometown she needs to see that all things are possible, that what she wants can still be achieved despite the obstacles, and that there is more to life than the unreachable Natalie.
Here we have 3 main real life characters and a very strong supporting cast. The women are independent, ambitious and determined. They may stumble, but they never fall. They reach for what they want and form a great set of role models in different ways. Each has a different definition of success, but as the novel progresses we see that all are valid.
The first half of the novel is slow. Setting the scene for Sam’s fall, like an epic tale of the Greek tradition, she has everything and everything is achievable if she pushes hard enough. But life – fate – intervenes, and her world comes crashing down like a Homerian hero. Gradually she must learn to value things differently. The second half of the book sees her grow and change, adapt to her new life circumstances, eventually finding the peace she was incapable of before the fall.
Well written, interesting and entertaining Stowe Away shows that Blythe Rippon is a great addition to the Lesbian Fiction fold. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.
January 18, 2016
(actual rating: 2.5)
This book makes it not easy to get a feeling for the characters. They are rather stereotypical and... well... If you introduce a character (Samantha by the way) as socially awkward, then show her that way? I don't think of her as socially awkward. The big and many time jumps didn't help either.
After finishing I still don't know why Sam is in love with Natalie. Seriously, why? It didn't make sense and there wasn't any chemistry between them.
Part two contains the changes for Sam - I seriously thought the whole book would be about them and what'll happen after dealing/learning to live with them, but the reader experiences Sam's college life, too. Anyway, this part was better. The characters were interesting (I especially love Pauly) and Sam herself makes more sense in my eyes.
It still feels kinda unfinished. Not because of the open end, but because there were some things introduced but nothing really came out of it (Sam's poetry for example).
If the description would have been different, maybe I wouldn't have been as bored while reading. Because what you read there? That's the book. It's more of a summary than a description, I think.
Disclaimer: I was provided by Ylva Publishing with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
This book makes it not easy to get a feeling for the characters. They are rather stereotypical and... well... If you introduce a character (Samantha by the way) as socially awkward, then show her that way? I don't think of her as socially awkward. The big and many time jumps didn't help either.
After finishing I still don't know why Sam is in love with Natalie. Seriously, why? It didn't make sense and there wasn't any chemistry between them.
Part two contains the changes for Sam - I seriously thought the whole book would be about them and what'll happen after dealing/learning to live with them, but the reader experiences Sam's college life, too. Anyway, this part was better. The characters were interesting (I especially love Pauly) and Sam herself makes more sense in my eyes.
It still feels kinda unfinished. Not because of the open end, but because there were some things introduced but nothing really came out of it (Sam's poetry for example).
If the description would have been different, maybe I wouldn't have been as bored while reading. Because what you read there? That's the book. It's more of a summary than a description, I think.
Disclaimer: I was provided by Ylva Publishing with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
May 10, 2016
I'm not going to talk about the plot, because you can read it everywhere else; I'd like to point out the unquestionable literary quality expressed by this talented author.
As luck would have it, about three years ago, I bumped into her novels
just one year after I had discovered sapphic oriented fiction.
I suddenly realised there was something very different in Blythe Rippon’s work,
something about her writing style, her English lexicon, her sentence construction that I found challenging and utmost fascinating.
Her narrative shines with an uncommon quality that goes beyond lesfic genre and reminds me of something closer to Art tout court,
and I feel it emanates a breath of universal literature.
This happens when, once you finish to read a story, you’re not the same person you were when you started reading it.
This is Stowe Away, to me.
As luck would have it, about three years ago, I bumped into her novels
just one year after I had discovered sapphic oriented fiction.
I suddenly realised there was something very different in Blythe Rippon’s work,
something about her writing style, her English lexicon, her sentence construction that I found challenging and utmost fascinating.
Her narrative shines with an uncommon quality that goes beyond lesfic genre and reminds me of something closer to Art tout court,
and I feel it emanates a breath of universal literature.
This happens when, once you finish to read a story, you’re not the same person you were when you started reading it.
This is Stowe Away, to me.
February 28, 2017
I read this book because my girlfriend tried to read this and she got so frustrated she couldn't finish it. I definitely tried to go into this with an open mind and got through the end of the novel but I can see why she's frustrated.
The book is divided into two parts Sam in University and then Sam post-university taking care of her mother who had a stroke. The first part shows Sam head over heels in love with her best friend Natalie and the second part focuses more on Sam's day to day life in Stowe with her mother and eventually finding a new woman to love. While I can understand that Sam's feelings for Natalie were necessary for her growing up and realizing what love truly is, I feel that that lesson should have been taught in the first 30% of the story and the rest of the story be weighted towards Maria. I never felt any sexual tension of romantic feelings between Sam and Maria because even in the second half of the book Sam was thinking about Natalie, making me believe that she was going to still end up with Natalie in the end. So, I never connected to or got invested in Maria and Sam. Natalie and Sam's story was full of moments of weighted emotion, tender looks, those moments you have with the person you're going to be spending your life with. As a reader trying to follow the cues the story was definitely frustrating and left you feeling a little hollow and confused at the end.
I didn't much care for Sam or Natalie but I loved Maria and I wish she had ended up with a women who loved her rather than a second choice. All the characters in Stowe were fantastic - warm, rich characters who were woven together into a beautiful community.
I enjoy the way the author writes -she certainly has a talent for sexual tension, corny romance and sweet moments with family and friends. All these things are the perfect recipe for a great story - the balance was just off.
The book is divided into two parts Sam in University and then Sam post-university taking care of her mother who had a stroke. The first part shows Sam head over heels in love with her best friend Natalie and the second part focuses more on Sam's day to day life in Stowe with her mother and eventually finding a new woman to love. While I can understand that Sam's feelings for Natalie were necessary for her growing up and realizing what love truly is, I feel that that lesson should have been taught in the first 30% of the story and the rest of the story be weighted towards Maria. I never felt any sexual tension of romantic feelings between Sam and Maria because even in the second half of the book Sam was thinking about Natalie, making me believe that she was going to still end up with Natalie in the end. So, I never connected to or got invested in Maria and Sam. Natalie and Sam's story was full of moments of weighted emotion, tender looks, those moments you have with the person you're going to be spending your life with. As a reader trying to follow the cues the story was definitely frustrating and left you feeling a little hollow and confused at the end.
I didn't much care for Sam or Natalie but I loved Maria and I wish she had ended up with a women who loved her rather than a second choice. All the characters in Stowe were fantastic - warm, rich characters who were woven together into a beautiful community.
I enjoy the way the author writes -she certainly has a talent for sexual tension, corny romance and sweet moments with family and friends. All these things are the perfect recipe for a great story - the balance was just off.
March 26, 2018
Beautiful coming of age story
At first I felt that Sam's relationship with her mother was very fragile because of her mother's mental health issues and fraught with disappointment from her father's selfish behavior and leaving his daughter responsible for the care of her mother all while navigating college life and the confusion of being attracted to her best friend Natalie. Sam's four years at Yale was the ongoing development of her maturity, her struggles with her feeling with Natalie, and the close relationship Sam had with her mother Eva. By this point, Sam's father Jack was a non entity just peripherally in the story but not important. Sam went to Stanford for medical school and was evolving into a more mature self when tragedy occurred and she had to go back to Stowe to care for her mother.
This is where Sam's coming of age really starts. Her love for her mother while feeling trapped in Stow, her meeting Maria and making friends thanks to Maria and the evolution of their relationship. It was beautifully written with a very sweet feeling good ending that leaves you full of hope for this young woman and her future and her family made of her mother and friends. It was a well.done story.
At first I felt that Sam's relationship with her mother was very fragile because of her mother's mental health issues and fraught with disappointment from her father's selfish behavior and leaving his daughter responsible for the care of her mother all while navigating college life and the confusion of being attracted to her best friend Natalie. Sam's four years at Yale was the ongoing development of her maturity, her struggles with her feeling with Natalie, and the close relationship Sam had with her mother Eva. By this point, Sam's father Jack was a non entity just peripherally in the story but not important. Sam went to Stanford for medical school and was evolving into a more mature self when tragedy occurred and she had to go back to Stowe to care for her mother.
This is where Sam's coming of age really starts. Her love for her mother while feeling trapped in Stow, her meeting Maria and making friends thanks to Maria and the evolution of their relationship. It was beautifully written with a very sweet feeling good ending that leaves you full of hope for this young woman and her future and her family made of her mother and friends. It was a well.done story.
July 28, 2024
Stunning. Gorgeous writing, better even than Barring Complications, which I also loved. This coming of age story spanned 6 hugely formative years of protagonist Sam's life, and did justice to them all.
March 6, 2019
Cute. Good one.
April 28, 2021
It was a good story, lots of back story, but I just didn’t feel the passion.
June 17, 2017
(I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
This is a sweet, warmhearted and thoroughly satisfying story about love, friendship, family, the way life gets in the way of your plans, and losing the things you dreamed of only to get what you didn't know you needed. It shows that things don't have to turn out just the way you wanted them to to turn out really well, and that you can find people you love and things you're passionate about just about anywhere if you're prepared to look.
I loved Sam's character. She's kind, funny, brilliant, oblivious and utterly adorkable. Her strengths and weaknesses were two sides of the same coin (she's very smart, a talented medical researcher, a high achiever and proud of it, and willing to sacrifice for those she loves, and at the same time a bit of an intellectual snob, prone to overanalysing everything and she tends to make herself miserable over those she cares for). I related to her a lot, and her complicated feelings for Natalie, Maria, and her mother really resonated. Towards the start of the book, there was a moment where I went "Seriously? Who actually talks like this?", before realising "... I do. I talk like this, with the odd formality and advanced vocabulary that comes out when I'm feeling awkward or especially uninhibited".
If I had one complaint, it's that this book has the very common problem where nobody says the 'b' word. Natalie has always known she likes boys, then discovers she likes girls too, but the word bisexual is never even mentioned (while the words 'lesbian' and 'gay' appear many times throughout the book). And I think it's a bit unfortunate that Natalie - change-her-major-a-million-times, ever-shifting-fashion-sense, probably-never-going-to-settle-down Natalie - was the only character to demonstrate attraction to more than one gender, considering the stereotype of bisexuals as indecisive and unsuited for commitment. I don't want to sound more negative than I really feel, though. I truly appreciated the lack of biphobia, in that Sam was never confused about how Natalie could be genuinely attracted to people of more than one gender or upset with Natalie for dating boys, she was only ever upset that Natalie wasn't dating her.
Overall, I loved it.
This is a sweet, warmhearted and thoroughly satisfying story about love, friendship, family, the way life gets in the way of your plans, and losing the things you dreamed of only to get what you didn't know you needed. It shows that things don't have to turn out just the way you wanted them to to turn out really well, and that you can find people you love and things you're passionate about just about anywhere if you're prepared to look.
I loved Sam's character. She's kind, funny, brilliant, oblivious and utterly adorkable. Her strengths and weaknesses were two sides of the same coin (she's very smart, a talented medical researcher, a high achiever and proud of it, and willing to sacrifice for those she loves, and at the same time a bit of an intellectual snob, prone to overanalysing everything and she tends to make herself miserable over those she cares for). I related to her a lot, and her complicated feelings for Natalie, Maria, and her mother really resonated. Towards the start of the book, there was a moment where I went "Seriously? Who actually talks like this?", before realising "... I do. I talk like this, with the odd formality and advanced vocabulary that comes out when I'm feeling awkward or especially uninhibited".
If I had one complaint, it's that this book has the very common problem where nobody says the 'b' word. Natalie has always known she likes boys, then discovers she likes girls too, but the word bisexual is never even mentioned (while the words 'lesbian' and 'gay' appear many times throughout the book). And I think it's a bit unfortunate that Natalie - change-her-major-a-million-times, ever-shifting-fashion-sense, probably-never-going-to-settle-down Natalie - was the only character to demonstrate attraction to more than one gender, considering the stereotype of bisexuals as indecisive and unsuited for commitment. I don't want to sound more negative than I really feel, though. I truly appreciated the lack of biphobia, in that Sam was never confused about how Natalie could be genuinely attracted to people of more than one gender or upset with Natalie for dating boys, she was only ever upset that Natalie wasn't dating her.
Overall, I loved it.
January 24, 2016
Note - I was provided a free copy of this book by Ylva Publishing for in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Sam over the course of something like six years. It begins as Sam leaves her small town to go to Yale, where, of course, she falls in love with someone who will never love her back, and generally angsts about everything.
To be honest, I had a hard time with the first half of the book - it was rather juvenile and there were moments where it was outright slut-shaming and biphobic (or, at least, it refused to acknowledge one of the characters as a bisexual woman despite her openly dating both men and women). And, while Sam's struggles were relatable to a point, I couldn't get myself to like her. She's snooty, arrogant, and lacks empathy.
Eventually, though, Sam is forced to move back home to become caretaker for her mother, where she discovers that her small town isn't as claustrophobic as she once thought. While not necessarily groundbreaking, I did appreciate that the second half of the book allowed the characters to have the walking-into-the-sunset happy ending that queer couples are so often denied. It was enjoyable enough, though at points it did get overly sentimental and cheesy.
For me, the best part of this book was Sam's relationship with her mother. Her mother spends much of the book battling depression in a very real and heartbreaking way, but it is when she has a stroke that she and Sam really become close. Their complex relationship is touching and yet somehow avoids much of the sentimentalism that saturates the rest of the book.
If you're looking for a cheesy beach book, Stowe Away is it. It's a quick read, the characters are enjoyable enough, and you do kind of find yourself rooting for a happy ending.
This book follows Sam over the course of something like six years. It begins as Sam leaves her small town to go to Yale, where, of course, she falls in love with someone who will never love her back, and generally angsts about everything.
To be honest, I had a hard time with the first half of the book - it was rather juvenile and there were moments where it was outright slut-shaming and biphobic (or, at least, it refused to acknowledge one of the characters as a bisexual woman despite her openly dating both men and women). And, while Sam's struggles were relatable to a point, I couldn't get myself to like her. She's snooty, arrogant, and lacks empathy.
Eventually, though, Sam is forced to move back home to become caretaker for her mother, where she discovers that her small town isn't as claustrophobic as she once thought. While not necessarily groundbreaking, I did appreciate that the second half of the book allowed the characters to have the walking-into-the-sunset happy ending that queer couples are so often denied. It was enjoyable enough, though at points it did get overly sentimental and cheesy.
For me, the best part of this book was Sam's relationship with her mother. Her mother spends much of the book battling depression in a very real and heartbreaking way, but it is when she has a stroke that she and Sam really become close. Their complex relationship is touching and yet somehow avoids much of the sentimentalism that saturates the rest of the book.
If you're looking for a cheesy beach book, Stowe Away is it. It's a quick read, the characters are enjoyable enough, and you do kind of find yourself rooting for a happy ending.
February 8, 2016
This book is very different from the author's first book Barring Complications and seems aimed more at the young adult/coming of age category. I found the first half of the book to be too slow for me and not enough angst and conflict to keep me interested. Sam was brilliant, introverted and a little socially awkward while Natalie was the outgoing, indecisive opposites attract friend. Sam is looking for a relationship with Natalie while Natalie can’t commit to Sam and spends a lot of time trying to figure out who she wants to be with.
For me the book really started when Sam moved back to Stowe to care for her mother and meets Maria. Maria hasn’t had an easy life and she pushed Sam to see the town, people and community through a different lens. Maria pushes Sam to realize that she can still have all the things she wants with some modifications to her ideal dream. Maria pushes Sam out of her comfort zone and gives her the time to realize that Natalie might not be the right one for her. I enjoyed watching Sam and Maria’s friendship morph into a relationship after a rocky start.
Overall I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot and really enjoyed watching Sam and Maria deal with difficult situations and come out stronger and more connected to each other. I struggled through the first half of the book and not feeling like I ever really connected with Natalie and found myself getting frustrated with the pace.
I appreciate that the author tried something new and even though it didn’t work for me I look forward to watching her continue to explore different stories and see where she takes us on her journey.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For me the book really started when Sam moved back to Stowe to care for her mother and meets Maria. Maria hasn’t had an easy life and she pushed Sam to see the town, people and community through a different lens. Maria pushes Sam to realize that she can still have all the things she wants with some modifications to her ideal dream. Maria pushes Sam out of her comfort zone and gives her the time to realize that Natalie might not be the right one for her. I enjoyed watching Sam and Maria’s friendship morph into a relationship after a rocky start.
Overall I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot and really enjoyed watching Sam and Maria deal with difficult situations and come out stronger and more connected to each other. I struggled through the first half of the book and not feeling like I ever really connected with Natalie and found myself getting frustrated with the pace.
I appreciate that the author tried something new and even though it didn’t work for me I look forward to watching her continue to explore different stories and see where she takes us on her journey.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2016
I requested this book from NetGalley after seeing the cover. I grew up in New England (CT and VT) and I miss seeing the foliage. It didn't disappoint me at all. The story is great and the characters are well written. I've been to most of the locations that they mentioned in New Haven, CT and that made the story even better for me. The book is divided into two sections (Before and After) and each chapter is a season of a year from 2003 to 2009. I liked that format and felt like it worked well.
The book is about a girl named Sam who leaves Stowe, VT to attend Yale. She's really smart and wants to be a scientist and research a cure for cancer. She makes friend with two girls there, Claire and Natalie, and falls for one of them. A lot of the story focuses on her love for Natalie, but it's mostly one-sided. After Yale, Sam and Natalie move to California and attend different schools. Sam gets into Stanford and continues working towards her goal of finding cure for cancer.About halfway through the book, there is a family emergency and Sam has to leave Stanford, return to Stowe and care for her mother.
When she returns home, she feels out of place in a town she was happy to leave behind. While caring for her mother, she meets new people, makes some good friends and eventually finds happiness. I like the way her relationship developed and that she seemed happy after being miserable for so long.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The book is about a girl named Sam who leaves Stowe, VT to attend Yale. She's really smart and wants to be a scientist and research a cure for cancer. She makes friend with two girls there, Claire and Natalie, and falls for one of them. A lot of the story focuses on her love for Natalie, but it's mostly one-sided. After Yale, Sam and Natalie move to California and attend different schools. Sam gets into Stanford and continues working towards her goal of finding cure for cancer.About halfway through the book, there is a family emergency and Sam has to leave Stanford, return to Stowe and care for her mother.
When she returns home, she feels out of place in a town she was happy to leave behind. While caring for her mother, she meets new people, makes some good friends and eventually finds happiness. I like the way her relationship developed and that she seemed happy after being miserable for so long.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 25, 2016
I enjoyed reading this story, but found a lot of the plot introduced in the beginning to not follow through till the end. Even though the story surrounded Sam, I felt that I knew the supporting characters more than the lead. Down to how she looked. There were things brought up in the length Part 1 that never made it to Part 2. I wish there was more on Sam's love for science in Part 2 and her love on writing. For how many times it was mentioned regarding her love for writing, down to the dorky t-shirts she wore, I didn't see that love continue through, and if anything it made me feel like it was a big reason I was never able to understand Sam completely.
The story itself is very drawn out. I understand the set up on undergrad and grad school, and her relationship with Natalie, but more effort was put into that then when she should of seen how her relationship with Marie grew during the "broken-leg" section.
My final thought is that I felt more connected with Maria at the end of the read, and felt that more times was put into her character and background than the lead.
The story itself is very drawn out. I understand the set up on undergrad and grad school, and her relationship with Natalie, but more effort was put into that then when she should of seen how her relationship with Marie grew during the "broken-leg" section.
My final thought is that I felt more connected with Maria at the end of the read, and felt that more times was put into her character and background than the lead.
March 1, 2016
I loved Blythe Rippon's first novel "Barring Complications". So much so that I recently re-read it when I felt like reading something I knew was great. Too often these days does one get tricked into reading terrible fiction by nice blurbs and the hype around a book that doesn't deserve it.
Back to "Stowe Away": I loved this novel as much as Blythe's first.
The story spans several years. The heartache one encounters when falling in love, alas unrequited love, is nothing readers are not familiar with. But "Stowe Away" tells Sam's coming of age story so delicately, uniquely and with love that it didn't feel rehashed.
And the beauty of it? There is no villain. No obstacle to overcome like in so many other love stories (not a bad thing, just saying), just growth is important.
Additionally to personal growth the novel tells a story that deals with mental health issues and disabilities. I am not sure how much I should share about this. But let me tell you it's very well done.
Back to "Stowe Away": I loved this novel as much as Blythe's first.
The story spans several years. The heartache one encounters when falling in love, alas unrequited love, is nothing readers are not familiar with. But "Stowe Away" tells Sam's coming of age story so delicately, uniquely and with love that it didn't feel rehashed.
And the beauty of it? There is no villain. No obstacle to overcome like in so many other love stories (not a bad thing, just saying), just growth is important.
Additionally to personal growth the novel tells a story that deals with mental health issues and disabilities. I am not sure how much I should share about this. But let me tell you it's very well done.
February 8, 2016
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first novel I read by Blythe Rippon and I really enjoyed it.
It's the story of Samantha and her journey that really begins at university. She felt so out of place there initially not as a lesbian but being smart and socially awkward. She meets and falls in love with Natalie who initially spurns her advances but then becomes Sam's best friend. While Sam knows she will not have a relationship with Natalie, she keeps the hope alive in her heart...until one night when they make love. That changes everything.
I won't spoil the rest, but it is worth the read. While you want to smack Sam sometimes, other times you want to hug her and tell life will be ok.
I look forward to reading something else from this author.
This was the first novel I read by Blythe Rippon and I really enjoyed it.
It's the story of Samantha and her journey that really begins at university. She felt so out of place there initially not as a lesbian but being smart and socially awkward. She meets and falls in love with Natalie who initially spurns her advances but then becomes Sam's best friend. While Sam knows she will not have a relationship with Natalie, she keeps the hope alive in her heart...until one night when they make love. That changes everything.
I won't spoil the rest, but it is worth the read. While you want to smack Sam sometimes, other times you want to hug her and tell life will be ok.
I look forward to reading something else from this author.
May 6, 2016
Four Stars f/f contemporary romance
I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
This book was technically an excellently constructed novel. The language, the grammar, the linguistics were all so professionally written it was a pleasure to read. The lead characters were beautifully described and portrayed. I also thought the way the chapters were related by term time added to the scholastic presentation.
However it did give off to me, a rather middle class air and although it was emotionally well presented I did feel it lacked excitement and empathy. Technically I could not fault this novel hence the four stars I couldn't award five stars as I personally had my reservations about how much I actually bonded with the characters.
I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
This book was technically an excellently constructed novel. The language, the grammar, the linguistics were all so professionally written it was a pleasure to read. The lead characters were beautifully described and portrayed. I also thought the way the chapters were related by term time added to the scholastic presentation.
However it did give off to me, a rather middle class air and although it was emotionally well presented I did feel it lacked excitement and empathy. Technically I could not fault this novel hence the four stars I couldn't award five stars as I personally had my reservations about how much I actually bonded with the characters.
December 9, 2016
I rec'd an ARC from Ylva in exchange for an honest review. No synopsis necessary. The main characters in this story are Samantha (Sam) and Natalie. Sam's progression through life (her obsession? with Natalie) and finally growth/maturity are handled well. Bits and pieces along the way seemed somewhat thrown in for good measure. I found Natalie just plain annoying and the chemistry just wasn't there. The storyline seemed jumpy and I re-read sections before moving on to a satisfactory ending. Ms. Rippon's Barring Complications was excellent and I look forward to more of her stories.
March 28, 2017
*Note: I was provided with a free copy of the book by Ylva Publishing in exchange for a fair review
Overall Stowe Away makes for an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. Sam Latham is such a relatable character that it’s sometimes hard to read about her thoughts and actions without cringing. When she begins falling for Natalie, I’m sure every woman who likes other women began screaming at her to run the other way. I know I did! As I turned the pages, the sense of familiarity overwhelmed me. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.
Sam’s process of healing from that complicated, messy relationship is very real, as is her realization that life doesn’t always work out in the way you plan. Rippon manages to catch the subtleties and complexities of the shifts in parent-child relationships after such drastic changes such as the ones her mother goes through. Sam learns--and the reader learns as well--that just because you’re living in a small town doesn’t mean that your future is over or that you can’t find fulfillment. I particularly enjoyed the idea of Maria holding a weekly salon.
The second half of the novel--especially the romance plot line--is slightly Hallmark-esque, which is both a good and a bad thing in my opinion. On the one hand, I firmly believe that we should have full access to cheesy, charming stories of women falling in love with other women without worrying that one of them is going to die or have to go through conversion therapy. On the other hand, Sam, who is shown as socially awkward at times but never clumsy in the first half of the novel, becomes a walking chick flick leading lady stereotype whenever she’s around Maria. She spills drinks, trips over tables, the whole nine yards. And one of their first interactions ends with them yelling at each other and then Sam seeing Maria in her bra. For a story with fairly believable characters, those bits were kind of contrived.
I enjoyed it, especially the first half which was raw and absolutely gutted me, but I probably won’t read it again.
***Pet peeve: I don’t understand why the word “bisexual” was never used in relation to Natalie. Sam, like too many lesbians, falls into the trap of thinking that you have to be either straight or gay, leaving very little room (and representation) for the B members of the LGBT community. Had Natalie returned Sam’s feelings, would “bisexual” have been used or would she just been called a lesbian?
Overall Stowe Away makes for an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. Sam Latham is such a relatable character that it’s sometimes hard to read about her thoughts and actions without cringing. When she begins falling for Natalie, I’m sure every woman who likes other women began screaming at her to run the other way. I know I did! As I turned the pages, the sense of familiarity overwhelmed me. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.
Sam’s process of healing from that complicated, messy relationship is very real, as is her realization that life doesn’t always work out in the way you plan. Rippon manages to catch the subtleties and complexities of the shifts in parent-child relationships after such drastic changes such as the ones her mother goes through. Sam learns--and the reader learns as well--that just because you’re living in a small town doesn’t mean that your future is over or that you can’t find fulfillment. I particularly enjoyed the idea of Maria holding a weekly salon.
The second half of the novel--especially the romance plot line--is slightly Hallmark-esque, which is both a good and a bad thing in my opinion. On the one hand, I firmly believe that we should have full access to cheesy, charming stories of women falling in love with other women without worrying that one of them is going to die or have to go through conversion therapy. On the other hand, Sam, who is shown as socially awkward at times but never clumsy in the first half of the novel, becomes a walking chick flick leading lady stereotype whenever she’s around Maria. She spills drinks, trips over tables, the whole nine yards. And one of their first interactions ends with them yelling at each other and then Sam seeing Maria in her bra. For a story with fairly believable characters, those bits were kind of contrived.
I enjoyed it, especially the first half which was raw and absolutely gutted me, but I probably won’t read it again.
***Pet peeve: I don’t understand why the word “bisexual” was never used in relation to Natalie. Sam, like too many lesbians, falls into the trap of thinking that you have to be either straight or gay, leaving very little room (and representation) for the B members of the LGBT community. Had Natalie returned Sam’s feelings, would “bisexual” have been used or would she just been called a lesbian?
April 19, 2017
I think I just found my new favorite author.
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