Catching Genius

by Kristy Kiernan

As children, Connie and Estella were best friends-until Estella was discovered to be a math prodigy, which led to the sisters' estrangement. Now, years later, they are forced to reunite on the Gulf Coast of Florida as they pack up their childhood home and ready it for sale. The reunion comes at a time when both Connie and Estella must come to terms with painful revelations and devastating consequences in their own lives. And once again, her sister's genius may alter Connie's life in ways she cannot control.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Family

376 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2007

About the author

Kristy Kiernan was born in Tennessee and raised on the beaches of southwest Florida.

She is the author of CATCHING GENIUS, published in 2007 and an Ingram Book Club selection.

MATTERS OF FAITH was published in 2008 and was chosen as an IndieNext Notable Title and won the Florida Book Award bronze medal.

BETWEEN FRIENDS was published in 2010 and was a featured selection for the Literary Guild, Doubleday, and Rhapsody book clubs, and was also chosen a Best Summer Beach Read by Women's World.

Reviews

[LeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic premise: Two estranged sisters reach mid-life and are compelled together by their mother and other circumstances to spend several weeks together, thereby allowing them the opportunity to air old grievances, acknowledge personal responsibility, and resolve their differences. The main reason they fell out is that the eldest is defined a math prodigy at an early age, changing family dynamics and seeding resentments between them both.

I'm hard pressed to say why this is only 3 stars ... I guess it's probably a 4-star version of women's fiction, but as a literary effort, it's middle of the road. It's character driven, which is what good literature is supposed to be, and the writing is solid. Both characters are interesting and grow emotionally through the novel. But the story lacked any real suspense or worry about the ending (which is positive, another reason I should have liked it better) and there wasn't much in the way of beautiful language. I never really liked either sister much, which also makes it hard to care about what happens between them.

I don't think that I'm really a fan of "women's" fiction. Reading it feels like watching a soap opera. It's more melodrama and sentimentality than real emotion. This story would make a fantastic made-for-the-Lifetime-Channel movie.

[Cindy Feigert · Rating 3 out of 5]

You never know where you might find a good book. For instance, I found this book on the discard shelf while I was at a library sale. I read the back and thought this doesn't sound too bad. Also it was set on the gulf coast of Florida where I like to vacation. It is the story of a family that has secrets, drama etc. At the core are two sisters who are estranged but trying to find their way back to each other. I like how the author told the story in both of the sister's voices, which worked well. This book would be a good "beach" read. I enjoyed it!

[Lois Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard author Kristy Kiernan on the radio discussing her most recent novel. It sounded interesting so I went to the library to look for it. It was out, but I did find this book, which was her first novels. It reads like an Ann Siddons book. It didn't really grab me, but she's a good writer and I'm willing to try another of her novels.

[Darcy Mckenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it like to be the 'less than special' child in a family? And what defines 'special'? This book addresses the rivalries and love between two sisters. One who is a genius and one who isn't. A truly wonderful look at a different kind of sibling rivalry.

[Barbara Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I liked the title. Very pleasantly pleased. Thought the relationship between the sisters was very interesting. Perception is everything

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book is about 2 estranged sisters coming back together to clean out their family's beach home to sell it. Growing up, one of them, Estrella, was discovered to have a super high IQ, making her a genius. Her brain was run by numbers and she was very OCD about things. The other sister was not a genius and there was a little bit of jealousy both ways. The back says she was known more for her beauty, but we never were shown examples of that. Anyway, the girls became estranged as teens/adults and now they have to come back together. They're both nervous to see each other but when they do there is not nearly the tension you would expect. Theres also not a big warm, welcome. It just feels emotionless and withdrawn, but not hostile. Its weird and didn't feel authentic. Anywho, Connie is the other sister. Her husband is a serial cheater and her 2 boys are now tweens/teens so she is taking 3 weeks away to clean out the house. The neighbor boy (now neighbor man) is still there and he was crushing on her as a kid, but this doesn't really develop into the romance I expected. Basically, I feel like we had 320 pages of build up, 50 pages of actual story, and then it ended. I wanted so much less of the build up and then more of the women actually doing things and taking steps to repair their relationship. I wanted to see more of Connie standing up for herself and more of Estrella accepting herself. I wanted the last 50 pages to be the book, not the first 320.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit surprised at the rating for this book. I found it engrossing. After all, although most of us don’t have stories quite as out there as these characters do, don’t we all hide a bit of ourselves and form our opinions of those closest to us based on our perception of events? It’s also quite common to have family issues when one child has a special gift, be it athletic, musical or intellectual. The parents tend to become so focused on the gift that they forget that their job first and foremost is to live their children and raise them to be well adjusted. I thought the author did a good job telling their stories from each sister’s point of view. Just enough was told to keep pulling the reader along, sometimes getting it wrong just as the other sister did. Very good writing technique.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Connie and Estella two sisters that grew up together but grew apart when one sister was discovered as a math prodigy. Now their mother wants to sell the childhood home and the sisters are forced to reunite and get the house ready for sale. Connie has had some heartbreaking things happen in her life and her husband has been unfaithful for once too often and now she is contemplating divorce but has a teenager and a younger son to consider. Estella is in a relationship but has had mental and medical issues in the past. The two sisters come face to face with some unresolved issues and must talk about their estrangement in order to make forward steps in their lives.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intense and interesting page turner this story was for me. I loved the characters, the setting and the story. Having purchased this book as a beach read on Sanibel I somehow kept it for years. Yesterday if fell off a shelf as I was cleaning and I read page one, was hooked and could not put it down until the last page tonight. This was a family story which is well developed with lots of character description creating an intense story that keeps you interested all the way to the last page.

[Penny Sitler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the setup of the 2 sisters narrating, and telling the same story from their different perspectives. So much tension in their families, so many times I wanted them to open up, so glad they finally did in the end. Connie and Estella both went through so much to become the women they grew into. Can't wait to read more of Kiernan's work.

[Michele Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie and Estella have been estranged since Estella was sent off to school when she was in her teens. Now they are tasked with closing their mother's seaside home and need to face some startling truths about their lives.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibling relationships - so delicate and complicated. Two sisters clear out the cobwebs of their childhood as they work together to clean out an old family home to sale. Enjoyed it!

[Mahy Helal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an awesome book 🙈 love it so much ❤️❤️

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good sister story. It goes beyond a simple beach read and really pulls you in.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story line and I loved the relationship between Connie and Estella.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

[Joan Horkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling story about two estranged sisters and how they work themselves back to each other.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. The opening scenes were so good, and the author has a great eye for detail and gesture. But I just had trouble connecting to these characters and the movement of their emotions.

[Deb Noack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-told story of the complications of family relationships.

[Marnie Kaplan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb on the book compares Kiernan to Picoult and Shreve. I could see that. She tackles big controversial topics. I think I might also compare her to Patti Callahan Henry due to the Southern setting and the focus on island life.

I read Kiernan's second book (Matters of Faith) a while ago and was quite excited to read her first book. Catching Genius was incredibly engrossing. Yet another book about a family with secrets and drama. And yet it isn't cliche. The story is mostly about two sisters: Connie, who felt her whole life was altered by the discovery of her sister's "genius" IQ, and Estella, who in many ways suffered due to this "diagnosis." Now in middle age, the sisters are brought together for the first time in twelve years to clean out their former house, a beach house that stores many happy memories for Connie, and many sad memories for Estella. The sisters come together not really understanding the reality of the other's life. Estella believes her sister has a perfect life and family. In reality, Connie's husband is a serial cheater and she is in the process of divorcing him. She has two sons, a high school student named Gib who is flunking algebra and an elementary school aged son named Carson who is potentially a gifted musical composer. Connie, on the other hand, believes her sister is a genius. The reality is that Estella has had many of her own challenges including serious surgery and sexual abuse. Through a tumultuous stay in their former home the girls learn the truth about one another, and open themselves up to viewing the past through a new lens.

There is a lot of hard life events in this book; but both of the female protagonists grow as do almost all of the characters in the novel (with the exception of Connie's jerk of a husband). The story offers a true slice of life full of the variety of surprises that exist in every family. It's hard not to love the characters, and to root for them to get the ending they deserve.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel had been sat on my shelf for a few months. When it arrived in the post I read through the first pages, but I wasn’t pulled in, so I put it down and didn’t go back to it. Then I decided that I needed some discipline – I can’t keep buying books and then not reading them – so I tried again, skipping that prologue, and, to my surprise, the book turned out to be a good, really fast read.

Good Points –

•The characters are written in first person, alternating between Connie and Estella. They both had distinctly different voices, which I really liked.
•The characterisation was great, with everyone having good and bad points – I especially liked Tate. It’s unusual for me to genuinely root for fictional characters to get together, but I was really glad when he and Connie did - well I presume they did anyway. I also liked Gib. I didn’t at first, but he really grew on me in the end. In fact, the only person I ended up disliking was Paul. He started off being likeable, but by the end of the story, I found him sort of irritating and just a little bit controlling.
•It was an emotionally satisfying and absorbing story. Everything seemed to flow along naturally and nothing felt contrived.
•I loved the descriptions of Big Dune. I love the sea and I felt like I was there.


Bad points –

•The use of ‘Daddy’ to address the father figure was irritating. Second book in a row where this has happened.
•The prologue doesn’t exactly pull you, so I skipped it.


Otherwise, I’d liked to read more from this author, but first I have to get through that stack of books I have that’s waiting for attention.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catching Genius is a wonderful book about family secrets and personal growth. It reminded me of The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg only if was both more positive and more realistic to me. Perhaps the characters just resonated more with my own personality and my own life.

Connie and Estella are siblings that love each other very much! Big sister Estella protects and cherishes Connie who in turn looks up to Estella for guidance and comfort. Late night dancing and eavesdropping on the parents' dinner parties are beautiful moments of comraderie and friendship.

Fast forward 30 or so years, and we find a totally different situation. Connie and Estella are not longer close, matter of fact they don't communicate at all. What happened to cause this rift and is there any way that these sisters could come together again? Well, you will have to read the book to find out!

I found this book a little bit too predictable but there was a comfort in the predictability. I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it to others who have ever thought seriously about the meaning or importance of family.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was unexpectedly good. Not that I thought it would be bad....but I didn't really expect it to grab me the way it did. I had a hard time putting it down.

Kiernan manages to explore the depths of family issues and relationships, the truth of how past experiences affect our everyday lives, and the controversy over what it means to be a "genius" without getting bogged down with excessive exposition.

The plot moves. Connie's divorce proceedings take several unexpected turns. June's family history lends unexpected insight into the family's history. And Estella's undisclosed health problem provides ongoing questions and suspense. Something of significance happens in every chapter.

On a personal level, this book intrigued me with it's exploration of math and music. As a math teacher of gifted students who found her niche growing up in music, it struck several chords with me. Having a sister who lives nearly 1000 miles away made it reelevent on another personal level.

Definitely reccommended reading.

[Frosty Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first 100-150 pages really hard to get through but kept going since my sisters said Catching Genius was such a great book. I'm glad I did because once the story started to come more alive I couldn't put it down, especially the last 100 pages. I love Kiernan's flow in her writing and also all the small metaphors such as Connie taking off her wedding rings while playing the violin as a necessity to play but also a statement against her husband. I really feel for Connie but I can't seem to gain the same feeling for Estella. I suppose that is because Kiernan does not put as much effort in Estella's character as she does with Connie. Also, maybe I'm a sucker for drama but I would have liked more elaboration regarding the issues with Luke and Connie.

Don't get me wrong, this book is definitely worth your time. I will continue to read Kiernan's books because she does write beautifully and if her other books has stories as touching as this one I just wouldn't want to miss it for the world!

[Loralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie and Estelle seem to have a very close relationship as young girls until it's discovered that Estelle has a genius IQ. Estelle immediately pulls back from her younger sister because she's afraid that her "eyecue" could be catching. Connie is hurt that not only her sister has changed, but the relationship she had with her father seems to have changed as well. He seems consumed to help Estelle develop her full mathematical gifts.

The book fast forwards until both women are in their early 40's. Their relationship is still strained. When their mother decides to sell their island home, the sisters are forced together to close up the house. Memories, feelings, and secrets are slowly shared. The sisters seem to dance their way around their relationship, becoming closer one moment and drawing apart a few minutes later.

I enjoyed spending time with these sisters and would love to learn "the rest of the story."

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an older sister to (I believe) a genius sister and as the mother of two sisters, I was intrigued by the story line of this book. I was a bit disappointed as I read it, but still wanted to know what happened enough to finish it. There is more bad language in it than I like to read, but may not be offensive to others. Also, I thought there was so much emphasis on Connie's bad relationship with her husband and his affairs with other women that it detracted from what I felt the story was about -- namely, the relationship between the two sisters. Also, much of the story was told from only Connie's viewpoint and that disturbed me. Although I can see purpose in doing this, I still did not like it.

I read this book because it was the selection for my local library book discussion group and while I enjoyed the added insight from the women who came to that, I'm not sure I will be recommending it to many of my friends.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read that was written by Kristy Kiernan. I love finding new authors to read and I am so glad a friend recommended her to me. Catching Genius is a complex story about relationships. The main characters, Connie and Estella are sisters who don't have much of a relationship at all. When the girls were young, Estella was labeled as a math genius. She is sent off to college at age 12. The girls, who were once very close, drifted apart. Now adults, they are forced to close up their mother's beach house before she sells it which makes them both very uncomfortable. They not only have issues with each other but both sisters are dealing with other problems in their lives. The story is told from the viewpoint of both sisters, dealing with their relationship now as well as their past. There are two sides to every story and that is very clear in this book. I look forward to reading more from Kristy.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book. I could feel for Connie-her husband was cheating on her, and had been for 8 years, giving her gifts when it was over, her oldest son always being more said husband's kid, and being a typical teen, well, not being a teen covers it.



When her mom says she wants to sell a house from her childhood house, Connie really doesn't want to go. But she does. And I'm glad that she does, this way, she reconsiles with her older sister whom wasn't around after it was descovered that Estella had an IQ over 140, and Estella didn't want Connie to "catch" her "eyeque" I belive it was.



Overall, it was a great book. The only thing was, that I wish that there'd been more going on with the husband, after he steals the car and goes to jail, he does nothing, and I was anticipating him coming and trying to kill her and or take at least Gil. But he doesn't. Oh, well. Still a good book! I will be looking out for this author in the future!!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel because it's that good. Certainly there are first-time novelist holes in the tale, but they are few and far-between. Overall this tale of two sisters, betrayal, forgiveness, jealousy and love is compelling and not-put-downable. When you are done, you will sigh a big sigh of mushy happiness, and you will continue to think of the characters and feel the place long after the book has been tucked away in your shelf.

If you have not read the turn of the century classic, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin (another great read!), you will need to read it or at least review a summary of it before reading Catching Genius. The references to The Awakening are numerous and rich, and you be be deeply rewarded by knowing the first book when you read this one.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book a great deal, the ending was unsatisfying. I had so many questions about what happened to the characters at the end of the book! I can only hope that the ending leaves room for a sequel.

I also do not agree with the comparison to Jodi Picoult. Picoult's books provide a higher level of detail in the characters as well as in the story lines. If Picoult had written this book, there would have been more detail about Estella's medical condition and childhood. There also would have been more on the story line between Connie and Luke, and their divorce.

This does not take anything away from the enjoyment of Kiernan's work - but she is a different author with a different style, so keep that in mind as you read the novel.