The Daughters of Erietown

by Connie Schultz

Hidden desires and long-held secrets, the sacrifices people make for family and to realize their dreams, are at the heart of this powerful first novel about working class people in a small town. By the popular Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.

In the 1950s, Ellie and Brick are teenagers in love. As a basketball star, Brick has the chance to escape his abusive father and become the first person in his blue-collar family to attend college. But after Ellie learns that she is pregnant, they get married, she gives up her dream of nursing school, and Brick gets a union card instead.

This riveting novel tells the story of Brick, Ellie, and their daughter Samantha, as the frustrations of unmet desire for sex, love, identity, and meaningful work explode their lives. The evolution of women's lives over decades of the second half of the 20th century is explored, in a story that richly portrays how much people know about each other and pretend not to--the secrets at the heart of a family.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Family, Audiobook, Adult, Adult Fiction

457 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, and Professional in Residence in the journalism school at Kent State University, her alma mater. She is the author of two memoirs: "Life Happens" and "…And His Lovely Wife." Her first novel, "The Daughters of Erietown," will be published on June 9, 2020.

Schultz lives in Cleveland with her husband, Sherrod Brown, and their two rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Covid has made stay at home mandatory, my reading habits have changed. Not that I'm not reading an enormous amount, but I'm also tossing out books at an unusual rate. I just seem to be lacking in concentration and patience. This book was a refreshing read. No back and forth, a straight timelined narrative, who knew this was still possible? No magical realism or symbolism where one has to figure out the meaning. Not tons of characters to try to remember. Just a heartfelt, tenderly written novel.

I've also noticed tone and atmosphere more lately, and felt that this did a wonderful job with both. The atmosphere of the fifties and early sixties felt authentic. The tone was tender, can tell the author liked these characters, mainly the women. A novel about the changing expectations of women, wives, mothers, what they could be, what they wanted to be. There is a great deal of nostalgia. Toni hair perms for instance, can one ever forget the smell? A more innocent time it has been said, but was it really? Of course not. There was still abuse, affairs, teen pregnancies with fewer obstacles and so called shotgun weddings. The difference was that if it happened in the family, it stayed in the family. There was no social media where one could hang their dirty laundry out to dry.

A simply written book, but I think most readers will find something inside that in their own lives they can identify. A fast reading, smoothly paced story of a few lives.

This was my monthly read with Angela and Esil. I think we all liked it but to varying degrees.

[Angela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are things that I liked about this multi-generational novel and some that didn’t quite work for me. Family dysfunction abounds with alcoholism, physical abuse, teen pregnancy, adultery, shattered dreams, regrets and resentments and it was predictable. All of this realistic, but it made for a story that I felt I had read before and because of that it took me until the last third of the book to really be engaged. On the positive side, I liked some of the characters and cared about this family, even those imperfect ones who made mistakes and hurt their loved ones. The author does a good job of reflecting on the times, over several decades, the Kent State killings, JFK assassination, and especially on the changing roles of women, which was front and center. I felt like it became more of a substantial story towards the end, when my favorite character, Sam provides the possibility for rising above her family legacy of dysfunction with strength of conviction, acceptance and love. I’m right down the middle on this one and I’ll give it 3 stars.

This was a regular monthly read with Diane and Esil. You’ll have to read their reviews to see if we agreed.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley

[Jessica J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Connie Schultz and I was really eager to read her first work of fiction, but this was so bland and unfocused. It felt like she was trying to touch on many different issues that the impact was diluted. The main thrust is supposed to be what it was like for blue-collar families in the 1950s and 60s and how the subsequent generation tried to be different, especially with regards to women's roles, but I kind of got the impression that Schultz kept thinking of new things (like race or religion or whatever) and felt like she couldn't not explore that in here, too.

I also felt like the structure of the story kind of took the knees out of the main plot -- the book is mostly chronological but then, about halfway through, we go back to the '50s to meet a new character and I kept wondering why she just wasn't there from the beginning. It would have given me a stronger connection to this new character, giving her role in the story greater emotional impact. Even if her role wasn't quite as clear yet, it would have removed the jarring effect that her late introduction and the backward time jump had on me as a reader if the book had used alternating chapters as a means to do more to compare this character's background and experiences with those of the main characters.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think there are some people who will not understand this book because they did not grow up in a small town with limited opportunities and cannot grasp the heaviness of the life that Connie Schultz conveys with each character. But for those who can identify, she perfectly captures the feel of places like Erietown. And, having read Schultz's newspaper work, it is hard to not read this and see fictionalized versions of her petite big-hearted mom and her union-leader father and their own story in Schultz's first novel. The story she tells is not neat or polished -- it is as messy as life. There are curves and surprises that kept me reading to the final page.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finish a book and I miss the characters, I add a star to the rating. When I see pieces of myself in every aspect of a story, well then I add a couple more stars. When I know something about the life of the author and truly believe that person has written from their heart, well there goes another star! It’s hard for me to believe that there is an adult woman who could read this and not see some part of herself and/or her family in the lives of Brick, Ellie, Sam, Reilly, Paull, Aunt Lizzie, Rosemary, and other minor characters. This novel isn’t tidy. Neither is life. It doesn’t flow calmly along on every page. Neither does life. I have followed Connie Schultz on social media, I have read her columns for years, and I thoroughly enjoyed “And His Lovely Wife.” I highly recommend all of those along with this beautiful story, The Daughters of Erietown.

Full disclosure: I won a pre-release copy of the book through a contest on GoodReads.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this, but I was underwhelmed.
Too many characters, too little focus, and far too much telling rather than showing. The constant shifting perspective made it difficult to get too invested in anyone's story and forced relationship dynamics to fall flat.
I was also disappointed in the how little the setting was developed. Where was the of Erietown? Part of the allure of this title for me was its northeast Ohio connection. The core of the story is Erietown. Characters are pulled to there--some even from substantial distances--and natives are always drawn back. If you're going to root a story in northeast Ohio, I wanted to feel rooted there. A few mentions of Cleveland suburbs and a quick lunch at Higbee's didn't feel like enough.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the strongest debut novels I have ever read. Extremely difficult to put down. Several generations of women in 2 families that intertwine around one big secret that could destroy one of the families. Are secrets better to hold secret even if it would do great harm to others? Sometimes you never have the chance to find out. This was a riveting read that immediately draws you in.

[Hillary Copsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a first-generation college graduate from north central Ohio, about an hour from where Connie Schultz grew up -- so more or less where Erietown is set. I grew up in a trailer. My mom worked in a factory. My dad drove trucks. We ate Jones' Potato Chips. My dad and uncles drank cheap beer. The women held the family together.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciated this book.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming in June 2020, I read an advanced reader copy. 4 1/2 🌟. Full disclosure, I follow Pulitzer Prize winning journalist/author Connie Schultz on Facebook and Twitter. Great character development and storytelling. I was born the same year as Samantha (Sam) is in the book and in a similar small town. As the characters and story unfolds I could relate them to people from my childhood community, as well as relate to the events of the time. When Schultz writes of JFK’s assassination, especially in the classroom, I had to put the book down (though I remember Bobby Kennedy and MLK, Jr. more clearly). I highlighted several lines but the take on grief resonated with me, “Grief is that monster that bangs at your door until you let it in and sit with it for a while.” Great storytelling and writing.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a goodreads giveaway. An interesting book on the views of classes in America. The story held me and it was a fast and interesting read

[KarenSandstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her first novel, Connie Schultz weaves together strands of the lives of three generations of women living in a rural Ohio town steeped in both tradition and challenge. At the heart of the story is Sam, first in her line to go to college. She blooms in the imperfect household of Ellie and Brick, the parents who raised her with unequivocal love, though so much else about their lives was complicated. This is a beautifully plotted and ambitiously structured debut whose complex characters—perhaps especially those who hurt the ones they love—burrow deep into your bones. Readers who have long followed Connie's journalism will be rewarded with new contemplations on familiar themes: family, feminism, racial and gender equality, and the dignity of the working class. In the end, though, the story and the relations are what will be long remembered.

[Maura Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Connie Schultz is a storyteller who never fails to convey the nuances of the human condition with empathy and understanding. With her luminous first novel, “The Daughters of Erietown,” she tells of the joys and struggles of a working class family across generations. The story begins in the 1950s and centers on Brick and Ellie McGinty, who find in each other the security their home lives don’t offer; Brick’s father is abusive to the point of cruelty and Ellie’s father abandoned her after a second marriage. The high school sweethearts fall in love and share dreams. Brick is offered a college athletic scholarship and Ellie talks hopefully of becoming a nurse. But an unplanned pregnancy dictates a different path and sets the stage for the decades to come.

Moments of truth gleam in these pages: The singular joy of having children. The difficulties of staying a few steps ahead of the bills. The lies that crumble the foundation of a marriage. Most of all, love that endures, despite everything.

In the book’s final pages, few will read Ellie’s words to her daughter without being moved by her hard-won wisdom: “We want to think there are rules in life. That as long as we follow them, everything will be all right. And then, God blows up your plans. Blows them to smithereens. And you’re left picking up the pieces and putting your life back together as best you can, because it’s not about you. It’s about your children and the life you’ve built, and not giving everyone a reason to see you as damaged goods for the rest of your life.”

Schultz’s book is a triumph. It is a riveting story, elegantly written, that elevates the struggle of ordinary lives and reveals not only the difficulties they face, but the kindness and grace that helps them endure.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really was looking forward to reading a novel by Connie Schultz whom I admire as a journalist. But this attempt at fiction was very disappointing. The characters were undeveloped, descriptions were superficial, and the plot was predictable. The timeline is wrong at the beginning of the book, too. Chapter 1 is set in 1944 when Ellie is 7 years old. Chapter 2 skips to 1957, 13 years later. Ellie should be 20 but instead, she's 16. Also, she's a senior in high school, and unless she skipped a grade or two, that is also an error. I did read an ARC, so perhaps this will be corrected in the final release. Of course these are minor discrepancies but they set the tone for the rest of the novel for me. Not paying attention to such obvious details annoyed me from the start. I'd be willing to overlook them if the rest of this too long novel had any other redeeming qualities. I was very disappointed. Ms. Schultz should stick to journalism.

[Jim Barber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert: If you like a story where a woman makes up her mind to pursue a married man with children--knowing this in advance and having been warned by someone close to her that doing so is not only morally wrong but a bad idea--but chooses to do so any way, causes major heartache for all concerned and then determines she's the victim in the situation, then you'll probably like this book. If you have a hard time swallowing this scenario, you probably won't like the book. I fall into the latter category. All in all, I thought it was awful; there wasn't a single character who was likeable to me. I gave this two stars instead of one, only because I liked the Midwestern vibes that permeated during the various decades where the story played out.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Ohio and had grandparents in Cleveland Heights and in Athens County - complete opposite ends of the spectrum. This novel rings so true for me: I was born in 1957, graduated from high school in 1975 and went to Bowling Green State University. My father was the high school basketball star and my mother was short enough that she had to stand on two steps to kiss him. My father died before he reached the age of 60. I tried to place myself in Sam's shoes throughout and it was so easy - thankfully, we didn't have the drama as in the book.

[Sandy Pavick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie Schultz's first novel, "Daughters of Erietown" is a must-read for anyone who lives in a small town, grew up in a small town or returned to a small town. If you live in Ashtabula County, Ohio, as I do, you need to pre-order her book today.

Her flawed, but likeable characters are the people you know from the grocery store, who sit in the pews around you at church and who work with you on festival and PTA boards. The settings are familiar, especially but not exclusively to northeast Ohioans. However, it's Schultz's spot-on depictions of dreams modified by reality and passions that overpower judgement that make this book so poignant. I know I'm not alone in hoping that this is the first of many novels from this talented author.

(full disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book.)

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connie Schultz’s novel The Daughters of Erietown spans the decades from the 1950s through the 1970s in the industrial town of Erietown, Ohio. Ellie is a high school girl madly in love with Brick, the star basketball player.









Both are planning on going to college when Ellie discovers she is pregnant. All of their future dreams change as they marry and begin a family. Brick goes to work in the maintenance department of a coal plant, and Ellie stays home with their children.



Over the years, they mourn their lost dreams, and Brick’s unhappiness causes him to become reckless. We see their oldest child, Samantha, grow up in during turbulent times in her family and in the country as she has to make decisions for her own future.



The Daughters of Erietown is a great read for anyone from a small town as well as anyone who came of age of the 1960s and 1970s, with the intergenerational struggles that took center stage. Each character is vividly portrayed, and their decisions have consequences that reverberate for everyone. I highly recommend it.

[Susan Wille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. It held my interest from the first sentence. Great characters. Unbelievable love story. It encompasses many generations of sorrow, rejection, and yet the characters were for the most part able to overcome such trauma. It had a great storyline and I absolutely could not put it Down. I understand this is her first book that she has won a Pulitzer Prize for some of her other Writing.Not surprised. Thank you for my Advanced copy I will continue to follow this author and hope she will write another great novel..

[debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 *s Right book. Right time.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this wonderful saga of the McGinty family in working class Erietown. Schultz follows the lives of Ellie and Brick, 2 kids whose plans were upended by an unexpected pregnancy. The novel is so beautifully written that it captures the period very well.

There is a tremendous focus on the story of WOMEN and their evolution in the era of the growing feminist enlightenment. The character of Ellie is totally emblematic of the good little housewives of the era, who finally awakens, helped by her daughter Sam.

Sadly, it is Brick McGinty who personifies the male in charge who is revered and forgiven for his foibles. I was very moved by Rosemary and the plight of the unmarried woman.

I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. I think my women’s groups and seminars will have tremendous discussions on the changing role of women and the views of marriage.

Ah, my secret, I am enormously jealous of Connie Schultz, for both her prodigious writing talents and her husband (a political hero of mine) Sherrod Brown.

[Sarah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of this novel felt familiar, as though it could have been written about an earlier generation of my own family and community - teen pregnancy, union jobs, the importance of staying married through thick and thin, the adoration of athletics, the mixed feelings towards college education. The themes and the characters are complicated and I spent much the novel with love-hate feelings toward Brick, the central male character. Overall, I can't help but sense that this novel presents an authentic picture of what life was like during a particular era, with all of its flaws and much of the romance wiped away. There is less a sense of conclusion and resolution at the end of this book, and more a feeling of moving forward, which might be the besting ending of all.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie Schultz is one of my favorite columnists; her sweet daily reminders on Twitter to "breathe" are a vital moment each evening in a busy routine. Her debut novel, a summer highlight, is full of moments reflecting on the struggles and secrets of working-class families in Ohio, from 1956 through 1994.

Brick McGinty marries Ellie Fetters just before they graduate from high school; there are no other options in the late 1950's for a young couple about to become parents. Brick and Ellie both know this and accept it, but they also accept that lifelong dreams will be postponed or even eliminated - Ellie's, to train as a nurse, and Brick's , to accept a sports scholarship and become a teacher and coach. Both come from broken families who couldn't escape the numbing, self-fulfilling dictates of their class, and both had hoped for a better future for themselves and each other. They remind me of the heartbreaking line from Bruce Springsteen's "The River": "And for my nineteenth birthday, I got a union card and a wedding coat."

Ellie resolves to be a good mother, but also yearns for substance and fulfillment. When disappointments seem likely to break her, Ellie tells her daughter Samantha not to rely on the men in her life. "The sad look on Sam's face made Ellie wish, for the first time, that she'd had only sons... No matter what she did, Ellie would never be able to save her daughter from that heartache waiting to ambush her" (395). Progress awaits with the upheavals of the sixties and seventies, though, and Sam grows, asserts her independence, and fulfills her ambitions in a way that Ellie and her generation couldn't have imagined. I love the moment where Sam reckons with her own questioning personality: "To go through life just coasting? That's unthinkable" (733).

Brick, meanwhile, makes huge mistakes that temper his expectations with the bitterness of devastating consequences. His misogyny and racism are in keeping with his small-town upbringing as a white male who has never had to consider his position in society in relation to others. He is an imperfect father, husband, son, and he knows it, deep down. But Brick makes progress and attempts in small ways to atone, specifically with his son, with Ellie, and with Sam. It's too late for him to save his relationship with his abusive father and his weary mother, who bore twelve children while coping with his father's alcoholism and rage. Brick's little family is the best thing to ever happen to him, and despite the glaring gap between promise and reality, his strength is loving them through all the pain and disappointment.

If you love sweeping stories that develop the collective life of a family through successive generations, the journey of the McGintys across the decades will captivate and absorb you. Schultz, whom the Pulitzer committee described as writing "pungent columns that provided a voice for the underdog and underprivileged," advocates for people from those communities throughout her work, in part because of her working-class background. Her TED Talk about the women of her generation, "A Woman Over 50: A Life Unleashed," shares more insight into the themes of this novel, including single motherhood, women's place in the world, and not listening to "that voice of 'no' in your head."

I read along as I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the excellent Cassandra Campbell.

*Update: reread/listened for my book club over three years later. I was still captivated by the story and the characters. I got very annoyed with Brick this time through, and maybe a little bit frustrated with the author for letting him dominate the story - perhaps because he was the most conflicted character - when I felt like the women should have been given more of an opportunity to shine. But that's the way things were in the decades she describes, and as she skillfully portrays, the women just made the best of it. Interestingly, I had less sympathy for Rosemary than I did the first time I read it. Her callous treatment of Sam bothered me, even though I knew it came from a place of hurt and anger and wanting to lash out. I guess the realistic impulses of these flawed characters got to me, even though they are the sign of an excellent writer.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was born and raised in Ohio, more specifically in Mansfield, Ohio, the hometown of Sherrod Brown (aww Connie the reference to Jones Chips and Lawsons dip❤️) married to a Clevelander, living in Columbus. I know Northern Ohio.

I'm also a liberal through and through. I met Connie Schultz and Sherrod Brown two years ago at campaign event. They talked to my then 10 year old son and my friend’s daughter about the ”Hamilton” camp they had just attended. Connie and Sherrod were kind, and engaging, and wonderful. I was excited to meet my hometown Senator, but I was over the moon, eyes tearing up, I could barely speak to her, making a damn fool out of myself, star struck to meet Pultizer Prize winning Connie Schultz. Seriously, talk about looking like a fan girl. So just in the spirit of full disclosure, I worried I was going into this book a little biased. But I wasn't. The book was just so good.

I loved this book. It was so well written. The characters were so well developed. I found myself having empathy for characters when I really didn’t want to. Connie captured working class Northern Ohio. There were so many really beautifully written lines. Hands down, this is the best novel I have read this year. I hope this is the first of many novels she writes. That woman can weave a story.

[Sasha Brown-Worsham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke me wide open. the characters are so beautiful and real. I was truly sad when it ended. This is one of the few books I have ever read where I feel like a better human because of it. The themes of forgiveness and love and family are woven so beautifully throughout. This was a gorgeous and memorable read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz turns to fiction to illustrate how class and sexism shaped women’s lives in the 1940s-1990s. The characters were stereotypical, and their actions at times seemed dictated by the needs of the plot, but Schultz knows how to tell a story, and this debut novel kept me turning the pages. 3.5 stars rounding up.

[Sheila Fahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much looking forward to reading this new book from such an incredibly talented and much-admired woman!

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to this book for so long and expecting so much from the author who is a Pulitzer-winning journalist. I guess this proves that just because you can write essays and columns doesn't mean you can write fiction.
There was quite a bit of familiarity since the setting is Northeast Ohio and I grew up in Northwest Ohio. But that wasn't enough to save this book.
There was little or unexplained character development, cliches in both the writing and the characterization which, at times were stereotypical. Historical events seemed to be added for no apparent reason other than to mark time.
The more time I spent with this book, the less I liked it. Sad.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're the type of reader who loves a saga, and if you're interested in contemporary American history, you'll enjoy this book. It traces a family from a small town--and how the lives of the women are compromised by the times and the men around them. The lives of the characters intertwine nicely and the tale is skillfully told. Just settle in with a cup of your favorite beverage and be prepared to be immersed!
(I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Netgalley.)

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read about a middle class family growing together in the 50s-70s. Took about half the book to become engrossed in the story. The characters are not very interesting and neither is the setting but the story does eventually pick up. The author teaches journalism at Kent State and is very committed to the northeastern Ohio region and those who live there. Her husband is a US senator and together they make a huge impact in the lives of Ohioans and those of our country. This is her first attempt at fiction. I hope she tries again because she has a lot of potential. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Nancy Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There are too many things that can go wrong in a marriage. Most of my friends are married, and it seems a married life is never an extraordinary one. " - Samantha

The Daughters of Erietown is about marriages in the small working class town of Erietown. There are Wayne and Ada in the 1950's raising their granddaughter, Ellie. There are Angie and Bull (abusive and bullying Bull), contemporaries of Wayne and Ada. Angie and Bull are raising their many children, the youngest of whom is Brick. Then there are Brick and Ellie who find themselves married when Ellie becomes pregnant in high school. They give up college and become adults way too early. We follow these 3 couples by means of shifting timelines as they age. Somewhere in there, Samantha is born. She is Ellie and Brick's daughter. Nothing goes well. Everyone is unhappy with life but no one is willing to put on their big kid underwear and make a change.
I THINK I was supposed to feel sorry for Brick. He couldn't help being like he was because he was a man in the 1950's who had to give up on his dreams and raise his family. He couldn't help being angry and "on the edge" because he had had an abusive father. He didn't know any better. Well - yes, he did.
His wife, Ellie, was a stereotypical woman of the 50's who put all of her dreams aside for her husband. She hid her intellect and washed his dirty clothes while resenting him. She forgave him his indiscretions - even some BIG ones - because that is what she was supposed to do. But I have known a lot of women from the working class who, as adults in the 1950's, did make changes and did not put up with this mess.
The reader has to wait until Samantha is an adult before we see some possible improvement in the characters' lives. And honestly, Samantha seemed pretty cookie-cutter, herself.
The problem with this story - nothing surprised me. Not one blooming thing.
So - this was just 3 stars for me.
From Elle - "We want to think there are rules in life. That as long as we follow them, everything will be all right. And then God blows up your plans. Blows them to smithereens. And you're left picking up the pieces and putting your life back together as best you can, because it's not about you. It's about your children, and the life you've built, and not giving everyone a reason to see you as damaged goods for the rest of your life. "