The Best Part of Us: A Novel

by Sally Cole-Misch

Beth cherished her childhood summers on a pristine northern Canadian lake, where she reveled in the sweet smell of dew on early morning hikes, the loons’ evening trills across the lake’s many bays, every brush stroke of her brother’s paintings celebrating their cherished place, and their grandfather’s laughter as he welcomed neighbors to their annual Welsh harvest celebration. Theirs was an unshakeable bond with nature, family, and friends, renewed every summer on their island of granite and pines.

But that bond was threatened and then torn apart, first as rights to their island were questioned and then by nature itself, and the family was forced to leave. Fourteen years later, Beth has created a new life in urban Chicago. There, she’s erected a solid barrier between the past and present, no matter how much it costs―until her grandfather asks her to return to the island to determine its fate. Will she choose to preserve who she has become, or risk everything to discover if what was lost still remains?

The Best Part of Us will immerse readers in a breathtaking natural world, a fresh perspective on loyalty, and an exquisite ode to the essential roles that family, nature, and place hold in all of our lives.

Genres: Fiction, Adult Fiction, Nature, Book Club, Audiobook

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2020

About the author

Sally Cole-Misch is a writer, author and environmental communicator who advocates for the natural world through work and play. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master's degree in environmental education and international water policy from the University of Michigan. Throughout her career, she's communicated about our essential connections with nature, how our lifestyles impact the planet we live on, and the role we can play to restore and protect our water, land and air.

Sally took a crazy leap into fiction through Stanford University's writing certificate program in fiction, where her wonderful professors and fellow students helped her to complete the first draft of The Best Part of Us. She resides in the Great Lakes region with her husband and son, although her year isn't complete without a trip to mountains to ski. She also enjoys hiking, kayaking, sailing, gardening, a hearty laugh with friends, the wonder of surprise, and the optimism that nature's beauty always provides.

Reviews

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best Part of Us is a slow paced read about family, nature, and respect for the First Nation. Beth and her family summer on their own private island in Lake Wigwakobi in northern Ontario, Canada. Beth's grandfather, bought the island from members of the Ojibwe tribe decades ago. Many Ojibwe still live in the area surrounding the lake and Beth and her family regularly interact and socialize with them. Beth and her 2 older siblings thrive on their island. Beth loves hiking the trails, building forts, swimming, sailing, and watching the various birds. The siblings regularly hang out with several kids Ojibwe kids. One summer in the late 90's the siblings discover what appears to be Ojibwe artifacts on the island. Their grandfather asks them not to tell anyone because he is afraid the island will be taken from him as an important tribal site. Beth and her siblings are torn...

This book is about family and secrets and what the impact can be. It is a quiet story about family and community dynamics and how one summer can change things forever. I enjoyed this beautiful story and it is ideal if you are looking for a calm and soothing story.

What to listen to while you read...
For Me This is Heaven by Jimmy Eat World
Last Words of a Shooting Star by Mitski
Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry
Swimming by Florence + the Machine
Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer
Bird Set Free by Sia
Sunset by The xx
Holocene by Bon Iver
Lakes of Canada by Karen Peris
White Flag by Dido
I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan


Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sally Cole-Misch's captivating novel with the descriptions of the magnificent Canadian landscape, the beautiful nature, and the First Nation Ojibway life was captured in the vivid descriptions, as an homage to how connected we are to the natural world, was a delight to read. Though a quiet story, the characters navigate shaky grounds as family, relationships and going back to the past was explored, and what doing to right thing meant.
This was a well written story that captured my heart and whose characters will stay with me for a while.

[Sally Cole-Misch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Christina Baker Kline can review her own novel, I guess I can too, right? I appreciate how other authors have summarized the story: "This is not just storytelling, it's a lived experience;" "A luminous novel that will keep you up reading, and keep you company for a long time afterward;" and "A story so evocative you can smell the lake and hear the loons, drawing in lyrical strokes the many shades of grief and the healing magic of place."
Kirkus Reviews says,"The slow pace of this novel, which effectively offers readers a cautionary tale against secrecy, makes its twists even more rewarding. Cole-Misch manages to capture tender moments as skillfully as she does petty arguments between the siblings...The novel is informed by both Ojibwe and Welsh traditions and shows sensitivity regarding cultural differences. It also honors the natural world with dazzling imagery... A dramatic, rewarding story about a woman reconnecting with family, nature, and herself."
Readers' Favorite gives it five stars and says, "Readers who are into the outdoors, hiking, and nature won’t be able to resist the pull of this remarkable novel, as will, no doubt, many more who’ve never quite seen the outdoors made real and tangible in such a persuasive way before. The author has done a grand job of making Beth, Dylan, Ben and a host of other original and genuine characters come to life. The plot spanning past and present kept me enthralled and engaged throughout my reading of this exceptionally good book. The Best Part of Us is most highly recommended."
I hope you enjoy reading The Best Part of Us as much as I enjoyed writing it, and thank you!

[Rhiannon Overby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you BookSparks and the author for gifting me a copy of this book. This review is my own.

⭐️⭐️💫 2.5/5 Stars

The Best Part of Us is a story about family, nature, cultural divides, and how secrets can do nothing but harm. During much of this story we watch Beth grow as a girl during her summers at the family’s lake house, where she is one with nature. This is a slow building novel that has a couple unexpected twists along the way. I might have even shed a few tears along the way.

For me there were three big things that prevented me from loving this novel as much as I could have. First, it was a bit too slow building for me. There were several point along the way that I just wanted to put it down unfinished; luckily about halfway through the pace started to pick up and it hooked my attention. One thing that got under my skin (for whatever reason) was that the parents were never really talked about by their title of “mom and dad”, instead they were referred to by their first names. This book is written from the POV of a young girl, so referring to them by first name came of as inauthentic and strange. The final thing that’s a bit perplexing was the bombshell at the end and the almost easy acceptance of it. The reactions were not ones that I would expect, even with the rationale behind them.

While I didn’t love this book as I had hoped I would, I was still glad that I stuck it out and read it all of the way through to the end. And if this book did anything, it made me want to buy a lake house!

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and poignant, The Best Part of Us by Sally Cole-Misch is the story about one family and the piece of Earth they love, and about familial relationships and what influences our identities. This novel is a heartwarming and heartrending coming of age story that follows one young protagonist as she navigates her place upon an island, her place in her family, and her role in the family's disintegration. The power of this novel is that the emotional effect upon the reader is greater than the sum of its many parts. An exploration of the natural world that our experiences and memories label as "home", The Best Part of Us stirs the reader's senses, consciousness, and soul.

[Suanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Part of Us is a powerful novel about family dynamics and the human need to be true to one’s inner self. Beth is a tweenager—she feels left out in her family. Her older brother and sister get to do everything like go to the bonfires traditionally held around the lake where her family vacations, and she’s too old for kid stuff and too young for everything else. Cole-Misch draws her characters with a fine paintbrush, adding layer upon layer until each character is fully realized and integrating them into a timeframe that spans the past and present.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is its sense of place. The descriptions of the land and water of the lake are dazzling. The reader can almost smell the forest and the lavender brought over from Wales by the grandmother; feel the pine needles carpeting the ground and the rough granite stones; and hear the keening of bald eagles and the mournful lamentations of the loons; see the sunlight sparking off the water and feel the chill of the air in the forest.

Readers who enjoy nature walks, birding, camping, or just communing with nature in their backyard will enjoy this book.

[Rosanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former resident of the Great Lakes region, I found my dearest memories brought back to my heart in a time when we all need inward smiles. The Sally Cole-Misch author melds the story of a family's growth and interactions with that of encounters with Ojibway cultures in a shared island space. Characters and situations are believable and personal. The environmental scenes are written so well that I could see them again and imagine how they influenced the characters as much as they stood alone in their own grandeur. A storm, a child's safe-haven "fort," native pictographs and artifacts -- all are beautifully portrayed alone and in relation to the evolving story. This is a compelling book from start to satisfying finish.

[Rebecca D’Harlingue · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this mesmerizing novel, Cole-Misch draws us into the challenges of family, the complexities of the rights of First Nations, and perhaps most of all, the healing power of the intimacy and the grandeur of nature. We see each member of the Llyndee family as an individual, with their own interests, talents, and loves. These can come into conflict, and even create fractures, which lead to secrets, and ultimately betrayal. Cole-Misch skillfully guides us to slowly understand the perspective of each character, and we hold our breath, hoping that they can find a way through all of their difficulties. We have hope because of their love for one another, and because the natural world is constantly present, serving as guide and solace. This novel is a powerful reminder that nature is truly a part of who we are, and that we must cherish it.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your normal happy go lucky chick lit novel that you want to read at the beach. This novel is the you want to shed some tears, dream about far away cabins in the woods, and really think about the depth of you family dynamics. The emotional toil i felt rolling off the pages of this book hit me harder then i thought it would. It makes it a fantastic book i loved it, it really hit home on so many levels that i did cry quite a few tears. The ending leaves you in one of those places where you want to really hug those you call dear. The best part of us is at the heart of it about an island, different cultures and being true to what you want in life. It a novel that really wraps you in its pages. It a fantastic read .

[Florence Kraut · Rating 5 out of 5]

The enthralling descriptions of the lake, the woods and hills around it, make the place, a pristine lake in Canada, a character in this lovely book which contrasts two families and two cultures: Welsh American and First Nation Ojibway. The tangled relationships of the family members, the ways in which they misunderstand one another and seek to influence one another as they navigate through summer after summer at their precious lake house, grabbed me and kept me riveted all the way through to the astonishing ending. Beautifully written with inspiring nature descriptions that made me long for time in more solitary spaces, it is a book I will long remember.

Florence Reiss Kraut

[Issababy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows Beth and her family, both in present day and over various summers in her past. The book revolves around her family's land in Canada where they spent their summers. This book was so very descriptive. From the sights and sounds you feel like you are there in the woods with her. Beth has a very strong bond with nature and cherished her time there. But, of course, nothing can remain perfect. This book explores deep emotions, family ties, loyalty and morals. This is a very well written and moving story. I highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda Ulleseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character of Beth made my heart sing and cry. I loved the parts where she was happily interacting with nature, and I loved the detail of the scenes. It reminded me of camping with my family when I was a kid. When she was separated from her beloved island, I felt her pain just as clearly. The development of her character, how she perceives the world and her family, is phenomenal. You'll want to read this one in a single sitting.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this book said that it would take the reader on a tour of the natural world I wasn't sure what it meant. But after reading it I have to say that is what this book did to me. It weaved a story that was beautiful and it will bring you into the story like no other. The family dynamics in this one were wonderful and I fell in love with this coming of age story about the bond of family and the beautiful world it is set in.

[Heidi Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book weeks ago, and it keeps popping up in my mind! I appreciated everything about it: the writer’s beautiful way with words, the setting, the characters…I feel like they’ve become people I know. I don’t typically re-read books, but this will likely be one that I go back to.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Called the Crawdads story for the Great Lakes, I totally understand that sentiment. Cole-Misch does a wonderful job of creating the setting and making the reader want to go spend weeks and weeks there. I adored the reverence for nature and my personal reminder of how I blessed I am where I live! "Where the Crawdads Sing" was similar to this book in that the setting was so beautifully executed. This book has a family of Scottish descent who loves the fictional (?) private island in the middle of Lake Wigwakobi set in northern Ontario, Canada. (*I do see a Wabakimi National Park in Canada.) Also, on the island, live an Ojibwe Tribe. Both groups of people value nature so much. However, they come into conflict over artifacts that Beth, the protagonist, digs up. The tension and lack of resolution are painful. The arc of Beth growing as a person from childhood on the island until adulthood 14 years later is quite good. The end of the book was rushed. But there sure was a lot to talk about! There were definitely favorite and not so favorite characters!

[Zoe L.]

I love when I see a book and know that it’s going to remind me of home. Because, to be quite honest, I am very homesick since I haven’t been able to go back in years. And while I’d never move back I still miss the scenery and the very strange New York-ness that comes from WNYers. But anyway, this is a wonderful book that really pulls you in and takes you to the setting.

I’m a sucker for a book with a good setting and an amazing description of the setting. Now, don’t get me wrong this is an amazing and interesting story, but the descriptors and style of writing is where The Best Part of Us shines. As you are reading you can almost taste and touch the lake and the woods and the air around the characters. And if you love anything related to nature then you will love this book.

Now on to the story, there was also a beautiful story within this book. It has such a rich depth to it and will make you think while pulling you through multiple emotions. And in more ways than one it is just quite simply a beautiful book.

You can view my full review & giveaway on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!

Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
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[Cheryl Bostrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like so many of us, Beth tries to compartmentalize and abandon a crucial part of herself in order to avoid pain. She builds a successful—albeit frenetic—life in the city, and devotes herself to those she loves. Then an unexpected correspondence calls her back to the island of her greatest joys and sorrow. Will she go?

As she decides, she relives her early summers, where guests gather at a pristine northern lake to shed cities and soak in nature so transformative one wonders why they would ever leave. Lake peoples' mundane, distracted, and pain-killing behaviors contrast with crystalline hours of meaningful relationships fueled by rhythms of the natural world.
And then the horrific happens, and the pain of remembering overrules the island's magic.

This book turned pages in me. Drew me in slowly until I was ready to claim an island myself—a place of beauty and redemption and, ultimately joy. Ready to return to the deepest place where I am most myself, and in going there, am best able to love well.

Beth and Dylan and their life-giving days on the lake will stay with me.

[Kelly Risser · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best Part of Us took me back to my childhood in the best of ways. My family spent 2-3 weeks each year in Northern Wisconsin. While we didn't have our own cabin (we always rented), we did have a boat. To this day, some of my favorite memories are of being on a lake at night, looking up at the brilliant night sky full of bright stars, and listening to the cries of the loons and bullfrogs. This was a story full of heart, and both heartbreak and redemption. Beth was a likeable, exuberant young girl who didn't always seem to grasp the dynamics of her family. Her husband was supportive, and without giving too much away, I'll just say that I was very satisfied with the ending. I also liked the way the story wove from current day to Beth's childhood and back again. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves nature, family dynamics, and a strong female lead with a lot of heart. Thank you to Sally Cole-Misch and She Writes Press for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to review this stunning book.

[Susan J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth grew up loving the lake where she went to with her family each summer. This was her happy place, here with the people, the wildlife and the fresh air. Her family cherished this place as well, as a part of their love and dreams for each other, and for their heritage and their culture. one summer, however, it all seems lost. The right to the property is questioned, and then they are betrayed by nature, by weather. As an adult, Beth builds her own wall, as a barrier against what she once had and what she has lost.

This book is very beautiful. and shows how the whole world that we live in becomes a part of us. We are not separate from the natural world. In fact, the world around us and how we respect (and others) is truly the best part of us.

This is a beautifully written book, and it is obvious that the author has a real love and respect for her subject. I can’t talk about the ending, of course, except to say that it was well worth reading.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.
I picked this advance readers' copy thinking I was choosing a happy chick-lit type book to read before sleeping but what I got was a powerful novel revolving around family dynamics and what happens when people aren't true to themselves or instead fall into line with family expectations/patterns. The last quarter of the book was a total surprise! This author has a great ability to write a story as a tween/young teen - all the angst, all the hope and excitement about the small things that adults tend to forget or give up as they age. At times it seemed she struggled to bring the adult Beth into focus but as you got closer to the end you realized why the adult was so different from the child (spoiler: integral to the plot). If you were a kid lucky enough to spend time outdoors at a lake or river during the summer and miss how much it became part of you, read this book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story about family, love and loyalty, woven tightly with a silken-threaded connection to nature and what makes us come alive. This is the story of a summer vacation home and the family who goes there year after year, until something unthinkable drives them away, perhaps, forever. As the title suggests, but as many family members don't realize, the memories of the home and the strong bonds made on the island, are quite possibly holding the best parts of each of the characters. Unknown, though, is if they will try to reconnect with nature, their shared roots, and the home, thus finding their way back to one another. This story is filled with magical visions of water, sky and land, as well as figurative language so beautiful you will find yourself wishing for a summer home as lovely and as meaningful.

[Courtney Halverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know much about this book going into it. I loved the connection the family had with the island. My husband always used to go camping up in the UP of Michigan and it is one of his favorite memories so I was able to really feel that in the book. I do feel like the firsts half of the book was a bit slow but man the second half really surprised me (can't say anything more without spoilers). I think my biggest takeaway is just to listen and try to be understanding if someone is telling you something. So much in this book could have been resolved if people were a little less stubborn and just listened to each other. The chapters were so long, I get why they were like that but it is just something that bothers me. I like short chapters but just a personal preference.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for its exquisite story telling and attention to detail. From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the story as if I was actually there watching it unfold. The author has an amazing talent for describing nature in such vivid and emotional detail that you are immersed with all of your senses. A beautiful story written throughout the main character's life where family dynamics, the power of nature, tragedy, love and culture all swirl into one. And how the importance of remaining true to oneself can bring a sense of peace and fulfillment like no other.

[Beth Hunsberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beth is living her life in urban Chicago when a letter from her grandfather pulls her back to her childhood and the summers spent with her family on their island in northern Canada. We read of the family's traditions, love of nature, and interactions with the native neighbors and inhabitants.
Discoveries on the island lead to family conflict and strife and finally drive the family away. This letter not only allows all of these memories to surface, it encourages Beth to return to the island to determine its future.

[Iris J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me very jealous of the idyllic, almost magical life on the island in Lake Wigwakobi in Canada on which the protagonist Beth spent her youthful summers. The detailed descriptions of the fauna, the trails, the fishing, and the boating transported me to the island. And while reading, there was the feeling that I really knew and understood the various characters, especially the ones in her family. This is a well-written book that is enjoyable to read.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written book tells a vivid and moving story of one family's complicated yet inspiring connection to the natural world, presenting in rich detail their specific struggles, triumphs and tragedies. In addition, as a Canadian from very near to the countryside the author depicts, I fully appreciated her portrait of the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian North. "A place can be as much a part of (us) as the air (we) breathe."

[Aida Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful family drama in which Beth has a decision to make. Stay where she is and continue living the life she put together for herself or go back and take another direction. Beautifully written it raises the question if change and is going back home the right one. Read it to find out what Beth's choice and how it impacts her. Happy reading! #TheBestPartOfUs #NetGalley

[Irene Frances Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed

This book inspired me in so many ways, one of which was to make more time for residing in nature. I used to hike once a week and haven’t done so in quite some time. I need to reclaim that part of my life. Also, this story contains such true richness that is revealed in characters I fell for from the start. Yes, I needed this book right now, right here.

[Mary Sheriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Part of Us is a quiet book with a big heart. Cole-Misch provides such a beautiful picture of a summer on a lake that I was ready to buy a plane ticket. At its heart this is the story of family and love and the heartbreak that follows when disaster strikes. It explores issues around cultural clashes and the environment with a deft touch.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautiful picture of northern Ontario and the First Nations Ojibway life. Descriptive and evocative, exploration of family and bonds to places and time. Well written.