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Landslide: A novel
A gorgeous, jewel of a novel about a mother caring for her two sons while everything else—her marriage and the fishing industry her New England community relies on—threatens to crumble around her
After a fishing accident leaves her husband hospitalized across the border in Canada, Jill is left to look after her two teenage boys—"the wolves"—alone. Nothing comes easy in their remote corner of Maine: money is tight, her son Sam is getting into more trouble by the day, and Jill begins to suspect her marriage isn't as stable as she once believed. As one disaster gives way to the next, she begins to think that it's not enough to be a caring wife and mother anymore—not enough to show up when needed, nudge her boys in the right direction, believe everything will be okay. But how to protect this life she loves, this household, this family?
With remarkable poise and startling beauty, Landslide ushers us into a modern household where, for a family at odds, Instagram posts, sex-positivity talks, and old fishing tales mingle to become a kind of love language. It is a stunning portrait of a family, as compelling as it is moving, and raises the question of how to remain devoted when the eye of the storm closes in.
After a fishing accident leaves her husband hospitalized across the border in Canada, Jill is left to look after her two teenage boys—"the wolves"—alone. Nothing comes easy in their remote corner of Maine: money is tight, her son Sam is getting into more trouble by the day, and Jill begins to suspect her marriage isn't as stable as she once believed. As one disaster gives way to the next, she begins to think that it's not enough to be a caring wife and mother anymore—not enough to show up when needed, nudge her boys in the right direction, believe everything will be okay. But how to protect this life she loves, this household, this family?
With remarkable poise and startling beauty, Landslide ushers us into a modern household where, for a family at odds, Instagram posts, sex-positivity talks, and old fishing tales mingle to become a kind of love language. It is a stunning portrait of a family, as compelling as it is moving, and raises the question of how to remain devoted when the eye of the storm closes in.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2021
156 people are currently reading
8339 people want to read
About the author
Susan Conley
9 books266 followersSusan Conley is the author of Landslide (Knopf, February 2021): “a spectacular tale of hardship and healing. Conley has knocked it out of the park," (Lily King, Writers and Lovers). Susan's previous novel Elsey Come Home (Knopf, 2019), was a Most Anticipated/Best Book at Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire Magazine, Amazon Books, Pop Sugar, Huffington Post, Southern Living Magazine, Fodors, The Library Journal, Maine Women’s Magazine, and others.
Susan is also the author of Paris Was the Place (Knopf, 2013), an Amazon Fall Big Books Pick for fiction, an Indie Next Pick, an Elle Magazine Readers Prize Pick, and a People magazine Top Pick. Susan’s memoir, The Foremost Good Fortune (Knopf 2011), was excerpted in the New York Times Magazine and the Daily Beast. It was an Oprah Magazine Top Ten Pick of the Month, a Slate Magazine “Book of the Week” and a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Award. It won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir. Other work of hers has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, The Huffington Post, Ploughshares, The Harvard Review and elsewhere.
Susan has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Breadloaf Writers Conference, and the Massachusetts Arts Council. A former faculty member at Emerson College, she has also taught at Colby College and Simmons College. She currently teaches at the University of Maine’s Stonecoast MFA Program, and is the co-founder of The Telling Room, a nonprofit creative writing lab in Portland, Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 511 reviews
January 18, 2021
This novel is set on an island off the coast of Maine, a small fishing village where livelihoods are jeopardized by warming waters. It’s a realistic portrait of a woman dealing with what appear to be typical teenage issues. One son has been smoking pot, the other is more focused on being alone with his girlfriend raising alarms to his mother that he planning on having sex with her. She walks on eggshells, wondering how she can keep her connection with them, while putting her foot down on the things she doesn’t want them to engage in. However, Jill Archer faces more than these seemingly typical issues. Her fisherman husband has been gone for three months fishing in waters north and has a life changing accident and is hospitalized in Canada. Jill also faces the possibility that something has changed in her marriage. In addition, it becomes apparent that the rebelliousness of sixteen year old Sam is exacerbated by the loss of his best friend and the emotional impact of that loss.
This is such a realistic telling of a family on the verge of falling apart. It an introspective first person narrative with Jill questioning her ability as a parent, her relationship with her sons, her relationship with her husband, questioning who she is. It’s a story reflecting on the changing fishing industry due to climate change and the impact on people’s lives . I don’t often use the word atmospheric, but in this book we get an up close and in depth view of this fishing village in Maine and some of its inhabitants and I could feel and see the place. Their lives are different than mine, but yet the characters are relatable and I cared about them. This is the first book I have read by Susan Conley. It is so well written that I will definitely look at her other novels.
I received a copy of this book from Knopf through Edelweiss.
This is such a realistic telling of a family on the verge of falling apart. It an introspective first person narrative with Jill questioning her ability as a parent, her relationship with her sons, her relationship with her husband, questioning who she is. It’s a story reflecting on the changing fishing industry due to climate change and the impact on people’s lives . I don’t often use the word atmospheric, but in this book we get an up close and in depth view of this fishing village in Maine and some of its inhabitants and I could feel and see the place. Their lives are different than mine, but yet the characters are relatable and I cared about them. This is the first book I have read by Susan Conley. It is so well written that I will definitely look at her other novels.
I received a copy of this book from Knopf through Edelweiss.
May 12, 2021
A little update for this little review. I realized after I now have Olivia Newton John's song now stuck in my head. Great.
A slow moving story about a family who is imperfect. But wife/mother, Jill, has only come to realize this when their Dad, Kit, is in a fishing accident and is laid up in the hospital in Nova Scotia.
Jill, struggles with bringing up 2 teenage “wolf” sons on an island in Maine, and finds out that her husband hasn’t been loyal to her.
It’s a story about life. With all its imperfections. Of parenting and marriage. And the world we create and think we have but then the reality collides. It’s a coming undone and a rebuilding.
Because family are your people.
3.5☀️
A slow moving story about a family who is imperfect. But wife/mother, Jill, has only come to realize this when their Dad, Kit, is in a fishing accident and is laid up in the hospital in Nova Scotia.
Jill, struggles with bringing up 2 teenage “wolf” sons on an island in Maine, and finds out that her husband hasn’t been loyal to her.
It’s a story about life. With all its imperfections. Of parenting and marriage. And the world we create and think we have but then the reality collides. It’s a coming undone and a rebuilding.
Because family are your people.
3.5☀️
February 5, 2021
I can already tell you that 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐄 by Susan Conley will end up on my Best Books of 2021 list. Everything about her latest story resonated with me. I know nothing about living on an island, or what it’s like to be married to a fisherman in a small Maine village, but all that was window dressing on what it’s like to be the mother of teenage boys in a marriage facing strains. These things I know.
Jill’s husband had been hurt in a fishing accident far from home, and was recuperating in a Canadian hospital. The strains of being married to a man frequently absent were compounded by his accident, which opened Jill’s eyes to more than she wanted to see. This I know.
Jill affectionately thought of her sons as the “wolves,” a perfect metaphor for teenage boys. This I know. The relationship between Jill and her sons was where 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦 shone the brightest. It reminded me so much of my own mother-son relationships. Almost always one child seems more vulnerable or needs more from you than the other. For Jill it was her younger son. This I know. The constant worry, the guilt she felt, the sacrifices she made, the quandary that is teenage sons, this I know. Conley got it ALL exactly right.
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘮. 𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺.” This, too, I know.
Jill’s husband had been hurt in a fishing accident far from home, and was recuperating in a Canadian hospital. The strains of being married to a man frequently absent were compounded by his accident, which opened Jill’s eyes to more than she wanted to see. This I know.
Jill affectionately thought of her sons as the “wolves,” a perfect metaphor for teenage boys. This I know. The relationship between Jill and her sons was where 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦 shone the brightest. It reminded me so much of my own mother-son relationships. Almost always one child seems more vulnerable or needs more from you than the other. For Jill it was her younger son. This I know. The constant worry, the guilt she felt, the sacrifices she made, the quandary that is teenage sons, this I know. Conley got it ALL exactly right.
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘮. 𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺.” This, too, I know.
December 8, 2020
I read a galley of this novel and it is exquisite. Can't wait for it to hit the world in Feb 2021.
April 13, 2021
Not a bad book, but one that didn't really get me invested in the characters. The story captures some of the angst of parenting and dabbles with the things we tend to keep private until circumstances cause a fissure which forces release.
February 12, 2021
I get the PTSD thing, the hardness of bringing up boys in isolated place and the harshness of fishermen lifestyle.
Nevertheless, I don’t know what’s the point from this book.
Nevertheless, I don’t know what’s the point from this book.
March 26, 2021
[4.25 stars]
Landslide is the kind of novel that's an absolute gem, but that I fear won't get the attention it deserves because it isn't flashy or trendy. It's quiet and character-driven and gets to the heart of the age-old topics of motherhood (particularly to teenage boys, which she calls the "wolves") and marriage (particularly when it's tested). I loved the background of the Maine fishing industry, which is dying amid government intervention. It has a bit of an internal monologue feel and, despite its quietness, it has short chapters and reads quickly.
Landslide is the kind of novel that's an absolute gem, but that I fear won't get the attention it deserves because it isn't flashy or trendy. It's quiet and character-driven and gets to the heart of the age-old topics of motherhood (particularly to teenage boys, which she calls the "wolves") and marriage (particularly when it's tested). I loved the background of the Maine fishing industry, which is dying amid government intervention. It has a bit of an internal monologue feel and, despite its quietness, it has short chapters and reads quickly.
June 6, 2021
Landslide is a slowly dripping tale of a life that has been percolating for decades. Conley shares with us a woman's journey to self and acceptance amongst the men in her life; her fisherman husband, and the two 'wolves' they have for sons. The sparse writing style seemed poetic at times and lackluster at others.
I'm going to skip the detailed review on this one, as it didn't grab me enough to write one. But it was named after my favourite song - you know the one, by Stevie Nicks - so that curried some favour.
I'm going to skip the detailed review on this one, as it didn't grab me enough to write one. But it was named after my favourite song - you know the one, by Stevie Nicks - so that curried some favour.
March 28, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Pub. Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Mini-Review
This is a character-driven story about a family living on an island in Maine who are trying to survive the constant rough waters life throws at them. The husband is one of the few remaining fishermen in their declining coastal town. The wife is a documentarian. Nevertheless, her husband is the true breadwinner between them and money is always tight. While in Canada, a boat the husband is working on explodes. He is severely hurt and must remain in a Canadian hospital for weeks. Also, he may not be able to continue working once released. This worry and their lengthy separation threaten his already shaky marriage. The author does a good job showing the difficulty in a marriage when one of them is often away for days at a time. In essence, the novel is about a fisherman’s wife, alone with her two teenage sons—whom she calls ‘the wolves’—trying to cope in a home that is falling apart while her sons are acting out. The author nails the complexities of modern-day parenting, for a single mom, since she practically is one. However, the story’s true strength is that the reader gets an inside view of the current lives of coastal Mainers and the hardships that they endure as a local and not a tourist. The novel sometimes can read uneven bouncing back and forth from global warming, to living with a father-in-law who thinks that his daughter-in-law is too easy on his grandsons, to a marriage in crisis. Still, in limited prose, Cloney writes a compelling read.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
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Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Pub. Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Mini-Review
This is a character-driven story about a family living on an island in Maine who are trying to survive the constant rough waters life throws at them. The husband is one of the few remaining fishermen in their declining coastal town. The wife is a documentarian. Nevertheless, her husband is the true breadwinner between them and money is always tight. While in Canada, a boat the husband is working on explodes. He is severely hurt and must remain in a Canadian hospital for weeks. Also, he may not be able to continue working once released. This worry and their lengthy separation threaten his already shaky marriage. The author does a good job showing the difficulty in a marriage when one of them is often away for days at a time. In essence, the novel is about a fisherman’s wife, alone with her two teenage sons—whom she calls ‘the wolves’—trying to cope in a home that is falling apart while her sons are acting out. The author nails the complexities of modern-day parenting, for a single mom, since she practically is one. However, the story’s true strength is that the reader gets an inside view of the current lives of coastal Mainers and the hardships that they endure as a local and not a tourist. The novel sometimes can read uneven bouncing back and forth from global warming, to living with a father-in-law who thinks that his daughter-in-law is too easy on his grandsons, to a marriage in crisis. Still, in limited prose, Cloney writes a compelling read.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list…
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review…
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr…
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.pinterest.com/martienreco…\
https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord\
February 22, 2021
Loved this. Every ounce of it. It's one of those reads that had me immersed and wanting to do nothing but read it, wanting to do nothing but get back to it when I had to set it down; yet, it's gentle and graceful. And, yes, I had Stevie Nick's apropos "Landslide" playing in my head for its entirety.
I will read more by this author.
I will read more by this author.
April 15, 2021
Take this review with a grain of salt. This was a book club selection that I read under duress. I would normally not pick a novel that primarily deals with teenagers and the trials and tribulations that come with parenting them. I have the “real life” version, why would I want to read a fictionalized account! But, I’m a team player and I like that my book club exposes me to books I would otherwise be reluctant to read.
However, the book just did not speak to me. I didn’t feel a connection to the story even though I have two teenagers myself...perhaps that’s why I found the story arc predictable, the main characters unsympathetic: two self-centered, bratty teens( did I say predictable?), and a fretful,self-doubting, mother that serves as the story narrator. I quickly grew weary of the non-stop mama-drama which often seemed over the top...or perhaps, my two teenagers aren’t so bad after all 😜.
However, the book just did not speak to me. I didn’t feel a connection to the story even though I have two teenagers myself...perhaps that’s why I found the story arc predictable, the main characters unsympathetic: two self-centered, bratty teens( did I say predictable?), and a fretful,self-doubting, mother that serves as the story narrator. I quickly grew weary of the non-stop mama-drama which often seemed over the top...or perhaps, my two teenagers aren’t so bad after all 😜.
February 15, 2022
A poignant tale of a fisherman, Kit, his wife, Jill, and two sons; the sons are called “the wolves.” They are called such because they act with typical wolf behavior. Wolves are complex, highly intelligent; they are playful and devoted to family. They educate their young, take care of their injured and live in family groups. As you read this story, it becomes apparent how much these young brothers (and really the whole family) are like wolves.
Jill, is adrift, literally - physically and mentally, emotionally. Her husband, Kit, he’s a hard working fisherman and so has his family been in the past, and also some friends and family continue to be. It’s a hard life with Kit’s long time away from home, restrictions of fish taken, timing for fish to be taken, lower prices for their haul, etc. He wants to provide for his family but it is getting harder and harder each year with less money to show for it and more time away. While he’s gone, it’s all on Jill to take care of everything including “the wolves.” She’s also going through her own life crisis.
Jill, is adrift physically. They live on an island and getting to and from their house involves a boat ride and when the weather is bad, they are basically stuck and the wolves can’t even get to school on the mainland. Her constant worrying about Kit, before and after the accident, trying to talk to, educate and parent, break up wrestling matches and bickering with “the wolves” as well as everything else required in day to day life such as, meals, homework, laundry, etc. is exhausting. She is tired. I am tired.
The older son experienced his close friend falling through a bridge and drowning. Little does everyone know how this trauma has affected him and why he acts the way he does.
A boat explosion which injures Kit quite badly, has blown up the family and everything everyone has been trying to keep
under wraps comes out. He may not walk again; he won’t be fishing again. Here come the emotional, physical and financial woes. The bank is trying to take away their fishing trawler. Jill realizes how much Kit was always gone and leaves her with the kids and how much she always misses him. But…what happens now that he will no longer be able to fish, more or less walk, and will be home all the time? After his long work expeditions and being gone, how will she/they handle his being home now and his care and money. She also wonders what she’s missing out in her own life on as a wife and a mother to “her wolves.” Kit’s accident opens a whole big Pandora’s box of feelings and behavior from each and every one of them.
Remember the characteristics of the wolf when you read this story - it all makes sense then how this family operates. 😉
I liked this story. Once I settled back after reading this, I started thinking more and more about it. Asking myself what if that was me? How would I handle these same things? That’s what makes a book interesting, it forces you to not just close the book cover and move on, but to think about other peoples situations, which may be unlike your own, and question options, behavior and outcome.
Jill, is adrift, literally - physically and mentally, emotionally. Her husband, Kit, he’s a hard working fisherman and so has his family been in the past, and also some friends and family continue to be. It’s a hard life with Kit’s long time away from home, restrictions of fish taken, timing for fish to be taken, lower prices for their haul, etc. He wants to provide for his family but it is getting harder and harder each year with less money to show for it and more time away. While he’s gone, it’s all on Jill to take care of everything including “the wolves.” She’s also going through her own life crisis.
Jill, is adrift physically. They live on an island and getting to and from their house involves a boat ride and when the weather is bad, they are basically stuck and the wolves can’t even get to school on the mainland. Her constant worrying about Kit, before and after the accident, trying to talk to, educate and parent, break up wrestling matches and bickering with “the wolves” as well as everything else required in day to day life such as, meals, homework, laundry, etc. is exhausting. She is tired. I am tired.
The older son experienced his close friend falling through a bridge and drowning. Little does everyone know how this trauma has affected him and why he acts the way he does.
A boat explosion which injures Kit quite badly, has blown up the family and everything everyone has been trying to keep
under wraps comes out. He may not walk again; he won’t be fishing again. Here come the emotional, physical and financial woes. The bank is trying to take away their fishing trawler. Jill realizes how much Kit was always gone and leaves her with the kids and how much she always misses him. But…what happens now that he will no longer be able to fish, more or less walk, and will be home all the time? After his long work expeditions and being gone, how will she/they handle his being home now and his care and money. She also wonders what she’s missing out in her own life on as a wife and a mother to “her wolves.” Kit’s accident opens a whole big Pandora’s box of feelings and behavior from each and every one of them.
Remember the characteristics of the wolf when you read this story - it all makes sense then how this family operates. 😉
I liked this story. Once I settled back after reading this, I started thinking more and more about it. Asking myself what if that was me? How would I handle these same things? That’s what makes a book interesting, it forces you to not just close the book cover and move on, but to think about other peoples situations, which may be unlike your own, and question options, behavior and outcome.
January 24, 2021
What a remarkable story! Written in very spare prose, Landslide tells the story of Jillian Archer, her marriage to Kit, and her relationship with her two teenage sons, Charlie and Sam. Raising teenagers is treacherous enough but Jill has the added pressure of Kit's recent serious accident. He is a commercial fisherman and has been hospitalized in Canada, hours away from the family's home in Maine.
Jill refers to her sons as "the wolves" and she is torn between being at her husband's bedside and staying home with her son, who are both challenging her in different ways. I was immediately drawn into this family's story and loved the setting of a tiny Maine fishing village. The author does a wonderful job of exploring how the commercial fishing industry has suffered and the toll it takes on the fisherman and their families. But fishing is in Kit's blood and is the only thing he has ever known.
If you like books that explore marriage and long-term relationships, you will love this book. Jill begins to think her husband is not the man she thought she married and begins to question whether this life is for her. Her marriage and her relationship with her sons all seem to be unraveling at once. I loved the conclusion of this book and the way the author reveals that everything is not always black and white. Parenting and marriage and tough and happy endings are not always guaranteed.
I felt Jill's interactions with her sons were all incredibly realistic, as painful and funny as they are in real life. I couldn't wait to see what they would do next! The title of the book is very fitting as it parallels the Stevie Nicks song, and what happens when your life comes crashing down around you. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of Susan Conley's books.
(Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy, provided in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)
Jill refers to her sons as "the wolves" and she is torn between being at her husband's bedside and staying home with her son, who are both challenging her in different ways. I was immediately drawn into this family's story and loved the setting of a tiny Maine fishing village. The author does a wonderful job of exploring how the commercial fishing industry has suffered and the toll it takes on the fisherman and their families. But fishing is in Kit's blood and is the only thing he has ever known.
If you like books that explore marriage and long-term relationships, you will love this book. Jill begins to think her husband is not the man she thought she married and begins to question whether this life is for her. Her marriage and her relationship with her sons all seem to be unraveling at once. I loved the conclusion of this book and the way the author reveals that everything is not always black and white. Parenting and marriage and tough and happy endings are not always guaranteed.
I felt Jill's interactions with her sons were all incredibly realistic, as painful and funny as they are in real life. I couldn't wait to see what they would do next! The title of the book is very fitting as it parallels the Stevie Nicks song, and what happens when your life comes crashing down around you. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of Susan Conley's books.
(Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy, provided in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)
February 9, 2021
Set in a small fishing town in coastal Maine, author Susan Conley shares the story of Jillian Archer, her marriage to Kit, and her relationships with her two teenage sons Charlie and Sam.
After her husband Kit is seriously injured in a fishing accident, Jillian is holed up at home with her two sons, during the barrenness and isolation of a New England winter. She feels torn between being by her husband's side during his recovery in Canada, and being with her sons, whom she affectionately refers to as "the wolves".
She so vividly portrays the "dance" that a mother's journey through parenting in the teen years must be (I am still a few years away from living this myself...) The bleak setting of a harsh winter in Maine, combined with the complexities and layers of family dynamics, paired so perfectly.
Conley's writing, while told through sparse prose, is masterfully compelling and includes a multitude of contemporary themes, perfect for a book club discussion. This is the perfect book to get lost in, and I already know it is one that I won't soon forget.
Thank you to Knopf for my gifted galley. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
After her husband Kit is seriously injured in a fishing accident, Jillian is holed up at home with her two sons, during the barrenness and isolation of a New England winter. She feels torn between being by her husband's side during his recovery in Canada, and being with her sons, whom she affectionately refers to as "the wolves".
She so vividly portrays the "dance" that a mother's journey through parenting in the teen years must be (I am still a few years away from living this myself...) The bleak setting of a harsh winter in Maine, combined with the complexities and layers of family dynamics, paired so perfectly.
Conley's writing, while told through sparse prose, is masterfully compelling and includes a multitude of contemporary themes, perfect for a book club discussion. This is the perfect book to get lost in, and I already know it is one that I won't soon forget.
Thank you to Knopf for my gifted galley. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 19, 2021
Wow. This is a book about a family in crisis. This is a quiet book. I normally don’t like quiet books, but this one worked for me on so many levels.
Throughout the novel, we are in the head of the mother. “Being a mother is nothing like I thought it would be. It’s harder. Better. More confusing. Shorter. Longer.”
Jill is the mother of two teenage boys. Her husband is hospitalized in another country after a fishing accident. She is trying to navigate being all alone as a mother to two teens who are struggling with things she is unprepared to handle and doesn’t know how to approach. Some unexpected issues arise in her marriage as well.
I knew Jill. I felt Jill. I felt for Jill. I don’t know if it resonated with me so much because I have two young boys myself and am in middle marriage, but this spoke to me so deeply. I loved it so much. I think I will be thinking about these characters for quite a long time.
Throughout the novel, we are in the head of the mother. “Being a mother is nothing like I thought it would be. It’s harder. Better. More confusing. Shorter. Longer.”
Jill is the mother of two teenage boys. Her husband is hospitalized in another country after a fishing accident. She is trying to navigate being all alone as a mother to two teens who are struggling with things she is unprepared to handle and doesn’t know how to approach. Some unexpected issues arise in her marriage as well.
I knew Jill. I felt Jill. I felt for Jill. I don’t know if it resonated with me so much because I have two young boys myself and am in middle marriage, but this spoke to me so deeply. I loved it so much. I think I will be thinking about these characters for quite a long time.
May 13, 2021
I wanted to love this one. But I think this story is tough. You will either love it because you connect and feel the strife and the struggle. I just didn't. The first few parts of the story, with her "wolves" and her insights in her family were good and I enjoyed it it slowly gave shape to the family. But about half way, the 'wolves' and the cute parts of the family fade away. I didn't mind the anger or the struggle - they made the story interesting - but the writing didn't hold the magic or the edge that the first part did.
And I found Jilly's conversations with her friend Lara about her marriage disheartening. She had no one in her corner to support her, no money and no where to go. Absolutely no one allowed her to be upset or mad. They just told her to live with it. That's an awful stance to take and not a great overall message.
And I found Jilly's conversations with her friend Lara about her marriage disheartening. She had no one in her corner to support her, no money and no where to go. Absolutely no one allowed her to be upset or mad. They just told her to live with it. That's an awful stance to take and not a great overall message.
March 31, 2021
Initially, I thought the story of a mother dealing with her adolescent sons would be fun and entertaining. The “wolves” displayed familiar teenage behaviors and their mom, Jill, became a victim of her choices...the man, their island, her kids and her friends. By the time Jill decided these men “were her people”, I wanted to tell her to make better choices or be quiet. I did enjoy the description of the Maine fishing village, as well as the writing style (wolves, sex positive household), but the story did not hold my interest.
May 24, 2021
Such a gorgeous, tender and thoughtful exploration of relationships between mothers and sons and husbands and wives, and how our personal lives are influenced by greater social and economic forces. I loved learning more about the collapse of the fishing industry in Maine. So many sentences to stop over, reread and underline. I can see why so many of my friends said YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!
February 9, 2021
Mediocre
This book was rather dumb. All depressing and sadness. I’m not sure what the point was. The writing was decent, it just wasn’t a good story.
This book was rather dumb. All depressing and sadness. I’m not sure what the point was. The writing was decent, it just wasn’t a good story.
March 29, 2021
The more books I read about parenting teenagers, the more nervous I become. Parents of teenagers and/or young adults, please tell me I’ll be ok. I’m scared. Very, very scared. Terrified, actually. In Landslide by Susan Conley, Jill Archer’s husband is injured from a fishing accident, and then hospitalized across the border in Canada. Jill is left all alone to care for their two teenage sons, while worrying about her husband’s future in the fishing industry, as well as their crumbling marriage. The author doesn’t hold back as she describes the “joys” of parenting boys. I chuckled to myself as Jill dealt with various annoyances such as pee on the toilet seat, obsession with video games, constant eating, raging hormones, back-talking, attitude problems, and incessant cell phone usage. I found it easy to relate to Jill as she skated on that fine line of being a stern parent, yet keeping a solid connection with your growing child. I listened up while they engaged in some tough conversations about safe sex and drug use. Conley’s storytelling is very impressive, and she describes the Archer’s family dynamics wonderfully. It felt so easy and effortless. I found it entertaining, educational, and comforting. This family will stick with me for a long time. 4/5 stars for Landslide! Highly recommend!
April 29, 2021
Beautifully written novel about a wife and mother (2 teenage boys) who is struggling to keep her ties to them all strong and healthy. The setting, a small fishing village in Maine is also somewhat of a character. The book is short but very thought provoking and engaging. The writing reminds me of Elizabeth Strout Olive Kitteridge, spare, concise, no wasted words, and still it manages to be so descriptive.
December 10, 2020
I started reading and didn't stop until the end.. .. I loved being holed up in coastal Maine, pulled along by the unfolding of crises - both personal and cultural - that SC depicts so convincingly. Most of all, I loved those teenage boys and their humor. Those boys are *great* characters.
May 15, 2023
4.5*
I have always loved the song Landslide, especially the older i get. Stevie Nicks herself says it’s about the fear of everything coming crashing down and not knowing how you’re going to hold things together in pursuit of a dream. That life goes on, but you never have control over it.
This slow character driven novel is written exquisitely, especially all the parts about mothering teenaged boys (who she calls wolves which is a great metaphor). I felt it all.
It’s also about marriage and loneliness and isolation. The mother Jill’s husband is a fisherman whose work has brought them to live on an island in Maine and who is often gone for extended periods of time. He’s in an accident and during the book is recuperating in the hospital which results in Jill beginning to question.
Excerpts:
I’m so angry at Sam. So angry. Then my worry outweighs my anger. Then my love outweighs my worry. It goes in a circle like this. Anger. Love. Worry.
His face had grown long and gaunt so he doesn’t look like himself but the person he’s in the process of becoming. I tell myself it’s a beautiful face. It’s important to tell myself that many things about teenage boys are beautiful so I don’t panic. For many months I’ve wanted to be less afraid and I feel for a moment like Stevie nicks is a close friend, like she knows me.
Sometimes my son’s silence in the car is flammable.
i’m not allowed to talk to the boys about how much I miss him. I’m not allowed to talk about my dread or my worry. or any of my emotions really. this isn’t because the boys aren’t emotional. It’s just that no outward expression of emotion is sanctioned in this phase of wolf development.
Three months apart is a short expense of time or very long. Marriage has a way of contracting and expanding like this and you can lose track of what is real time and what is fabricated time
Now he’s worried about my mouth?! Yeah, moving your lips like that!
How to talk to the wolves. This is often the question. With their splotchy faces and tree bark smell and bones growing longer in their sleep. “ i’m singing to myself so you guys can’t hear me. That’s strange mom. please stop. Please don’t do that. Please just sing normally.” I don’t ask Sam how I can sing normally when I’m not allowed to sing at all.
Candy tells me the important thing is not to take any of what teenagers do personally.
She says it’s bad with the girls too but different. you know more what the girls are thinking. Maybe the pain of separation comes on faster with them and they become your friend again sooner. You have to pay close attention. The boys will say they’re OK when they’re suffering or have become secret delinquents. But no matter what, no one will love you more or be meaner to you than your own kids.
I’m trying to hold their attention because it’s a glorious thing when they give it to me.
Maybe that’s the job of teenagers, to feel misunderstood by their parents.
The sadness became something he tries to keep to himself. We often try to guess what he’s feeling now. But I think the biggest mistake I make with them is to assume he isn’t feeling things just because he’s not talking.
I’m keeping the phone awake, but really Sam? That’s all you have to say? How about sorry?
Please don’t take it. It’s my life. Why do you obsess over it Mom? It’s like you’re obsessed!
I don’t obsess. I put the phone by my heart. I parent. This is called parenting.
Sometimes the line between empathy and consequences gets so blurred with him that I can’t see it. When to press and when to let up.
I finally train my gaze on Sam. He’s something elemental to me like good bread or water. But someone needs to save me from him.
Everything on the island was hypnotic with meaning if you were me and wanted it to be.
Shit, Sam kicks the black casing of the Evinrude, then kicks the side of the boat. Please don’t do that. My mind is stuck on thinly rolled joint, thinly rolled joint, joint thinly rolled.
Don’t do what? He kicks the side of the boat again and looks up at me.
Swear. But what I really mean is don’t kick the boat. even that’s not true. What I want to say is don’t seal yourself off in your pain. And don’t smoke joints in cars outside McDonald’s. And don’t die! And where are you these days? where are you?
We just want to be alone for once. And he looks out the window and size, weight of the world on his shoulders.
Isn’t that the reason we don’t leave you alone?
What are you talking about now?
I take one hand off the steering wheel and put it on his shoulder and try to connect. Honey, isn’t the reason parents don’t leave their teenagers alone in their houses on Friday nights is because you’re going to have sex if we leave you alone and we’re not supposed to want you to have sex? I regret it as soon as I’ve said it, but I can’t take it back. This is the thing with wolves. How many times they’ve made me want to take things back.
(her films ) I think they explore the idea of change in weather change has to mean suffering to people.
Please don’t talk to me about more empathy. I have almost no control over my son anymore in case you haven’t noticed.
I’m very sorry but you never had any control over either of your boys to begin with. And you need to finally understand this.
He made me guess that he got a 62 on his math test! I’m trying to adhere to the say very little strategy. But when Sam gets to me, I can’t help myself.
Charlie runs for the front door with his backpack and doesn’t turn around once to wave at us. I drive away, and my thoughts to go to depressing, dead end places. Charlie, leaving me, Charlie growing up, who will I be without Charlie?
Please tell me, you’re not crying, Sam says. Please tell me you’re not!
I’d thought of marriage as two people who know each other entirely and will always know each other. But what if they are just two people who share an idea of what life could be and then one of them changes their idea?
The pot looks old and brownish And is a symbol of how things are unraveling. There’s a lot of pressure on the pot. The pot isn’t just pot. The shirt in the bathroom in Nova Scotia isn’t just a shirt.
The girls miss Liam in different ways. One uses it as a strength and the other can’t get over it.
Sam doesn’t talk about Liam ever. It hits me that I haven’t asked him in a long time how much he misses Liam. It’s some thing you would think I’d have asked. The most obvious thing really, but I believed I was protecting Sam by not asking but really all I’ve probably done is make sam feel more alone.
It’s horrible to watch. I don’t know him and I know him so well.
Sorry, sorry again for being such a fuck up. Ssssshhhhh. I keep pressing his toes. I see you. This is what me pressing the toes says. I see you and I’m not leaving. What I wish for him is some relief.
I’m holding on to this appointment now (with therapist). It feels like our best hope to try and understand what’s happening to Sam. he’s not talking to me really anymore. He keeps looking at me like who are you living in this house with my father and me?
When Kit was in the accident in Canada Sam began to do what we call spiraling. Another way refer to this is “doing stress.”
Nani, asks Sam to try to describe what it’s like inside his brain. I don’t think he’ll answer her. He stares at his sneakers. Just when I think you may never talk again, he says “Liam like takes over everything.” everything? Yeah, everything. I get so sad for him then, so sad.
I want you to know that this is not a case of Sam keeping secrets, this is his brain needing help, Sam’s brain needing a break. This is about you both seeing him. But I see him. It’s about you not leaving him.
How this will look for Sam will be different on different days, but the important thing is that keeps talking because to admit it is really half his battle, it really is.
It’s easier not to love yourself, Sam. We just talked about this. It’s always going to be easier to be negative than to love yourself.
You always assume things, mom, it makes me crazy! Like when you assume I’m smoking weed all the time.
Being a mother, isn’t anything like I thought it would be. It’s harder. Better. More confusing. Shorter. Longer.
What are you really asking me? Maybe to try and see your son differently. One of the greatest casualties in trauma is the loss of vulnerability. I don’t want sam to keep wanting to numb himself. I want him to dare to be vulnerable. I want to hear how you and Jill process pain and trauma.
I have always loved the song Landslide, especially the older i get. Stevie Nicks herself says it’s about the fear of everything coming crashing down and not knowing how you’re going to hold things together in pursuit of a dream. That life goes on, but you never have control over it.
This slow character driven novel is written exquisitely, especially all the parts about mothering teenaged boys (who she calls wolves which is a great metaphor). I felt it all.
It’s also about marriage and loneliness and isolation. The mother Jill’s husband is a fisherman whose work has brought them to live on an island in Maine and who is often gone for extended periods of time. He’s in an accident and during the book is recuperating in the hospital which results in Jill beginning to question.
Excerpts:
I’m so angry at Sam. So angry. Then my worry outweighs my anger. Then my love outweighs my worry. It goes in a circle like this. Anger. Love. Worry.
His face had grown long and gaunt so he doesn’t look like himself but the person he’s in the process of becoming. I tell myself it’s a beautiful face. It’s important to tell myself that many things about teenage boys are beautiful so I don’t panic. For many months I’ve wanted to be less afraid and I feel for a moment like Stevie nicks is a close friend, like she knows me.
Sometimes my son’s silence in the car is flammable.
i’m not allowed to talk to the boys about how much I miss him. I’m not allowed to talk about my dread or my worry. or any of my emotions really. this isn’t because the boys aren’t emotional. It’s just that no outward expression of emotion is sanctioned in this phase of wolf development.
Three months apart is a short expense of time or very long. Marriage has a way of contracting and expanding like this and you can lose track of what is real time and what is fabricated time
Now he’s worried about my mouth?! Yeah, moving your lips like that!
How to talk to the wolves. This is often the question. With their splotchy faces and tree bark smell and bones growing longer in their sleep. “ i’m singing to myself so you guys can’t hear me. That’s strange mom. please stop. Please don’t do that. Please just sing normally.” I don’t ask Sam how I can sing normally when I’m not allowed to sing at all.
Candy tells me the important thing is not to take any of what teenagers do personally.
She says it’s bad with the girls too but different. you know more what the girls are thinking. Maybe the pain of separation comes on faster with them and they become your friend again sooner. You have to pay close attention. The boys will say they’re OK when they’re suffering or have become secret delinquents. But no matter what, no one will love you more or be meaner to you than your own kids.
I’m trying to hold their attention because it’s a glorious thing when they give it to me.
Maybe that’s the job of teenagers, to feel misunderstood by their parents.
The sadness became something he tries to keep to himself. We often try to guess what he’s feeling now. But I think the biggest mistake I make with them is to assume he isn’t feeling things just because he’s not talking.
I’m keeping the phone awake, but really Sam? That’s all you have to say? How about sorry?
Please don’t take it. It’s my life. Why do you obsess over it Mom? It’s like you’re obsessed!
I don’t obsess. I put the phone by my heart. I parent. This is called parenting.
Sometimes the line between empathy and consequences gets so blurred with him that I can’t see it. When to press and when to let up.
I finally train my gaze on Sam. He’s something elemental to me like good bread or water. But someone needs to save me from him.
Everything on the island was hypnotic with meaning if you were me and wanted it to be.
Shit, Sam kicks the black casing of the Evinrude, then kicks the side of the boat. Please don’t do that. My mind is stuck on thinly rolled joint, thinly rolled joint, joint thinly rolled.
Don’t do what? He kicks the side of the boat again and looks up at me.
Swear. But what I really mean is don’t kick the boat. even that’s not true. What I want to say is don’t seal yourself off in your pain. And don’t smoke joints in cars outside McDonald’s. And don’t die! And where are you these days? where are you?
We just want to be alone for once. And he looks out the window and size, weight of the world on his shoulders.
Isn’t that the reason we don’t leave you alone?
What are you talking about now?
I take one hand off the steering wheel and put it on his shoulder and try to connect. Honey, isn’t the reason parents don’t leave their teenagers alone in their houses on Friday nights is because you’re going to have sex if we leave you alone and we’re not supposed to want you to have sex? I regret it as soon as I’ve said it, but I can’t take it back. This is the thing with wolves. How many times they’ve made me want to take things back.
(her films ) I think they explore the idea of change in weather change has to mean suffering to people.
Please don’t talk to me about more empathy. I have almost no control over my son anymore in case you haven’t noticed.
I’m very sorry but you never had any control over either of your boys to begin with. And you need to finally understand this.
He made me guess that he got a 62 on his math test! I’m trying to adhere to the say very little strategy. But when Sam gets to me, I can’t help myself.
Charlie runs for the front door with his backpack and doesn’t turn around once to wave at us. I drive away, and my thoughts to go to depressing, dead end places. Charlie, leaving me, Charlie growing up, who will I be without Charlie?
Please tell me, you’re not crying, Sam says. Please tell me you’re not!
I’d thought of marriage as two people who know each other entirely and will always know each other. But what if they are just two people who share an idea of what life could be and then one of them changes their idea?
The pot looks old and brownish And is a symbol of how things are unraveling. There’s a lot of pressure on the pot. The pot isn’t just pot. The shirt in the bathroom in Nova Scotia isn’t just a shirt.
The girls miss Liam in different ways. One uses it as a strength and the other can’t get over it.
Sam doesn’t talk about Liam ever. It hits me that I haven’t asked him in a long time how much he misses Liam. It’s some thing you would think I’d have asked. The most obvious thing really, but I believed I was protecting Sam by not asking but really all I’ve probably done is make sam feel more alone.
It’s horrible to watch. I don’t know him and I know him so well.
Sorry, sorry again for being such a fuck up. Ssssshhhhh. I keep pressing his toes. I see you. This is what me pressing the toes says. I see you and I’m not leaving. What I wish for him is some relief.
I’m holding on to this appointment now (with therapist). It feels like our best hope to try and understand what’s happening to Sam. he’s not talking to me really anymore. He keeps looking at me like who are you living in this house with my father and me?
When Kit was in the accident in Canada Sam began to do what we call spiraling. Another way refer to this is “doing stress.”
Nani, asks Sam to try to describe what it’s like inside his brain. I don’t think he’ll answer her. He stares at his sneakers. Just when I think you may never talk again, he says “Liam like takes over everything.” everything? Yeah, everything. I get so sad for him then, so sad.
I want you to know that this is not a case of Sam keeping secrets, this is his brain needing help, Sam’s brain needing a break. This is about you both seeing him. But I see him. It’s about you not leaving him.
How this will look for Sam will be different on different days, but the important thing is that keeps talking because to admit it is really half his battle, it really is.
It’s easier not to love yourself, Sam. We just talked about this. It’s always going to be easier to be negative than to love yourself.
You always assume things, mom, it makes me crazy! Like when you assume I’m smoking weed all the time.
Being a mother, isn’t anything like I thought it would be. It’s harder. Better. More confusing. Shorter. Longer.
What are you really asking me? Maybe to try and see your son differently. One of the greatest casualties in trauma is the loss of vulnerability. I don’t want sam to keep wanting to numb himself. I want him to dare to be vulnerable. I want to hear how you and Jill process pain and trauma.
March 23, 2021
Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. Written in the most beautiful prose, this story is about love, forgiveness, and grief. Anyone with teens will recognize the challenges and the joys of raising them, loving them, and wanting a break from them. Set in a small coastal Maine village, the reader learns about the changes both in the fishing industry and in so many small towns along the coast. Treat yourself, clear your weekend and read this book!
February 16, 2021
Conley writes about family dynamics with subtle elegance and prodding insight. Like her previous novel, "Elsey Come Home," there's much authenticity here, richly drawn characters and a solid ear for dialogue.
March 13, 2021
Interesting title for a novel set on the coast of Maine which involves a lot of writing about fishing and being on the water. I admit that I found the characters irritating after a while. Having grown up with five brothers, I know how difficult teenage boys can be but this mother felt so intrusive and overbearing to me that I ended up siding with the boys.
August 15, 2021
In her novel, Landslide, Conley conveys with nuance and insight the complicated relationship between mothers and their teenage sons, and the interior lives of teenage boys. Jill refers to her two sons as the “wolves,” as she struggles - sometimes moment-to-moment - to calibrate her parenting to their needs. The boys are also trying to figure things out. They want Jill’s attention and support - except when they don’t.
This would be hard enough under any circumstances, but there are traumas roiling the family. Jill’s husband has been hospitalized after a serious fishing accident (and may or may not be having an affair), and money is tight. Their youngest son is still reeling after witnessing his best friend fall from a bridge and drown two years earlier. The novel’s setting - a Maine fishing town buffeted by economic dislocation and climate change - deepens the sense of turmoil and loss. Yet beneath it all, there is an abiding love that makes you feel hopeful about this family.
That Susan Conley pulls all these strands together with a light touch makes Landslide a surprisingly fast read and one of those books that hits you hardest after you’ve put it down. If you’ve raised wolves of your own, it will especially resonate with you.
This would be hard enough under any circumstances, but there are traumas roiling the family. Jill’s husband has been hospitalized after a serious fishing accident (and may or may not be having an affair), and money is tight. Their youngest son is still reeling after witnessing his best friend fall from a bridge and drown two years earlier. The novel’s setting - a Maine fishing town buffeted by economic dislocation and climate change - deepens the sense of turmoil and loss. Yet beneath it all, there is an abiding love that makes you feel hopeful about this family.
That Susan Conley pulls all these strands together with a light touch makes Landslide a surprisingly fast read and one of those books that hits you hardest after you’ve put it down. If you’ve raised wolves of your own, it will especially resonate with you.
May 11, 2021
“Being a mother isn’t anything like I thought it would be. It’s harder, better, more confusing, shorter, longer.”
Well if that doesn’t hit the nail on the head, frankly, I don’t what does. LANDSLIDE is a compelling and beautiful novel that explores motherhood, marriage, and the ways in which we carry grief. On a remote island off the coast of Maine, Jill is left to care for her teenage sons (who she lovingly refers to as “wolves”) as her husband recovers from a serious fishing accident.
I have a lot to learn in life, but one of the things I know to be true is the importance of seeking out people who are just a step ahead of me. As a mother of two young boys, this book was a glimpse into my future. Easy? No way. Worth it? Most certainly.
Landslide felt like an encouraging hug shared from one boy mom to another. @susanconley writes in a way that feels so raw and relatable. The prose was sparse but so insightful. It’s a quiet novel, but so beautifully done. I was reminded of the joys of raising little boys, and the difficult but incredibly precious memories to come as they grow.
Simply put, this is a must read for all the moms of “wolves” out there.
Well if that doesn’t hit the nail on the head, frankly, I don’t what does. LANDSLIDE is a compelling and beautiful novel that explores motherhood, marriage, and the ways in which we carry grief. On a remote island off the coast of Maine, Jill is left to care for her teenage sons (who she lovingly refers to as “wolves”) as her husband recovers from a serious fishing accident.
I have a lot to learn in life, but one of the things I know to be true is the importance of seeking out people who are just a step ahead of me. As a mother of two young boys, this book was a glimpse into my future. Easy? No way. Worth it? Most certainly.
Landslide felt like an encouraging hug shared from one boy mom to another. @susanconley writes in a way that feels so raw and relatable. The prose was sparse but so insightful. It’s a quiet novel, but so beautifully done. I was reminded of the joys of raising little boys, and the difficult but incredibly precious memories to come as they grow.
Simply put, this is a must read for all the moms of “wolves” out there.
April 24, 2021
Readers might find the premise of this novel boring: the story of a family in Maine as the two sons and mother wait for the father to recover from a fishing injury- but that kind of story fascinates me.
And of course it's more than that. You have a woman with her two teenaged sons trying to keep it together while dealing with the idea that her husband might have slept with another woman. (she has proof of this)
And the sons are dealing with girlfriends, wanting to sleep over and the other son dealing with failing out of school and smoking pot and his friend died suddenly from drowning and there's guilt there.
And the fishing element is it's own thing. Maine fishing life is hard and getting a glimpse of that through a novel was interesting in a way I never would have sought out myself to learn.
I love novels about the everyday things. No huge plot but if the author has a unique view of the world and the characters are real I'll devour the book.
And of course it's more than that. You have a woman with her two teenaged sons trying to keep it together while dealing with the idea that her husband might have slept with another woman. (she has proof of this)
And the sons are dealing with girlfriends, wanting to sleep over and the other son dealing with failing out of school and smoking pot and his friend died suddenly from drowning and there's guilt there.
And the fishing element is it's own thing. Maine fishing life is hard and getting a glimpse of that through a novel was interesting in a way I never would have sought out myself to learn.
I love novels about the everyday things. No huge plot but if the author has a unique view of the world and the characters are real I'll devour the book.
March 18, 2022
It was just okay. A slice of life novel with very little plot/resolution. Mostly a character study about a mom raising two teenage boys while her husband is sick in the hospital. However, I didn't really like any of the characters.
This book got bonus points for being written by a Maine author and being set on an island off the coast of Maine. As a Mainer, it's always fun for me to read about my home state. I wish the author had expanded more on the impact climate change, gentrification and changing fishing laws effect Maine fishermen and their families. The main character is a filmmaker who was filming a documentary about this - but it was sort of an afterthought. Would have been interesting and beneficial to have expanded that concept a little more.
Wasn't bad, wasn't great. Definitely forgettable, but like I said - I haven't read a lot of novels set in Maine so it was a fun experience for me to see some places I know written within the pages of this book.
This book got bonus points for being written by a Maine author and being set on an island off the coast of Maine. As a Mainer, it's always fun for me to read about my home state. I wish the author had expanded more on the impact climate change, gentrification and changing fishing laws effect Maine fishermen and their families. The main character is a filmmaker who was filming a documentary about this - but it was sort of an afterthought. Would have been interesting and beneficial to have expanded that concept a little more.
Wasn't bad, wasn't great. Definitely forgettable, but like I said - I haven't read a lot of novels set in Maine so it was a fun experience for me to see some places I know written within the pages of this book.
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