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Ava and Claire #1
Coming Apart
No one knows you like a sister.
Ava has always been poor, so she doesn't think the Great Depression will change anything. But when her mother dies and her coal miner husband loses his job, Ava's certainty falters. The last thing she needs is a letter from her estranged sister, asking for the impossible.
Claire has everything she could ever want, except the child she promised her husband. When her sister's life falls apart, she reaches out to help - and finds the missing piece of her own marriage.
With everything at stake, Ava must choose: give up one child to save the rest or keep the family together and risk losing it all?
If you like strong, resourceful women, well-developed historical themes, and heartfelt family drama, then Coming Apart is your next rainy-day read.
Ava has always been poor, so she doesn't think the Great Depression will change anything. But when her mother dies and her coal miner husband loses his job, Ava's certainty falters. The last thing she needs is a letter from her estranged sister, asking for the impossible.
Claire has everything she could ever want, except the child she promised her husband. When her sister's life falls apart, she reaches out to help - and finds the missing piece of her own marriage.
With everything at stake, Ava must choose: give up one child to save the rest or keep the family together and risk losing it all?
If you like strong, resourceful women, well-developed historical themes, and heartfelt family drama, then Coming Apart is your next rainy-day read.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 18, 2022
897 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Karen Heenan
22 books89 followersAs an only child, Karen Heenan learned young that boredom was the ultimate enemy. Shortly after, she discovered perpetual motion and has rarely been seen holding still since.
Since discovering books, she is never without one in her hand and several more in her head. Her first series, The Tudor Court, stemmed from a lifelong interest in British history, but she's now turned her gaze closer to home and is writing stories set in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Karen lives in Lansdowne, PA, just outside Philadelphia, where she grows much of her own food and makes her own clothes. She is accompanied on her quest for self-sufficiency by a very patient husband and an ever-changing number of cats.
One constant: she is always writing her next book.
Since discovering books, she is never without one in her hand and several more in her head. Her first series, The Tudor Court, stemmed from a lifelong interest in British history, but she's now turned her gaze closer to home and is writing stories set in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Karen lives in Lansdowne, PA, just outside Philadelphia, where she grows much of her own food and makes her own clothes. She is accompanied on her quest for self-sufficiency by a very patient husband and an ever-changing number of cats.
One constant: she is always writing her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
July 7, 2022
Poignant but unsentimental, Coming Apart introduces us to two sisters with very different lives. In Pennsylvania during the Great Depression, Ava lives in the working-class poverty of a coal town; her sister Clare has escaped her upbringing to a life of wealth in Philadelphia. But her on-the-surface perfect life isn't, and all of Ava's capabilities in stretching a dollar to do the work of ten may not be enough when her husband loses his job. There is an answer, but the price is immense - and yet such a small thing, if it will save her family.
Heenan writes with clarity and economy, painting the contrasting pictures of the coal town and the society life expertly. Sisters Ava and Clare are solid, complete characters, entirely believable in their different approaches and reactions to life, and their worries and fears - and moments of joy - make them so very human and relatable. The story asks the questions about what any of us would do to hold a family together, and what we can ask of family, too, in supporting each other. The ties of blood and obligation and love run deep, and are never tested more than in times of adversity. Coming Apart is a study of that testing, beautifully written and deeply felt.
Heenan writes with clarity and economy, painting the contrasting pictures of the coal town and the society life expertly. Sisters Ava and Clare are solid, complete characters, entirely believable in their different approaches and reactions to life, and their worries and fears - and moments of joy - make them so very human and relatable. The story asks the questions about what any of us would do to hold a family together, and what we can ask of family, too, in supporting each other. The ties of blood and obligation and love run deep, and are never tested more than in times of adversity. Coming Apart is a study of that testing, beautifully written and deeply felt.
October 14, 2022
I dived into "Coming Apart" knowing just one thing. It is a tale of two sisters set in 1930s Philadelphia. Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and I had just come back from a Philly vacation. Prohibition, shortages, poverty, sibling rivalry are not things which are talked about openly but they are all so beautifully written in this book that I had to keep reading. Since I am trying to write these thoughts down without giving away the story, I will just say that there are many aspects in this book which invoked a deep sadness from my own losses and pain. I could almost feel Claire's desperation and anxiety when she wrote that letter to Ava. When you are so desperate that you feel like you can't even breathe, you do the bravest of things. You ask for the impossible. I have been there. God answered my prayers and those old scars are just that. A memory, a story. But, surprisingly I never shed a single tear while reading this book. Which led me to realize that at some point maybe, you can talk about your past without feeling too attached to it. It may even give someone hope. #teamClaire.
This book is not about me. Even though parts of it, feels like it is. Which brings me to my next realization:
How many women are bound together with unsaid pain and untold stories. This book is our story!
This review may make you think that this book is sad. Far from it. I think its a testament to the fact that you need very few things and very few people to feel happy. This book is about hope and family. The "dear sister" line made me put the book down and text my brother whom I haven’t spoken to in a while. He called me the next day. We had a really fun conversation! Thank you Ms. Heenan. I loved the dressmaking parts in the book and only wished there were more chapters added towards the end showing Ava's next endeavor. But maybe that's for the sequel!
This book is not about me. Even though parts of it, feels like it is. Which brings me to my next realization:
How many women are bound together with unsaid pain and untold stories. This book is our story!
This review may make you think that this book is sad. Far from it. I think its a testament to the fact that you need very few things and very few people to feel happy. This book is about hope and family. The "dear sister" line made me put the book down and text my brother whom I haven’t spoken to in a while. He called me the next day. We had a really fun conversation! Thank you Ms. Heenan. I loved the dressmaking parts in the book and only wished there were more chapters added towards the end showing Ava's next endeavor. But maybe that's for the sequel!
July 9, 2022
Two sisters: Ava, a coal miner's wife and mother of many children; and Claire, a businessman's wife who has everything except the child she longs for. The blood they share might appear to be the only similarity between these women, yet as they and the reader will discover, they are bound not only by the ties of family, but by their courage, their resilience, their joys, their sorrows.
Set during the Depression era, Coming Apart challenges the reader, and these sisters, to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for family, for security, for survival. From Ava's no-nonsense approach to Claire's compassion, these two share a heart for others even if expressed in very different ways; ultimately, both are forced to reconcile the lives they lead and their opinions of one another with the challenges and realities they face, ones that open their eyes to who they are, what they want, and what they can be. Coming Apart is a beautifully rendered tale, rich with detail and heart, brought to life by Karen Heenan's evocative prose. The author's passion for and deep understanding of the setting and its characters will whisk the reader into the vibrant, exciting, difficult world within the story's pages, from the poverty of a small coal-mining town to the luxuriousness of the wealthy in the city. Above all, Coming Apart is a touching story of sisterhood in all its raw, messy, challenging, triumphant beauty.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced copy!
Set during the Depression era, Coming Apart challenges the reader, and these sisters, to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for family, for security, for survival. From Ava's no-nonsense approach to Claire's compassion, these two share a heart for others even if expressed in very different ways; ultimately, both are forced to reconcile the lives they lead and their opinions of one another with the challenges and realities they face, ones that open their eyes to who they are, what they want, and what they can be. Coming Apart is a beautifully rendered tale, rich with detail and heart, brought to life by Karen Heenan's evocative prose. The author's passion for and deep understanding of the setting and its characters will whisk the reader into the vibrant, exciting, difficult world within the story's pages, from the poverty of a small coal-mining town to the luxuriousness of the wealthy in the city. Above all, Coming Apart is a touching story of sisterhood in all its raw, messy, challenging, triumphant beauty.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced copy!
July 7, 2022
I was given this book as an arc for an honest review.
As always, I'm swept away by Heenan's storytelling. She brings you into worlds in which people on the lowest rungs of society, those who are used by powers above them with seemingly no way out, and explores the depth and breadth of their lives.
I found this book particularly moving as Ava and Claire reminded me of women in my family going back generations who were strong through the worst days because they had no choice and kept the family together at all costs or, in some cases, longed for family, even when surviving meant leaving. No matter how far one of us got away, no matter how angry one of us was, we were "our people."
This moving novel is foremost a story about sisters, Ava and Claire, who, growing up in a coal miners town, had choices to make to survive. It is the story of a family coming apart, but sometimes the coming apart is what brings back together what was lost. Always, "our people." You will know these women in your bones and you will cry for them and root for them along the way.
As always, I'm swept away by Heenan's storytelling. She brings you into worlds in which people on the lowest rungs of society, those who are used by powers above them with seemingly no way out, and explores the depth and breadth of their lives.
I found this book particularly moving as Ava and Claire reminded me of women in my family going back generations who were strong through the worst days because they had no choice and kept the family together at all costs or, in some cases, longed for family, even when surviving meant leaving. No matter how far one of us got away, no matter how angry one of us was, we were "our people."
This moving novel is foremost a story about sisters, Ava and Claire, who, growing up in a coal miners town, had choices to make to survive. It is the story of a family coming apart, but sometimes the coming apart is what brings back together what was lost. Always, "our people." You will know these women in your bones and you will cry for them and root for them along the way.
April 12, 2023
Coming Apart is the first novel I’ve read by Karen Heenan. And I’m eager to devour the rest of the series. The story occurs during the Great Depression and revolves around the relationship of sisters Ava and Claire in Scovill Run, Pennsylvania, a small coal mining town. The locals earn their bread and butter from the Scovill Mining Company, which has claimed the lives of hardworking men. The women are the backbone, holding the family together in this historical fiction novel.
Ava has chosen her mother’s path, stayed in her hometown, married a coal miner, and raised several children in impoverished circumstances. While her husband slaves away in the mines and eventually succumbs to the fate of many during the Great Depression, Ava’s strength remains a constant, holding the family together.
Claire chooses a path different from her mother and sister. She moves from Scovill and marries a wealthy man, never lacking material needs, only the ability to give her husband a child.
After the death of their mother, Ava and Claire reunite after many years, their differences colliding. Ava has the one thing Claire desires—children. Claire has what Ava never strove for but needs —money. When the unimaginable happens, and life thrusts them together in an unforeseeable, unique situation, they find what they need—family, love, and a newfound purpose.
Mrs. Heenan seamlessly weaves the story through three protagonists’ voices—Ava, Claire, and Pearl, providing a facet of the Great Depression often overlooked, women’s contribution when their men could no longer support the family. Emotions are palpable in this family drama, which kept me thoroughly engrossed. I felt Ava and Claire’s fear, love, and pain, cried at their worst defeats, and cheered their victories.
Coming Apart is an unputdownable novel with impressive world-building, strong, lovable female protagonists, and an all-pervasive antagonist, The Great Depression. I’m looking forward to reading book two of the series. Mrs. Heenan, thank you for the captivating and moving story!
Ava has chosen her mother’s path, stayed in her hometown, married a coal miner, and raised several children in impoverished circumstances. While her husband slaves away in the mines and eventually succumbs to the fate of many during the Great Depression, Ava’s strength remains a constant, holding the family together.
Claire chooses a path different from her mother and sister. She moves from Scovill and marries a wealthy man, never lacking material needs, only the ability to give her husband a child.
After the death of their mother, Ava and Claire reunite after many years, their differences colliding. Ava has the one thing Claire desires—children. Claire has what Ava never strove for but needs —money. When the unimaginable happens, and life thrusts them together in an unforeseeable, unique situation, they find what they need—family, love, and a newfound purpose.
Mrs. Heenan seamlessly weaves the story through three protagonists’ voices—Ava, Claire, and Pearl, providing a facet of the Great Depression often overlooked, women’s contribution when their men could no longer support the family. Emotions are palpable in this family drama, which kept me thoroughly engrossed. I felt Ava and Claire’s fear, love, and pain, cried at their worst defeats, and cheered their victories.
Coming Apart is an unputdownable novel with impressive world-building, strong, lovable female protagonists, and an all-pervasive antagonist, The Great Depression. I’m looking forward to reading book two of the series. Mrs. Heenan, thank you for the captivating and moving story!
November 29, 2023
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Here's a book which will draw you in to a different time in history, and awaken your understanding of the repercussions of things outwith the control of the people concerned.
Ava has always been poor: make do and mend is a way of life and, as such, the Great Depression doesn't really change things for her. Then her mother dies, and her sister - who left their mining village a long time ago - returns. Claire has married well, to a wealthy man, but her life is far from perfect. The death of their mother starts healing the rift there has been between the siblings but, living such different lives, can they be friends again?
This is a wonderful saga full of diverse characters, each true to the setting and time of this novel. I cannot wait for the next book - if it had been published already, I would have moved straight on to it, so involved was I in this story. It's a tale of two halves; Claire, desperate to share her good fortune with her sister's family and Ava, proud and determined to survive in her own way. I was riveted from first to last and I know this is going to be a cracking saga! An easy five stars, and kudos to the author for such a beautifully written novel.
My thanks to Coffee and Thorn for my copy of this novel, and for their continuing faith in my reviews.
Here's a book which will draw you in to a different time in history, and awaken your understanding of the repercussions of things outwith the control of the people concerned.
Ava has always been poor: make do and mend is a way of life and, as such, the Great Depression doesn't really change things for her. Then her mother dies, and her sister - who left their mining village a long time ago - returns. Claire has married well, to a wealthy man, but her life is far from perfect. The death of their mother starts healing the rift there has been between the siblings but, living such different lives, can they be friends again?
This is a wonderful saga full of diverse characters, each true to the setting and time of this novel. I cannot wait for the next book - if it had been published already, I would have moved straight on to it, so involved was I in this story. It's a tale of two halves; Claire, desperate to share her good fortune with her sister's family and Ava, proud and determined to survive in her own way. I was riveted from first to last and I know this is going to be a cracking saga! An easy five stars, and kudos to the author for such a beautifully written novel.
My thanks to Coffee and Thorn for my copy of this novel, and for their continuing faith in my reviews.
October 7, 2022
Rich with historical detail, Coming Apart is a poignant and personal tale of two courageous sisters surviving the Great Depression--one strong-willed, proud, and determined to keep her family together despite the brutal realities of life in a coal mining town, and the other poised and quietly strong, holding her heartache close while striving to find her place among Philadelphia's privileged upper class. Heenan's sisters captivate and inspire in this story of sacrificial love, resilience, and hope.
Thanks to the author for the advanced review copy!
Thanks to the author for the advanced review copy!
April 17, 2023
I received a copy of this for free, to review as part of a book tour with Coffee And Thorn.
I thought this was a beautifully written book. In some ways, it was not the easiest book to read, but still very enjoyable. Parts of it were a little upsetting to read, while other parts warmed my heart. What I loved most about it was that I did feel very connected to the characters, and I felt as though while I was reading, I was sort of going on a journey with them.
Thank you to Coffee And Thorn, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
I thought this was a beautifully written book. In some ways, it was not the easiest book to read, but still very enjoyable. Parts of it were a little upsetting to read, while other parts warmed my heart. What I loved most about it was that I did feel very connected to the characters, and I felt as though while I was reading, I was sort of going on a journey with them.
Thank you to Coffee And Thorn, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
October 15, 2022
I had been looking forward to reading Coming Apart, a story about two sisters set in the Great Depression in the USA, as I had enjoyed Karen Heenan’s Tudor trilogy and was excited to see how she told this story. I was not disappointed. It is my favourite of Heenan’s novels to date – but I write that each time I read her latest work. Karen Heenan’s writing just gets better and better.
The story is about two sisters with very different lives. Claire escaped a life of poverty by marrying a wealthy man and moving to Philadelphia to live a life of luxury. Ava’s life couldn’t have been more different. She stayed in the coal mining village, married to a miner and with five children at the start of the story, with another on its way. Ava and Claire’s mother dies at the start of the story, leaving Ava to cope on her own as she relied on the wisdom and support of her mum.
I found the different lives of the two women fascinating. Heenan is known for her meticulous research and this is one of the reasons her stories are great reads. I lived Ava’s poverty, repurposing every item of worn clothing – wasting nothing. She had an incredibly hard life but like many women of that time showed courage, resilience and determination.
Claire’s life in Philadelphia provides light relief as we enjoy the sumptuousness of her lifestyle. Again, descriptions of her home and the places she frequents place the reader in that time and place.
This story is about two sisters with contrasting life experiences but each of them wants and needs something that the other has. The story is told with compassion, dealing with the complexities of their relationship with great skill. It is a satisfying read that takes the reader on an emotional journey. Heenan is unafraid of exploring the human psyche in some depth not taking the easy route of getting the story told.
The sister’s lives are enriched, wounds exposed, and some of them healed, in what is a complex relationship: loving, envious, angry, protective. It is real.
All of the characters are beautifully portrayed – rich and layered. Each of them has stayed with me like my own family and friends. I want to read what happens next so please write more of this story, Karen Heenan.
I was honoured to have been given an ARC of Coming Apart in exchange for an honest review.
The story is about two sisters with very different lives. Claire escaped a life of poverty by marrying a wealthy man and moving to Philadelphia to live a life of luxury. Ava’s life couldn’t have been more different. She stayed in the coal mining village, married to a miner and with five children at the start of the story, with another on its way. Ava and Claire’s mother dies at the start of the story, leaving Ava to cope on her own as she relied on the wisdom and support of her mum.
I found the different lives of the two women fascinating. Heenan is known for her meticulous research and this is one of the reasons her stories are great reads. I lived Ava’s poverty, repurposing every item of worn clothing – wasting nothing. She had an incredibly hard life but like many women of that time showed courage, resilience and determination.
Claire’s life in Philadelphia provides light relief as we enjoy the sumptuousness of her lifestyle. Again, descriptions of her home and the places she frequents place the reader in that time and place.
This story is about two sisters with contrasting life experiences but each of them wants and needs something that the other has. The story is told with compassion, dealing with the complexities of their relationship with great skill. It is a satisfying read that takes the reader on an emotional journey. Heenan is unafraid of exploring the human psyche in some depth not taking the easy route of getting the story told.
The sister’s lives are enriched, wounds exposed, and some of them healed, in what is a complex relationship: loving, envious, angry, protective. It is real.
All of the characters are beautifully portrayed – rich and layered. Each of them has stayed with me like my own family and friends. I want to read what happens next so please write more of this story, Karen Heenan.
I was honoured to have been given an ARC of Coming Apart in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2022
This book is so much more than what's on the back cover. The author is a beautiful writer and the story of these two women will suck you in and hold you, leaving you wanting more. It's a tale about life, and about being a woman, a sister, and a mother in this world; whether it's the 1930's or today, some things don't change.
Are you a sister? Read this book
Do you have a sister? Perhaps an annoying one? Read this book.
Have you ever left home so gratefully, and then felt too scared/ashamed/awkward to come back, even when you should have? Read this book.
Have you never left home because your roots are firmly planted and you never want to leave, until one day, you must? Read this book.
Do you know what it's like to be a mother, constantly caretaking? Read this book.
Do you know what it's like to miscarry, to want a child so desperately it consumes you? Read the book!
This is a beautiful human story with rich characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
Are you a sister? Read this book
Do you have a sister? Perhaps an annoying one? Read this book.
Have you ever left home so gratefully, and then felt too scared/ashamed/awkward to come back, even when you should have? Read this book.
Have you never left home because your roots are firmly planted and you never want to leave, until one day, you must? Read this book.
Do you know what it's like to be a mother, constantly caretaking? Read this book.
Do you know what it's like to miscarry, to want a child so desperately it consumes you? Read the book!
This is a beautiful human story with rich characters who will stay with you long after the last page.
December 29, 2024
Set in a 1930’s coal-mining town and in Philadelphia, this is the story of two sisters who took different paths and made different life choices. Well-written and insightful, this an excellent and absorbing book.
April 14, 2023
Coming Apart by Karen Heenan
A Review by AZP
April 15, 2023
Reading this novel is comparable to reading John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’.
The book poignantly confronts the ills of the Great Depression; its direct effect on communities and people from all walks of life.
The tale focuses mainly on the contradicting lives of the two, strong-willed women, representing the kind of life during this period: one, who is living in high society and the powerful; and the other, living in the downtrodden, mining village.
The author’s narratives are intricate, easy-flowing, continuous, and cohesive.
Karen Heenan’s narratives sharply pointed out in a silky fashion: how the time greatly affected a family and an individual’s decision in order to survive; how the crisis shaped the personal and interpersonal lives and relationships of women, men, and children.
The historical reference of the period is credible and the way it was written is very tangible! For instance, how the author described the family tending to a dead grandmother, and its eventual ritual, among others.
I love reading the book and how it ends. It is faithful and cathartic!
Congratulations Karen Heenan for sharing your writing brilliance and creativity!
A Review by AZP
April 15, 2023
Reading this novel is comparable to reading John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’.
The book poignantly confronts the ills of the Great Depression; its direct effect on communities and people from all walks of life.
The tale focuses mainly on the contradicting lives of the two, strong-willed women, representing the kind of life during this period: one, who is living in high society and the powerful; and the other, living in the downtrodden, mining village.
The author’s narratives are intricate, easy-flowing, continuous, and cohesive.
Karen Heenan’s narratives sharply pointed out in a silky fashion: how the time greatly affected a family and an individual’s decision in order to survive; how the crisis shaped the personal and interpersonal lives and relationships of women, men, and children.
The historical reference of the period is credible and the way it was written is very tangible! For instance, how the author described the family tending to a dead grandmother, and its eventual ritual, among others.
I love reading the book and how it ends. It is faithful and cathartic!
Congratulations Karen Heenan for sharing your writing brilliance and creativity!
December 10, 2022
This novel is simply brilliant. Heartwarming and in many ways tragic, it is so well written that I felt as though I was actually there. It is difficult to write a book where the author can make the reader feel compassion and sympathy for all the characters, but Karen Heenan succeeds in doing just that. Sisters Ava and Claire are polar opposites. Ava, the wife of a coal miner, has nearly nothing. Her sister Claire, married to a rich businessman, has all she could ever want, except the one thing that sister Ava has in abundance. Each face their own unique challenges but I found I could identify with both women. I loved how Ms. Heenan gives each of the characters a separate voice that, over the course of the story, finally threads together as the reader sees each sister begin to grow into their own stronger, wiser selves. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for Book 2. I highly recommend!
May 14, 2024
Absolutely intriguing book! I will look for more books by this author!
October 14, 2022
Karen Heenan has written a novel of Depression-era America in 1931 set in the coal mines of Eastern Pennsylvania. She brings the same historical lens that she brought to her Tudor Court novels to the twentieth century revisiting some familiar themes and motif in different era. First, the novel revolves around the viewpoint of two female protagonists, Ava Kimber and her sister Claire. Heenan also exams the harsh poverty of the Great Depression and how it punishingly molds people’s psyches for better or worse. She also continues to exam the ongoing issues that are part of women’s daily existence that often get ignored by men. It’s a tragic, but also hopeful story of how people can survive and rebuild their lives even after great loss and disillusionment. This is perhaps what I like most about this story and the women at its center.
The story shows by contrast the stark difference between Ava’s poverty vs Claire’s wealthy lifestyle as well as Ava wealth of loving family life vs Claire’s childless house domineered by her elitist and bigoted mother-in-law. Claire loves her husband, but several miscarriages have left her emotionally devastated. Yes, wealth and poverty in many forms become more evident as the plot progresses and leave the reader wondering what shoe will drop next in the lives of these two women.
I think we all know what it’s like to feel helpless. We know what it’s like when there seems to be no future and no lifeline to delivers from a painful existence, when life is raining stones in you. This book explores painful moments of marriage, motherhood, and sisterhood. And while it doesn’t spare the gruesome details, it does show the light at the end of the tunnel. Ava and Claire start down the path of no longer kidding themselves. They start to see that taking a helping hand from someone else isn’t a sign of failure or weakness. Eventually the sisters survive the vicissitudes of their lives, but not until learning a few lessons along the way.
The story shows by contrast the stark difference between Ava’s poverty vs Claire’s wealthy lifestyle as well as Ava wealth of loving family life vs Claire’s childless house domineered by her elitist and bigoted mother-in-law. Claire loves her husband, but several miscarriages have left her emotionally devastated. Yes, wealth and poverty in many forms become more evident as the plot progresses and leave the reader wondering what shoe will drop next in the lives of these two women.
I think we all know what it’s like to feel helpless. We know what it’s like when there seems to be no future and no lifeline to delivers from a painful existence, when life is raining stones in you. This book explores painful moments of marriage, motherhood, and sisterhood. And while it doesn’t spare the gruesome details, it does show the light at the end of the tunnel. Ava and Claire start down the path of no longer kidding themselves. They start to see that taking a helping hand from someone else isn’t a sign of failure or weakness. Eventually the sisters survive the vicissitudes of their lives, but not until learning a few lessons along the way.
October 18, 2022
This is the second book I have read by Karen Heenan, and I want to read them all! It is a rare skill for an author to truly transport the reader to another time and place. In Coming Apart, the time is 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression, but the two main characters, sisters Ava and Claire, inhabit very different worlds.
Ava is a coal miner's wife, and mother to more children than can fit in their tiny rented home - with another on the way. Claire lives a life of relative ease in Philadelphia high society with her wealthy husband and her insufferable mother-in-law, but the one thing she longs for is out of reach - a child of her own to love and care for. After their mother's death reunites the estranged sisters, an impossible bargain presents itself as the way to bring them together - or tear them apart.
Karen Heenan's flawless writing brings stubborn Ava and lonely Claire to life in vivid detail. I felt every hope and shattering disappointment of these two along the way - with a supporting cast of additional personalities including precocious Pearl, Ava's eldest daughter, and Ava's loving husband Daniel. This book made me cry not once but twice and truly encapsulates the bonds of sisterhood, marriage, and what it means to be a mother. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to the characters I have come to love like my own sisters!
Ava is a coal miner's wife, and mother to more children than can fit in their tiny rented home - with another on the way. Claire lives a life of relative ease in Philadelphia high society with her wealthy husband and her insufferable mother-in-law, but the one thing she longs for is out of reach - a child of her own to love and care for. After their mother's death reunites the estranged sisters, an impossible bargain presents itself as the way to bring them together - or tear them apart.
Karen Heenan's flawless writing brings stubborn Ava and lonely Claire to life in vivid detail. I felt every hope and shattering disappointment of these two along the way - with a supporting cast of additional personalities including precocious Pearl, Ava's eldest daughter, and Ava's loving husband Daniel. This book made me cry not once but twice and truly encapsulates the bonds of sisterhood, marriage, and what it means to be a mother. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to the characters I have come to love like my own sisters!
January 5, 2023
I was lucky enough to read this book before it was out, and am so glad it’s now available for anyone to read. We don’t have enough Depression-era historical fiction in my opinion, so this is a start to filling that gap (and there will be sequels! yay!).
It is full of fabulous characters. I love the way Ava and Claire play off one another, their opposing personalities constantly at odds, while at the same time they’re trying to love each other in their very different ways, trying to reconcile their strained relationship despite all the difficulties life has thrown at them. Claire, despite having more money than she knows what to do with, has her absolutely hellish mother-in-law and a string of heartbreaking miscarriages; Ava is just scraping by, her husband’s mine company bosses breathing down her family’s back and more children than she can adequately feed. It is marvellous watching Claire, particularly, begin to come into her own person as the story progresses.
The setting is also fantastic; I love local-to-the-author history worked into novels, and it’s done really well here. I had a strong sense of place.
Finally, I absolutely defy you to NOT fall in love with Dr Max. If you don’t, it will be pistols at dawn.
It is full of fabulous characters. I love the way Ava and Claire play off one another, their opposing personalities constantly at odds, while at the same time they’re trying to love each other in their very different ways, trying to reconcile their strained relationship despite all the difficulties life has thrown at them. Claire, despite having more money than she knows what to do with, has her absolutely hellish mother-in-law and a string of heartbreaking miscarriages; Ava is just scraping by, her husband’s mine company bosses breathing down her family’s back and more children than she can adequately feed. It is marvellous watching Claire, particularly, begin to come into her own person as the story progresses.
The setting is also fantastic; I love local-to-the-author history worked into novels, and it’s done really well here. I had a strong sense of place.
Finally, I absolutely defy you to NOT fall in love with Dr Max. If you don’t, it will be pistols at dawn.
October 29, 2022
An enjoyable read
I really enjoyed this book. It started off kind of slow, and I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with the story, but then I became totally absorbed in the story and loved reading about Ava, Claire, and Pearl. I liked the different point of views, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. It started off kind of slow, and I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with the story, but then I became totally absorbed in the story and loved reading about Ava, Claire, and Pearl. I liked the different point of views, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
October 31, 2022
My type of book. Brilliant read.
A story of two sisters in 1930’s America and the Great Depression.
Ava’s life is one of poverty and children, her husband works in the mine, money is tight, conditions are poor but she makes the best of it.
Claire’s life changed when she decided to leave the small mining town and move to a city. She married in to money and can have everything she wants except becoming a mother.
This book is so well written it was a joy and a pleasure to read, mixed up with a lot of emotional trauma, in fact the author made me cry at one stage.
I felt I was in these two sisters’ lives and everything they had to bear, although they were living such different lives, they each had their own problems to contend with.
Brilliant read.
Read with KU
A story of two sisters in 1930’s America and the Great Depression.
Ava’s life is one of poverty and children, her husband works in the mine, money is tight, conditions are poor but she makes the best of it.
Claire’s life changed when she decided to leave the small mining town and move to a city. She married in to money and can have everything she wants except becoming a mother.
This book is so well written it was a joy and a pleasure to read, mixed up with a lot of emotional trauma, in fact the author made me cry at one stage.
I felt I was in these two sisters’ lives and everything they had to bear, although they were living such different lives, they each had their own problems to contend with.
Brilliant read.
Read with KU
October 27, 2024
Wonderful, warm and beautifully written
I've met a new family with secrets,stubbornness and so much pride and love that could almost derail the opportunities that come their way. As one who actually knows Philadelphia, I was delighted to be able to "see" much of the surroundings. If you love historical fiction and beautifully fleshed out characters then this book will entrance you.
I've met a new family with secrets,stubbornness and so much pride and love that could almost derail the opportunities that come their way. As one who actually knows Philadelphia, I was delighted to be able to "see" much of the surroundings. If you love historical fiction and beautifully fleshed out characters then this book will entrance you.
October 16, 2022
Stories of sisterhood reflect the reality of conflict, change, growth, understanding and acceptance. The author did a wonderful job portraying the world of sisterhood with the Great Depression weaved in as they come together from very different perspectives. Well done.
March 25, 2023
Content Warning taken from novel:
“CONTENT WARNING-
This story is intended for mature audiences. This story contains situations that some readers may find objectionable, including childbirth, miscarriage, postpartum depression, accidental death/disaster (on and off-page), and mention of sexual assault on a minor (brief, mostly implied, or off-page).”
It was easy to fall into the plotline and texture of characters in Karen Heenan’s novel, “Coming Apart.” With a fluid style of writing there was a seamless transition into the narrative, as if I was observing a textual train-of-thought without having to become adjusted to Heenan’s words.
Set during The Great Depression, Coming Apart is written in a three-book series that humanely traces the varying lives of two sisters, Ava and Claire. Coming Closer, Coming Together and Coming Apart bring the reader into Ava’s working-class life of childbearing, motherhood and poverty in juxtaposition to Claire’s existence of luxury in wealth having escaped the mining town of a pre-disposed childhood to a businessman in Philadelphia. Heenan does not project onto the plot and let’s these two women exist as their situations would contour naturally in accessible character arcs. Despite struggling, Ava loves her children. Despite riches and a life of ease, Claire strives to fill the void of infertility. Pushed to the edges of hard decisions, both women illuminate the virtues of a sisterly bond that levels the narrative in equilibrium. Both women hold family together while appearing to fray and tear at the seams of obligation, sacrifice and perseverance through pain.
Having escaped a life confined to a cubicle, Karen Heenan is the author of various titles. Pursuing her passion of history, Heenan’s first series, The Tudor Court pertains to an interest in British History. The Coming Apart series exemplifies her personal ties to the Philadelphia area and her interest in life within her locality during the 1930s. In fact, the woman and child in the photograph on the cover is Heenan's great aunt and uncle. She resides in Lansdowne, PA with her husband.
Firmly rooted in character realities, Coming Apart depicts hardship and triumph moved along simply in the progression of enduring harsh environments. The main characters are round and do not present as flat when they need to carry depth that makes the reader become invested in the outcome of their wellbeing. Further, that they exist beyond possible preconceptions and biases that the reader could bring to the story. Claire is not unkind, but pushes through estrangement to care for her family. The reader can sympathize with the void she is in turmoil over, ‘feeling useless,’ a barren wasteland in a world that could cultivate a prosperous future for her family, idle and bored, she knows society perceived her as ‘just pretty,’ and not expected to accomplish more. Her husband, Harry, remains a fixed model of example of balanced masculinity in loving his wife despite the incapacity to bear children and despite her impoverished childhood. Each miscarriage the couple endures, the reader is shown Harry weeping and feeling helpless that he cannot protect the psyche of his wife and fabric of her emotional state. Harry genuinely loves Claire’s family.
Ava is the remaining matriarch of the family after the passing of her mother at the beginning of the novel. Ava has been raised in the aura of her mother. “Mama taught me how to be a mother. How to be a miner's wife, too. I have her lessons in my bones, and one of them is that with small children to care for, and a husband whose employer demands sixty hours each week, sadness is a luxury I can't afford.” So, with the pressure of her role as the glue holding family together, Ava perseveres through post-partum, death, the hard decision to give up her youngest son, the rape of her daughter and even cardboard lining the soles of her shoes, she endures.
The plot moves steadily and in rooting for the characters, there is triumph for Ava in the end with her talent as a dress-maker and Claire in bringing the family closer in helping raise her nephew and pushing to help care for the medical needs of her niece.
Coming Apart is a coming together and coming closer, as family, as strong women in hard times.
Thank you to Karen Heenan for the complimentary copy in request for an honest review!
“CONTENT WARNING-
This story is intended for mature audiences. This story contains situations that some readers may find objectionable, including childbirth, miscarriage, postpartum depression, accidental death/disaster (on and off-page), and mention of sexual assault on a minor (brief, mostly implied, or off-page).”
It was easy to fall into the plotline and texture of characters in Karen Heenan’s novel, “Coming Apart.” With a fluid style of writing there was a seamless transition into the narrative, as if I was observing a textual train-of-thought without having to become adjusted to Heenan’s words.
Set during The Great Depression, Coming Apart is written in a three-book series that humanely traces the varying lives of two sisters, Ava and Claire. Coming Closer, Coming Together and Coming Apart bring the reader into Ava’s working-class life of childbearing, motherhood and poverty in juxtaposition to Claire’s existence of luxury in wealth having escaped the mining town of a pre-disposed childhood to a businessman in Philadelphia. Heenan does not project onto the plot and let’s these two women exist as their situations would contour naturally in accessible character arcs. Despite struggling, Ava loves her children. Despite riches and a life of ease, Claire strives to fill the void of infertility. Pushed to the edges of hard decisions, both women illuminate the virtues of a sisterly bond that levels the narrative in equilibrium. Both women hold family together while appearing to fray and tear at the seams of obligation, sacrifice and perseverance through pain.
Having escaped a life confined to a cubicle, Karen Heenan is the author of various titles. Pursuing her passion of history, Heenan’s first series, The Tudor Court pertains to an interest in British History. The Coming Apart series exemplifies her personal ties to the Philadelphia area and her interest in life within her locality during the 1930s. In fact, the woman and child in the photograph on the cover is Heenan's great aunt and uncle. She resides in Lansdowne, PA with her husband.
Firmly rooted in character realities, Coming Apart depicts hardship and triumph moved along simply in the progression of enduring harsh environments. The main characters are round and do not present as flat when they need to carry depth that makes the reader become invested in the outcome of their wellbeing. Further, that they exist beyond possible preconceptions and biases that the reader could bring to the story. Claire is not unkind, but pushes through estrangement to care for her family. The reader can sympathize with the void she is in turmoil over, ‘feeling useless,’ a barren wasteland in a world that could cultivate a prosperous future for her family, idle and bored, she knows society perceived her as ‘just pretty,’ and not expected to accomplish more. Her husband, Harry, remains a fixed model of example of balanced masculinity in loving his wife despite the incapacity to bear children and despite her impoverished childhood. Each miscarriage the couple endures, the reader is shown Harry weeping and feeling helpless that he cannot protect the psyche of his wife and fabric of her emotional state. Harry genuinely loves Claire’s family.
Ava is the remaining matriarch of the family after the passing of her mother at the beginning of the novel. Ava has been raised in the aura of her mother. “Mama taught me how to be a mother. How to be a miner's wife, too. I have her lessons in my bones, and one of them is that with small children to care for, and a husband whose employer demands sixty hours each week, sadness is a luxury I can't afford.” So, with the pressure of her role as the glue holding family together, Ava perseveres through post-partum, death, the hard decision to give up her youngest son, the rape of her daughter and even cardboard lining the soles of her shoes, she endures.
The plot moves steadily and in rooting for the characters, there is triumph for Ava in the end with her talent as a dress-maker and Claire in bringing the family closer in helping raise her nephew and pushing to help care for the medical needs of her niece.
Coming Apart is a coming together and coming closer, as family, as strong women in hard times.
Thank you to Karen Heenan for the complimentary copy in request for an honest review!
August 27, 2023
Sisters
Your first and oldest friend.
Your first and oldest confidant.
Your first and oldest protector.
And also (probably)
Your first and oldest enemy.
A bond like no other.
As they say in India ‘Kuch Khatta, Kuch Meetha’ (Little Sour, Little Sweet)
Coming Apart by Karen Heenan is a saga of sisterhood. Sisterhood at the worst of times and also at the best of times. A tale woven with such intricacy and depth that it will have you reliving your life and reaching out to connect with your siblings.
Set amidst the great depression the story revolves around two sisters Ava and Claire; and the trials and tribulations they undergo.
Their lives might have started out in the same humble beginnings but their paths have long since diverged due to choices and circumstances.
Ava lives in a mining town and is literally dirt poor. Life has taught her to become adept at scrounging around and looking after her mother, husband and numerous children.
Claire on the other hand lives in town, is rich and seems to have it all. Or does she?
Estranged for years, the sisters are forced to reconnect with each other at their mother’s funeral.
Barely able to stay in the same room as each other, will they tear each other apart or will they be each other’s strength. After all "No one knows your weak points like a sister.” And no one knows your strengths like they do either.
With each page of the novel we see each sister in her own resolute way tackle problems that are relevant even in today’s day and age. Death of a parent, a spouse, a child; Poverty, Infertility, being a single parent and also sexual harassment. We start to feel the depths of their despair as they battle along silently and bravely. And we shout out at pride at their strength and gumption.
In Coming Apart, Heenan has created a world and characters that might be set during the great depression but is reflective of all modern life as well. A mirror so to say. Times may have changed but the horrors and highs of life are still the same.
This book will have you reaching out for the tissue box at various stages while also laughing and celebrating with the sisters.
“Being sisters is something you don’t get over, I guess.”
And thank god for that!!!
So glad I got this RC. It is a book that I couldn’t put down and one that I will want to re-read again. Can’t wait for the sequel. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
Your first and oldest friend.
Your first and oldest confidant.
Your first and oldest protector.
And also (probably)
Your first and oldest enemy.
A bond like no other.
As they say in India ‘Kuch Khatta, Kuch Meetha’ (Little Sour, Little Sweet)
Coming Apart by Karen Heenan is a saga of sisterhood. Sisterhood at the worst of times and also at the best of times. A tale woven with such intricacy and depth that it will have you reliving your life and reaching out to connect with your siblings.
Set amidst the great depression the story revolves around two sisters Ava and Claire; and the trials and tribulations they undergo.
Their lives might have started out in the same humble beginnings but their paths have long since diverged due to choices and circumstances.
Ava lives in a mining town and is literally dirt poor. Life has taught her to become adept at scrounging around and looking after her mother, husband and numerous children.
Claire on the other hand lives in town, is rich and seems to have it all. Or does she?
Estranged for years, the sisters are forced to reconnect with each other at their mother’s funeral.
Barely able to stay in the same room as each other, will they tear each other apart or will they be each other’s strength. After all "No one knows your weak points like a sister.” And no one knows your strengths like they do either.
With each page of the novel we see each sister in her own resolute way tackle problems that are relevant even in today’s day and age. Death of a parent, a spouse, a child; Poverty, Infertility, being a single parent and also sexual harassment. We start to feel the depths of their despair as they battle along silently and bravely. And we shout out at pride at their strength and gumption.
In Coming Apart, Heenan has created a world and characters that might be set during the great depression but is reflective of all modern life as well. A mirror so to say. Times may have changed but the horrors and highs of life are still the same.
This book will have you reaching out for the tissue box at various stages while also laughing and celebrating with the sisters.
“Being sisters is something you don’t get over, I guess.”
And thank god for that!!!
So glad I got this RC. It is a book that I couldn’t put down and one that I will want to re-read again. Can’t wait for the sequel. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
April 17, 2023
"Coming Apart: A Novel of the Great Depression" by Karen Heenan is a deeply evocative and poignant portrayal of a tumultuous period in American history. Heenan deftly weaves together the lives of various characters who must navigate the hardships of the Great Depression, each with their own unique struggles and desires. With a strong attention to detail and a penchant for capturing the essence of human resilience, this novel proves to be a stunning work of historical fiction.
The story unfolds in the early 1930s, as the United States is gripped by the Great Depression. Heenan introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, each hailing from different walks of life, including a struggling single mother, a dispossessed farmer, a disillusioned businessman, and a young woman grappling with her dreams of a better future. The novel's multiple narrative threads are artfully intertwined, highlighting the interconnectedness of people's lives during this trying time.
Heenan's writing is rich and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the era. Her prose evokes the desperation and hope that defined the Great Depression, from the dusty farmlands to the crowded city streets. The author's attention to historical accuracy is commendable, as she seamlessly incorporates real-life events, such as the rise of labor unions and the New Deal, into the fabric of the story. This immersive quality makes "Coming Apart" a truly transportive experience for the reader.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this novel lies in its character development. Heenan crafts complex, fully realized characters that are both relatable and engaging. Their struggles, triumphs, and inner conflicts are expertly rendered, allowing readers to deeply empathize with their plight. The novel's exploration of themes such as family, love, and the pursuit of happiness is both timeless and particularly relevant to the historical context of the Great Depression.
In conclusion, "Coming Apart: A Novel of the Great Depression" by Karen Heenan is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and those interested in exploring the human spirit amidst adversity. With its memorable characters, rich historical detail, and poignant storytelling, this novel will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on readers long after they turn the final page."
The story unfolds in the early 1930s, as the United States is gripped by the Great Depression. Heenan introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, each hailing from different walks of life, including a struggling single mother, a dispossessed farmer, a disillusioned businessman, and a young woman grappling with her dreams of a better future. The novel's multiple narrative threads are artfully intertwined, highlighting the interconnectedness of people's lives during this trying time.
Heenan's writing is rich and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the era. Her prose evokes the desperation and hope that defined the Great Depression, from the dusty farmlands to the crowded city streets. The author's attention to historical accuracy is commendable, as she seamlessly incorporates real-life events, such as the rise of labor unions and the New Deal, into the fabric of the story. This immersive quality makes "Coming Apart" a truly transportive experience for the reader.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this novel lies in its character development. Heenan crafts complex, fully realized characters that are both relatable and engaging. Their struggles, triumphs, and inner conflicts are expertly rendered, allowing readers to deeply empathize with their plight. The novel's exploration of themes such as family, love, and the pursuit of happiness is both timeless and particularly relevant to the historical context of the Great Depression.
In conclusion, "Coming Apart: A Novel of the Great Depression" by Karen Heenan is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and those interested in exploring the human spirit amidst adversity. With its memorable characters, rich historical detail, and poignant storytelling, this novel will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on readers long after they turn the final page."
April 14, 2023
As I read this book, about surviving through so many challenges, I was again and again reminded of the song, Bread and Roses.
As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men—
For they are women's children and we mother them again.
Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes—
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses.
What really matters? Surviving, yes, but also finding meaning, purpose, love. At points in the story, Ava and her family, living in a threatened coal mining community in difficult times, are barely surviving at the physical level. And at points in the story her sister Claire, although materially prosperous and protected, is barely surviving at the emotional level. The book tells of the struggle they both have to find meaning and purpose in their lives despite the losses that they endure. It is never sentimental or melodramatic, but it is a book full of raw love as well as pain.
Three women are at the heart of the book - Ava, her daughter Pearl as she grows to womanhood, and her sister Claire. All three perspectives are explored in compelling and moving detail, but all around them are also other characters, all with depth and intensity. Nobody could read this book and not find characters with whom they identified.
Beautifully researched, the book reflects the politics and conflicts of the time, and I learnt a lot from it. It resonated, hugely, with the politics of later times - pit closures in Wales in the 1980s in particular, and the miners' strikes that accompanied these.
It's a memorable book. I loved reading it and I've thought of it often since.
As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men—
For they are women's children and we mother them again.
Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes—
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses.
What really matters? Surviving, yes, but also finding meaning, purpose, love. At points in the story, Ava and her family, living in a threatened coal mining community in difficult times, are barely surviving at the physical level. And at points in the story her sister Claire, although materially prosperous and protected, is barely surviving at the emotional level. The book tells of the struggle they both have to find meaning and purpose in their lives despite the losses that they endure. It is never sentimental or melodramatic, but it is a book full of raw love as well as pain.
Three women are at the heart of the book - Ava, her daughter Pearl as she grows to womanhood, and her sister Claire. All three perspectives are explored in compelling and moving detail, but all around them are also other characters, all with depth and intensity. Nobody could read this book and not find characters with whom they identified.
Beautifully researched, the book reflects the politics and conflicts of the time, and I learnt a lot from it. It resonated, hugely, with the politics of later times - pit closures in Wales in the 1980s in particular, and the miners' strikes that accompanied these.
It's a memorable book. I loved reading it and I've thought of it often since.
April 15, 2023
This is a profoundly engrossing book which throws the reader deep into a family of the 1930s, spanning the social distance between the wealthy middle class, barely touched by the Great Depression, and the impoverished working class for whom the Great Depression adds trouble to trouble, heartache to heartache.
Ava is a homely child of a run-down coal mining town, who has stayed where she grew up, married a childhood sweetheart, and is raising a large family of children in deepening poverty. Her beautiful sister Claire has escaped the poverty by finding work in a hotel and marrying a wealthy businessman whom she meets there, but is unable to have children. Both husbands are decent men in different ways, and in a book which starkly highlights the difficulties and threats faced by women in these times, it is refreshing that the author does nothing to demonise the central male figures of the story.
The sisters have become largely estranged in their different circumstances, but a series of family crises and heartbreaks draw them back together, forcing them both to confront the differences which have separated them.
It deals with tough subjects unflinchingly, but the warmth and generosity of the writing gives many moments of pleasure, and a few of triumph. There was one in particular that has made me smile since - no spoilers, but it involves the hurling of a can of peaches, and I loved the character for that. Actually, I loved so many of the characters. It is a story about a big family, and I was left feeling myself to be part of it.
Ava is a homely child of a run-down coal mining town, who has stayed where she grew up, married a childhood sweetheart, and is raising a large family of children in deepening poverty. Her beautiful sister Claire has escaped the poverty by finding work in a hotel and marrying a wealthy businessman whom she meets there, but is unable to have children. Both husbands are decent men in different ways, and in a book which starkly highlights the difficulties and threats faced by women in these times, it is refreshing that the author does nothing to demonise the central male figures of the story.
The sisters have become largely estranged in their different circumstances, but a series of family crises and heartbreaks draw them back together, forcing them both to confront the differences which have separated them.
It deals with tough subjects unflinchingly, but the warmth and generosity of the writing gives many moments of pleasure, and a few of triumph. There was one in particular that has made me smile since - no spoilers, but it involves the hurling of a can of peaches, and I loved the character for that. Actually, I loved so many of the characters. It is a story about a big family, and I was left feeling myself to be part of it.
April 17, 2023
Wonderfully told.
Karen Heenan writes a historical tale with Coming Apart. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. This book is part of the Ava and Claire series, and this is volume one. I look forward to reading the next books that come after that. Going back in time to the depression era, the reader meets Ava, who has always been poor, and then she is contacted by her sister Claire, who has everything, almost. This is a very powerful story about two sisters, living totally different lives, and Clare asks Ava for a huge favor, one that no matter what she says, lives will change forever. Impressive writing. The author weaves a tangled web of story and captures the reader. This author brings the story to life. The reader just embarks on a superb journey. A genuine character driven story! Coming Apart is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.
Karen Heenan writes a historical tale with Coming Apart. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. This book is part of the Ava and Claire series, and this is volume one. I look forward to reading the next books that come after that. Going back in time to the depression era, the reader meets Ava, who has always been poor, and then she is contacted by her sister Claire, who has everything, almost. This is a very powerful story about two sisters, living totally different lives, and Clare asks Ava for a huge favor, one that no matter what she says, lives will change forever. Impressive writing. The author weaves a tangled web of story and captures the reader. This author brings the story to life. The reader just embarks on a superb journey. A genuine character driven story! Coming Apart is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.
April 9, 2023
Congratulations to Author Karen Heenan for her accurate description of life in a small coal mining town during the Depression. My family were immigrants who settled in a very small town in Western Maryland and several of the family either worked in the mines or were among the elite who were supervisors on the other side of town. I had heard many stories of the poverty and difficulty of life but the characters in her book opened up a wider view of the struggles people were faced with and the difficulty in deciding whether to escape that kind of life or stay locked in to the life of the mines. The one thing the author dwelled on was the importance of family and the difficulty in keeping the family together. From my experience I saw how my family members were eventually separated but always came together to support each other in the end. The book was well written, heart breaking yet poignant, and each character had a distinct personality. I am so pleased to see that here will be a follow up book about these engaging characters. Kudos!
April 12, 2023
"Coming Apart" by Karen Heeman is a seminal fiction. It is a cascading family narrative,admist the backdrop of the Great Depression of 30s.Here we are awaiting the arrival of future fuel "Oil" and the consumption of coal is preeminent,
In a family story of Depression era, family
togetherness and solidarity are seen vividly. One of the theme ,which gets prominence is that of infertility,miscarriages................
There are two sisters in a family.....Ava and Claire.Ava is not so well off finincially as Claire.Yet the affluence of Claire becomes cloudy with her many miscarriages.Ava has five childs. The family drama gives many lessons..........
That Motherhood isnt for everyone..........
Poor people are more happily placed than a affluent ones.invariably..........
Never aspire for affluence.Pauperism despite hazardous is rarely stigmatised.
Fissures are a common thread in any family.There isnt like a neatly laid family.
Such is the depth of Karen Heenan,the ingenious novelist in" Coming Apart"
Review of the aforsaid book
By Anil Agrawal. Book reviewer
India
In a family story of Depression era, family
togetherness and solidarity are seen vividly. One of the theme ,which gets prominence is that of infertility,miscarriages................
There are two sisters in a family.....Ava and Claire.Ava is not so well off finincially as Claire.Yet the affluence of Claire becomes cloudy with her many miscarriages.Ava has five childs. The family drama gives many lessons..........
That Motherhood isnt for everyone..........
Poor people are more happily placed than a affluent ones.invariably..........
Never aspire for affluence.Pauperism despite hazardous is rarely stigmatised.
Fissures are a common thread in any family.There isnt like a neatly laid family.
Such is the depth of Karen Heenan,the ingenious novelist in" Coming Apart"
Review of the aforsaid book
By Anil Agrawal. Book reviewer
India
November 29, 2024
This was such a great book! It is the story of two sisters, Ava and Claire. The story takes place in Pennsylvania during the depression. Ava is the older sister, and she basically duplicates the life of her mother. Her husband works in a mine, and because of his union organizing ideas he has put on second shift and then later let go. Being a very proud family, they do not want to except help from anyone. They are also very catholic, and Ava has six pregnancies before she’s 30 years old. Ava‘s younger sister, Claire, could not wait to leave the small mining town. She marries a wealthy man, and moves to Philadelphia. The two sisters who once were very close have grown apart, until the day that their mother passes away and she comes back to town for the funeral. The two sisters renew their friendship, and the book tells the story of how they get on. I really loved this book. The author does a fabulous job of developing the characters, not just of the two sisters but of the children and other characters in the book. I was able to get this book for free, and I see that it is the first in the series. I may have to read the successive books.
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