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Losing Charlotte
Raised on their parents’ Kentucky horse farm, Charlotte and Knox Bolling grow up steeped in the cycles of breeding, foaling, weaning, and preparation for sale that the Thoroughbreds around them undergo each year. As sisters, they are as tightly connected within that vast and beautiful landscape as their opposing natures—and the subtly shifting allegiances within their close family—allow.
When Charlotte leaves Four Corners Farm, marries Bruce, and moves to Manhattan’s West Village, the sisters’ feelings for each other remain as intense and contradictory as ever, despite the distance between them. But nothing will solder their lives more fatefully than Charlotte’s pregnancy and the day on which she delivers twin boys, then dies of complications following their birth.
Together, Knox and Bruce—sister- and brother-in-law in name, but strangers in every other respect—take up the work of caring for Charlotte’s two motherless boys. In their mourning, and in the joy and desolation that flood in as their love for the children deepens, Bruce and Knox confront the ways in which their bonds to Charlotte have shaped them and struggle to define the tentative bond they are forming with each other as they navigate their exhausting, emotional daily rounds. A gripping, powerfully affecting debut novel from a stunning new writer.
When Charlotte leaves Four Corners Farm, marries Bruce, and moves to Manhattan’s West Village, the sisters’ feelings for each other remain as intense and contradictory as ever, despite the distance between them. But nothing will solder their lives more fatefully than Charlotte’s pregnancy and the day on which she delivers twin boys, then dies of complications following their birth.
Together, Knox and Bruce—sister- and brother-in-law in name, but strangers in every other respect—take up the work of caring for Charlotte’s two motherless boys. In their mourning, and in the joy and desolation that flood in as their love for the children deepens, Bruce and Knox confront the ways in which their bonds to Charlotte have shaped them and struggle to define the tentative bond they are forming with each other as they navigate their exhausting, emotional daily rounds. A gripping, powerfully affecting debut novel from a stunning new writer.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 8, 2010
Also known as The Foaling Season
I really wanted to like this book but couldn't get past the ennui I felt emanating from the writing and woven throughout the whole book. The seemingly lack of caring of the author (manifested through to Knox) made the action and even reading go so slowly. She spends so much time describing in minute detail every little thing, most of which didn't matter to the plot or character development and not a lot of time delving into the relationship with Knox and her sister and how that defined her. That attention to the small details made that more important than the relationships; it shouldn't seem that way.
Also, she uses crude words where I wouldn't think an author would or should (especially a woman). She talked about "f***ing* instead of calling it something more palatable, even if it didn't matter to her. And "piss" for a new-born baby's pee. What woman uses "piss" to describe a new-born baby's pee other than one maybe disassociated from the whole process. Which, now that I think about it, is a good way to describe this book. The writing made me disassociate myself from the characters.
Even though I generally do not like this book I think the author writes well. It just takes her paragraphs to convey her point, and even then the point is lost to the background noise. I would actually like to read poetry written by her. Forced to be more succinct I think she'd make an outstanding writer.
I really wanted to like this book but couldn't get past the ennui I felt emanating from the writing and woven throughout the whole book. The seemingly lack of caring of the author (manifested through to Knox) made the action and even reading go so slowly. She spends so much time describing in minute detail every little thing, most of which didn't matter to the plot or character development and not a lot of time delving into the relationship with Knox and her sister and how that defined her. That attention to the small details made that more important than the relationships; it shouldn't seem that way.
Also, she uses crude words where I wouldn't think an author would or should (especially a woman). She talked about "f***ing* instead of calling it something more palatable, even if it didn't matter to her. And "piss" for a new-born baby's pee. What woman uses "piss" to describe a new-born baby's pee other than one maybe disassociated from the whole process. Which, now that I think about it, is a good way to describe this book. The writing made me disassociate myself from the characters.
Even though I generally do not like this book I think the author writes well. It just takes her paragraphs to convey her point, and even then the point is lost to the background noise. I would actually like to read poetry written by her. Forced to be more succinct I think she'd make an outstanding writer.
June 18, 2010
Losing Charlotte is a book about a family who must find themselves again after a crushing loss.
Having plenty of experience on the subject I can say Heather Clay did a good job of taking the reader through the grieving process in the eyes of the family - too deeper and the novel would've been horribly depressing and any lighter and there would've been no point in the story. There were some things left out but those things about sadness and grief could be better suited in a different story. Grief is not an easy thing to write about nor is it an easy thing to read about - more than one during this book I found tears in my eyes...
Heather is really good about making making her story's real - using all human senses in her writing these things make you stop and go "Oh me too!" But she also included alot of minutia (sp?) and made me want to skim paragraphs instead of read them through. Being a new author I can't wait to see her writing mature and will be looking forward to future works.
All and all it wasn't a bad read and people who have had to go through experiences similar to this are going to be able to relate to it better.
As a horse owner I was hoping this was a horse story and really it is not - but I did enjoy the occasional few references to horses in the books.
Having plenty of experience on the subject I can say Heather Clay did a good job of taking the reader through the grieving process in the eyes of the family - too deeper and the novel would've been horribly depressing and any lighter and there would've been no point in the story. There were some things left out but those things about sadness and grief could be better suited in a different story. Grief is not an easy thing to write about nor is it an easy thing to read about - more than one during this book I found tears in my eyes...
Heather is really good about making making her story's real - using all human senses in her writing these things make you stop and go "Oh me too!" But she also included alot of minutia (sp?) and made me want to skim paragraphs instead of read them through. Being a new author I can't wait to see her writing mature and will be looking forward to future works.
All and all it wasn't a bad read and people who have had to go through experiences similar to this are going to be able to relate to it better.
As a horse owner I was hoping this was a horse story and really it is not - but I did enjoy the occasional few references to horses in the books.
January 8, 2013
Meh. I struggled with this book. I wanted to like it but it was just boring, jumbled and confusing. It had potential, but there were too many things that went wrong. The first chapter had nothing at all to do with the remainder of the book and could've just been left out entirely. There were sections where it felt like the author went through and replaced every other word using a thesaurus. The wording wasn't easy or smooth, it just felt like someone was working too hard. I was glad when I was done reading it.
April 13, 2010
slow, difficult to follow...not worth the effort
December 8, 2013
Have you ever held a book in your hands and known instinctively that you were going to treasure it? Sure, I read the review first, and requested it from the library. But when I had to decide which of my six holds to tackle first I knew--Losing Charlotte with the running horse blurring amidst a deep green cover.
The heart of this story is one of the what ifs we all ponder - What happens when a woman dies after childbirth? It is unfathomable and tragic and all too real. A young woman grows round, incubates life (x2) and then suddenly dies. How does her husband care for their two babies while facing an unfathomable reality -- a reality he never considered? And what becomes of the young woman's family?
The characters in this story are real and nuanced. I understood Bruce -- a child who grew up in NYC with a Jewish mother. That is known to me. Knox and Charlotte, products of Kentucky and a horse breeding family are outside my world and my personal knowledge. But they were all rich and developed. Clay has a real sense for human detail, and a variety of lifestyles. She easily captured the realities of totally different subsets of people. She clearly has an eye for the bite of the real.
I loved what Clay chose to tell and even what she chose to leave out. The pacing of her story was spot on. And while the story unfolded in different directions a complete picture was crafted.
While one can assume from the blurb where the story is going -- it happens in a more human way. There is a true "real" element to a myriad of the scenes in the book.
As a reader, my heart broke for the motherless babies, and poor widowed Bruce. I loved the boy he once was and his unique narration of an event which occured during his formative years involving a friend who lost his mother (one of the instances where Clay chooses such amazing elements of the past to include). Having seen this loss through his eyes as a youngster, one can't help but feel deep empathy for the man he becomes.
I loved the emotion of the story. I was drawn in and hungry for closure. In the end I wanted more which is always a sign that I love a story.
I feel Clay understands people deeply. She does such an amazing job of relaying her characters complex thoughts. Towards the end I would have liked more of Bruce's narration but I understand that Knox is the main storyteller.
The heart of this story is one of the what ifs we all ponder - What happens when a woman dies after childbirth? It is unfathomable and tragic and all too real. A young woman grows round, incubates life (x2) and then suddenly dies. How does her husband care for their two babies while facing an unfathomable reality -- a reality he never considered? And what becomes of the young woman's family?
The characters in this story are real and nuanced. I understood Bruce -- a child who grew up in NYC with a Jewish mother. That is known to me. Knox and Charlotte, products of Kentucky and a horse breeding family are outside my world and my personal knowledge. But they were all rich and developed. Clay has a real sense for human detail, and a variety of lifestyles. She easily captured the realities of totally different subsets of people. She clearly has an eye for the bite of the real.
I loved what Clay chose to tell and even what she chose to leave out. The pacing of her story was spot on. And while the story unfolded in different directions a complete picture was crafted.
While one can assume from the blurb where the story is going -- it happens in a more human way. There is a true "real" element to a myriad of the scenes in the book.
As a reader, my heart broke for the motherless babies, and poor widowed Bruce. I loved the boy he once was and his unique narration of an event which occured during his formative years involving a friend who lost his mother (one of the instances where Clay chooses such amazing elements of the past to include). Having seen this loss through his eyes as a youngster, one can't help but feel deep empathy for the man he becomes.
I loved the emotion of the story. I was drawn in and hungry for closure. In the end I wanted more which is always a sign that I love a story.
I feel Clay understands people deeply. She does such an amazing job of relaying her characters complex thoughts. Towards the end I would have liked more of Bruce's narration but I understand that Knox is the main storyteller.
March 16, 2013
In Losing Charlotte, a family deals with the sudden loss of the eldest daughter after she has given birth to twins. In the months that follow, the family tries to adjust. The typically unshakeable father takes to bed, the mother begins planning an elaborate memorial that seems to mark Charlotte's childhood, and the younger sister travels from Kentucky to NYC to help her brother-in-law care for newborns.
Younger sister, Knox, finds herself plunged into a domestic life she has tried hard to avoid. She suspects her actions are out of guilt, for not being a "good sister." As Knox wrestles with what that means, we get glimpses of their complicated relationship- simultaneously passionately close and, at times, frustratingly distant. Knox tries to understand who her sister was and what she'd thought of their relationship. At the same time, she's trying to figure out she will become without her sister to measure herself against.
This story does not gloss over grief and end with a tidy, happy resolution. There is truth here and the pain is palpable. You get the sense that these are real people who will deal with the reality of this loss for the rest of their lives.
In an author interview, Heather Clay says she is inspired by: "Anything about that family ache, about what’s unsaid, misunderstood, the simple and tragic passage of time... " That's what she gives her readers with this book.
Younger sister, Knox, finds herself plunged into a domestic life she has tried hard to avoid. She suspects her actions are out of guilt, for not being a "good sister." As Knox wrestles with what that means, we get glimpses of their complicated relationship- simultaneously passionately close and, at times, frustratingly distant. Knox tries to understand who her sister was and what she'd thought of their relationship. At the same time, she's trying to figure out she will become without her sister to measure herself against.
This story does not gloss over grief and end with a tidy, happy resolution. There is truth here and the pain is palpable. You get the sense that these are real people who will deal with the reality of this loss for the rest of their lives.
In an author interview, Heather Clay says she is inspired by: "Anything about that family ache, about what’s unsaid, misunderstood, the simple and tragic passage of time... " That's what she gives her readers with this book.
August 14, 2010
I loved this cover and was very curious since both Ann Packer and Lauren Groff blurbed on the back.
This could easily have been an Oprah type book or something turned into a Lifetime movie but this author skillfully skirted melodramatic and largely contrived scenes. Instead she crafted a suprising and emotional story about a family, and in paticular, a sister. I did not feel Charlotte was real which maybe was the point. We only saw her through Knox and Bruce truly despite her parts.
I felt this could have been a lot longer and also was not sure about her setting, horse farm,etc, but she tied it together in the end and it seemed right.
I really felt she developed her characters very well with fine nuances of feeling.
This could easily have been an Oprah type book or something turned into a Lifetime movie but this author skillfully skirted melodramatic and largely contrived scenes. Instead she crafted a suprising and emotional story about a family, and in paticular, a sister. I did not feel Charlotte was real which maybe was the point. We only saw her through Knox and Bruce truly despite her parts.
I felt this could have been a lot longer and also was not sure about her setting, horse farm,etc, but she tied it together in the end and it seemed right.
I really felt she developed her characters very well with fine nuances of feeling.
April 10, 2010
Losing Charlotte is a book that probably should have touched my heart a little more than it did. It has all of the components of a real tearjerker, but it really didn't do anything but bore me. Maybe it was the writing or maybe I am a cold hearted bitch. It could go either way.
Like I said, it was nothing special. It had the potential to be a real tearjerker, but for me the inspiration just wasn't there. The characters seemed awkward and forced. But maybe it was just me....
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Like I said, it was nothing special. It had the potential to be a real tearjerker, but for me the inspiration just wasn't there. The characters seemed awkward and forced. But maybe it was just me....
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
July 15, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the premise, I loved the genre, and I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but I did. And I loved the cover! But unfortunately this book was confusing, lacked a solid plot, and the character development was just...missing.
I hate to be so negative but I have to be because this book had so much potential and it didn't live up to even half of what it could have been. Luckily I borrowed it from the library so my investment was minimal...I hope that others are as fortunate.
I hate to be so negative but I have to be because this book had so much potential and it didn't live up to even half of what it could have been. Luckily I borrowed it from the library so my investment was minimal...I hope that others are as fortunate.
April 16, 2013
The whole first half of the book, I was afraid to read, afraid to turn the page, because of the title. Knox Bolling worries about her relationship with her strange sister, Charlotte, who is pregnant with twins. Charlotte wants her to be there for the birth, so Knox and her parents go. What happens is not what they expect, and everyone's life changes permanently. I felt as if there were people I knew and I needed to give them a call and see how things were going. It was not a happy book, but an excellent one, contemplative, melancholy, realistic, sweet, sad, thoughtful.
February 28, 2013
Mixed reviews, and I think I have mixed feelings too. The concept and the setting were intriguing, but Knox was a little too indecisive, a little too conscientious for me to really root for her--did she ever make a move without thinking that she shouldn't, or want ing to do something else instead? made me a little crazy. And I'm not sure why, but I didn't get Charlotte and the golden girl/idol worship. She seemed kind of...lame. But I liked Bruce, and I think he's the one that kept me reading. The writing was good, a little wandering, but the imagery was beautiful and the settings very vivid.
March 14, 2018
This is the second time I tried to read this book. I just can't get into the story. I'm sure it's a perfectly great book...just not for me. I am abandoning this second attempt to "get into it". Heck, at my age, there are just too many books to read and too little time to read them. I hate to waste time on one that I have to struggle to concentrate on when reading it. I'm moving on to another book. Sorry, fellow bibliophiles.
January 1, 2018
This book is a strong 2.5 stars, but still not a 3 for me. I never quite understood the reason for the oddly estranged relationship between the two sisters in the story. And, truth be told, I was hoping for more description of the truly beautiful countryside that is the Kentucky horse country. If you've never seen it, you should.
September 22, 2021
The book needs editing. Too many questions left for me that were not answered. Why was Charlotte so difficult to get to know. Why did her husband go to a prostitute. Why didn't Knox help more with the children and stay in New York. A disappointing story.
October 1, 2023
Too Wordy
I liked the plot for this book, but the author used too many words to describe things. It made it hard for me to keep up with the storyline sometimes. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't recommend this book.
I liked the plot for this book, but the author used too many words to describe things. It made it hard for me to keep up with the storyline sometimes. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't recommend this book.
October 29, 2019
The writing is exceptional! However, I had a really hard time getting into the story and identifying with any of the characters.
March 1, 2020
Slow and boring. When I don't look forward to returning to a book when it's time to read, it's time to dump it, even if only halfway through.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 2, 2021
Really mediocre
August 2, 2024
Very hard to follow. Chapter 1 did not make any sense (why put in). Would not recommend to anyone.
July 24, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this first novel by Heather Clay. "Losing Charlotte" touches on subjects many readers can relate to: the sudden, traumatic loss of a loved one, the complicated almost love/hate relationship that siblings may develop if they don't resolve major conflicts, and the dynamics of a family: two aging parents, two adult daughters, a son-in-law, a college age son, and twin infant grandsons.
Knox, the lead character in this novel has always felt overshadowed by her older sister Charlotte. Knox grew to define herself as the opposite of Charlotte without discovering who she was or what she really wanted in life. When Knox is hit so hard by grief at the loss of Charlotte and her inability to ever make their relationship right, she has to learn who she is at 31 and find a way to help her brother-in-law, her nephews, herself and her entire family. I read a few negative reviews by readers and I can only imagine they were looking for a light read and didn't pre-read the book jacket. This was a well-written, beautifully told, fairly universal story.
Knox, the lead character in this novel has always felt overshadowed by her older sister Charlotte. Knox grew to define herself as the opposite of Charlotte without discovering who she was or what she really wanted in life. When Knox is hit so hard by grief at the loss of Charlotte and her inability to ever make their relationship right, she has to learn who she is at 31 and find a way to help her brother-in-law, her nephews, herself and her entire family. I read a few negative reviews by readers and I can only imagine they were looking for a light read and didn't pre-read the book jacket. This was a well-written, beautifully told, fairly universal story.
July 21, 2013
I hardly ever read reviews of books before I read one because that would jade my own opinion. Right?
Well, I did sneak a peek through some that were posted here on Goodreads and saw that a lot of people didn't like this book. I did. There were a few parts that were a little confusing or ambiguous but overall, I did like it.
One thing that sort of stuck with me as I read it was the fact that Charlotte and Knox really weren't all the close yet after Charlotte's death, Knox is the one who showed up to help out Bruce. Nobody else did. I guess that just goes to show that when the cards are down, your family is going to step up to the plate and they're the only ones you can count on. This book is more of a family dynamics book.
It didn't suck and once I got into it, I read it in about a day.
Well, I did sneak a peek through some that were posted here on Goodreads and saw that a lot of people didn't like this book. I did. There were a few parts that were a little confusing or ambiguous but overall, I did like it.
One thing that sort of stuck with me as I read it was the fact that Charlotte and Knox really weren't all the close yet after Charlotte's death, Knox is the one who showed up to help out Bruce. Nobody else did. I guess that just goes to show that when the cards are down, your family is going to step up to the plate and they're the only ones you can count on. This book is more of a family dynamics book.
It didn't suck and once I got into it, I read it in about a day.
August 14, 2010
I can't help comparing this book to "God Of Animals" by Aryn Kyle that I read just a few months ago.
They are very similar.
I wanted them to be the same, I kept waiting for them to be the same.
Horse farm, 2 daughters, the older, adored one leaves home.
Differences: well to do family vs poor, dysfunctional family.
I certainly liked "Animals" better, perhaps because I identify more with the poor, dysfunctional family.
I do think the main character in "Animals" grew into a better person as she aged and came to accept her situation.
We miss most of Knox's childhood and she seemed to drift into adulthood without the problems "Animals" presented. Her problems didn't occur until she was grown stuck and in a boring relationship.
They are very similar.
I wanted them to be the same, I kept waiting for them to be the same.
Horse farm, 2 daughters, the older, adored one leaves home.
Differences: well to do family vs poor, dysfunctional family.
I certainly liked "Animals" better, perhaps because I identify more with the poor, dysfunctional family.
I do think the main character in "Animals" grew into a better person as she aged and came to accept her situation.
We miss most of Knox's childhood and she seemed to drift into adulthood without the problems "Animals" presented. Her problems didn't occur until she was grown stuck and in a boring relationship.
July 11, 2016
The first thing I didn't like about the book was how instead of chapters, it had sections that were from certain characters points of view. They went on.......forever. The story line dragged on slowly yet it seemed like some parts, such as Charlottes childhood were rushed and not explained very well. This left me wondering about some aspects but they were later explained after the fact towards the end of the book. I continued to read it because I don't like not finishing a book and despite the low reviews. At one point it seemed like it was going to pick up but it didn't. I wasted hours of my life I will never get back.
May 13, 2016
I have flipped back and forth on my rating for this one. If I could, I'd put it squarely in the middle at 2.5 stars. I agree with another reviewer that this story might have done best as a short story. She has the workings of a great plot about family dynamics explored when a woman delivers twin boys then dies of complications, and her husband and her sister recover. It felt like there was a lot of aimless rambling, and I don't think things were fully resolved. Also, a lot of f-bombs and sex.
Read
July 2, 2010This book is not for the reader who wants immediate gratification and has a video-game mentality. They wouldn't have liked nor been able to get through "Gone With the Wind" either. The writing in "Losing Charlotte" is like a fine painting; you go back again and again and see something different every time. I did get impatient at times, but I loved the manner in which the characters are revealed. Yes, it's complicated, but so is life.
July 27, 2011
Ugh. There were parts of the characters and parts of the narrative that I enjoyed, but overall, I found Losing Charlotte to be difficult to follow, the protagonist difficult to empathize with, and the overall story lacking. It's clear from the title what the twist in the story is, yet it takes about half the book to get there. And one small additional piece bothered me: Why was the main character's name Knox? I disliked it so much that it tripped me up through the book.
March 28, 2010
What a waste of a beautiful cover. Enough said. HORRIBLE! I normally pass on my books to other family members and friends, but I wouldn't do that to them. I am just sorry that I spent money on this hard copy but will do my part for the environment and donate it to a bookstore that will either recycle or sell for nonprofit agency.
May 3, 2010
This was an tough read that left me emotionally numb. Perhaps if there was more uplift at the end, I would have been happier with it along with more character depth. But, writing about bereavement is really tough to begin with.
My opinion: Don't bother unless you feel the need to wallow in an emotionally numb place for a while.
My opinion: Don't bother unless you feel the need to wallow in an emotionally numb place for a while.
April 10, 2010
I got this after reading a review in, I think, LJ. So I had to add a shelf "review = WTF" because I wonder what possibly could that reviewer have been drinking, smoking or otherwise ingesting that made him or her rave on and on about this one.
Sisters. Close. Horses. Separation (geographical and otherwise). Death during childbirth. Emotional afterbirth. Resolution. Done.
Sisters. Close. Horses. Separation (geographical and otherwise). Death during childbirth. Emotional afterbirth. Resolution. Done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews