A Watershed Year

by Susan Schoenberger

Two months after the death of her best friend Harlan, Lucy remains haunted by the things she never told him including her deep love for him. Then she begins receiving emails he'd arranged to be sent after his death, emails that will change the course of her life. One email in particular haunts her -- he tells her he is certain she is destined for motherhood. Thus begins her watershed year. It is said that out of despair comes hope and in her grief, Lucy finds that the possibility of adopting a child offers her a new chance for a fulfilled life. When she travels to Russia to meet four-year-old Mat she sees in him a soul that is as lonely and lost as hers. Slowly they learn to trust one another and each begins healing. It is when Mat's father comes to America to reclaim his child that a truth about Mat's past is revealed, a truth that might shatter Lucy's fragile little family forever. A Watershed Year is a powerful story of love, loss, redemption, and what it means to be a mother, proving that out of despair can come joy and the beauty of second chances.

Genres: Fiction, Womens Fiction, Adoption, Book Club, Contemporary, Family, Russia

375 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Susan Schoenberger is the award-winning author of A Watershed Year and The Virtues of Oxygen. With a linotype operator as a grandfather, she has ink in her blood.

Susan worked as a journalist and copyeditor for many years, including for The Hartford Courant and The Baltimore Sun, and currently serves as Director of Communications at Hartford Seminary, a graduate school with a focus on interfaith dialogue. She lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband, Kevin. They have three grown children and a small dog named Leo.

Susan loves hearing from readers, so feel free to ask a question.

Reviews

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

by Andrea Renee Cox

How would you manage the grief and blessings of a watershed year?

A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger is an exquisite tale of heart-wrenching grief and the joy that blossoms in the midst of the deepest pain. The author's voice was unique. I particularly enjoyed her perspective (the things she chose to point out in any given scene), analogies (fresh; not cliche), and how she drew on emotions with each new twist of the storyline.

Since I listened to the audio version, I would be remiss to not speak also of the narrator, Amy McFadden. Amy inflected just the right amount of emotion into her reading of this book. She was very skilled at various accents, including Chinese and Russian. I'll be looking for more audio books narrated by Ms. McFadden.

The only reasons I'm not giving this book five stars are because of the mentions of beer/alcohol and the heavy attention to praying to saints (instead of directing prayers to God).

Overall, this was a great story with memorable characters and plenty of surprises. I hope to read more books by Susan Schoenberger in the near future.

I was not compensated for this review.

3/23/18
Note from my second read: Suicide was featured in this story. I do not condone such behavior. The story was just as powerful and deeply emotional as my first listen.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has three intertwined stories: Lucy's professional career (a professor of hagiography--lots of quirky saints mentioned, which was a pretty fun bonus); Lucy's adoption of 4 year old Mat, who is from Murmansk, Russia; Lucy's love for her friend Harlan, who dies in the opening chapter. I wish the book had stuck to the last story, as the emotional resonance of Lucy's relationship with Harlan is really lovely. The question of what to say, when to say it, how to understand a relationship so full of regrets.....that part of the book was beautiful. I enjoyed watching Lucy grapple with her loss and her sense of self.

I'm used to reading books that get academic culture all wrong (what was that mystery I read that turned on someone murdering a colleague in order to become department chair?). I'll overlook the major flaws in presentation of faculty evaluation (when deans want to see faculty, they don't leave notes tacked to our offices; deans don't say "have a manuscript on my desk in a month or else you're fired"). But the academic plot was unrealistic enough that I found it uninteresting.

The adoption plot is dreadful. Lucy appears to have done no preparation regarding attachment. Mat's langauge barrier evaporates almost instantly. Mat's father comes to the US to contest the adoption (b/c his signature was forged in Russia) and it never occurs to any character that Mat--who remembers his first parents--might benefit from getting to see his father. Argh.

[Amara Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every sentence of this book is lyrical and evocative, wrapping grief in a padding of beautifully crafted sentences that allow you to follow the journey with your heart involved but intact. This story is equal parts melancholic, wise, challenging and funny. It seems impossible that this is Susan's first novel, the tenderness and love poured into rounding out each character and allowing them to interact organically seems more likely the work of a seasoned author.

This is not a heavy read, but not a light read either. Had I not required sleep I would've read it over night. It took me two days. I would read it again.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am probably being a little harsh with my 2 star rating but i was disappointed buy this book. I just loved the concept of the main character recieving emails from the grave after a friend dies and think the entire book could have centered around that.

There was about 10 pages in the book that i enjoyed reading and the rest was just average. I thought the main character seemed to jump into her quest to have a child and then seemed to make stupid decisions in her quest to adopt.

I think there is a book out there yet to be written that could use the email concept but with a better storyline. The emails were probably my favourite part of the book.

[Sara Strand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I get into my review I will tell you that I liked the book. Is this a book I would grab off my shelf and re-read? Probably not, but mostly because I feel like I understood all aspects of the book enough that re-reading it wouldn't help me understand anything any better.

I kind of loved Harlan's character and wished he had more time in the book. I realized he dies almost right away and that is what kicks off the rest of the novel, but I felt like he could have been used more, if that makes sense. I also really respected his outlook on life and impending death. Sure, he could have continued with treatment but only to gain what, another couple of years? Are you really going to accomplish everything in those couple of years? Is it fair to just prolong the process of death for those around you and even yourself? I don't know and perhaps I would feel differently if it were me in those shoes. But his outlook on life and death was refreshing and real to me.

Lucy kind of annoyed me though. I'm kind of a hard ass when it comes to things and I have very little time for the people who feel like their world is over when someone dies. I get she was in love with Harlan but come ON. Get a grip on life you Debbie Downer. That's pretty much what I would say to Lucy if she were a real person. But then she goes through the process of adopting a little boy from Russia for what I feel to be wholly selfish reasons and that irked me too. Yay for adopting a little boy but is it fair to the boy if he's going to a home with someone who decided on a whim to adopt him? Kind of seems terrible to me.

But one line in the book I absolutely loved because it really is true: "It was more like resolve, a determination to go through the motions of parenthood until, on day, she would stop remembering what it was like to be a nonparent and embrace what parenting seemed to be: experimental treatment that might or might not work, the results too far in the future to know." How perfect is that? That is probably the best description of parenting I have ever heard. You just do what you think is right and hope that it works and your kid doesn't grow up to be a serial killer. I figure if you can keep your child out of jail you've done something right at least.

So overall, it was a good book. You can tell some logical thought was put into the process because the plot moved along at just the right speed, all of the necessary road bumps you expect are there, and yet you are left satisfied at the end. It would make a really great gift for the reader on your list.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! I was hooked after reading the first chapter. It's the story of Lucy (30 single something) who is in transition after losing Harlan (her dearest & closest friend to cancer) decides to make some major changes in her life -- such as adopting a 4 year old boy from Russia. Interesting and touching surprises throughout. Brought tears to my eyes.

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story. It shows how people who are under duress can freak out, panic, and still make decisions that move them forward in a positive way. Reading this made me remember some watershed years in my life when, in the space of 12 months or less, my entire life changed. I'd definitely recommend this book.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

3/4/20
Why not continue the tradition of reading this in March, the month that signals the beginning of springtime in the U.S.? This story is a journey toward new beginnings after all. I do find it hilarious that all three of my readings so far have been in March. I couldn’t have planned that if I’d tried, as my reading plans often change.

It was great holding a copy of the book in my hands this time. I’d only listened to the audio the other two times, but this time I was able to follow along in the paperback as I once again listened.

There is something about this story that resonates deeply with me, and I’m not even sure I can pinpoint what it is. Maybe it’s the emotional journey. Perhaps it’s the desire to become a mother. Maybe it’s the fact that losing people you love is excruciating. It’s probably all three and many, many more things. One aspect I enjoyed especially this time was how Lucy’s journey was so affected by random people she met along the journey. Yulia, the adoption agent. Vasily, the boy’s father. Lesta, the Russian taxi driver. They each had vastly different personalities; therefore, they each brought something unique to the plot and into Lucy’s life. That is so true in our own real lives too. Everyone we meet on our life’s path has a unique personality and something completely one-of-a-kind to bring into our lives, just as we have to bring into theirs. It’s that push-pull, that give-and-take aspect of life that spews meaning into the very fiber of our days.

Note: I do not condone assisted suicide (or regular suicide), which is a theme in this book. There is always a better choice than that, which is to live well despite whatever pain you may be in. There is hope for a brighter, more joy-filled tomorrow.

Content: suicide, alcohol, praying to saints, Catholicism

[Sam B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I had been wanting to read it for quite a while, but honestly it let me down.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. Reading the blurb, I thought after her friend Harlan's death, Lucy was going to adopt a little boy and the book would be about that relationship evolving.
Unfortunately, this only happens more than halfway through the book. I found the first half to be very slow and honestly a bit boring. Aside from Harlan's emails that come once a month and the adoption process, the first 150 pages play only a small role in what unfolds in the second half.

To be fair, I liked the second half a lot more, but it still wasn't enough. I found most of the character to be immature and self-centered. It made it hard for me to like them. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Lucy and Mat, but for me the story didn't nearly focus on it enough.

[Linda Bouley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was charmed by Susan Schoenberger's first novel - the writing is lovely and the story is unique and captivating. Most of us have had one or more watershed years, a year when our perspectives shift, the reality of our lives change by chance or effort and the road going forward looks different than we thought it would. As the book opens, Lucy's best friend, Harlen, has just died of cancer at age 33, and she is grieving not just the loss of him, but the truth that she was in love with him and never told him. They met by accident (literally...she rear-ended his car) and became fast friends even though he was engaged (a relationship that later failed). After his diagnosis, she devoted herself to him - encouraging him, seeing to his comfort, getting involved with his care and always fighting the inevitable. As his fragile life waned, Harlan finally gave up and took matters into his own hands...preparing for his own death right down to where and when it would happen and choosing the cemetery plot. When Lucy begins to receive monthly emails that Harlan arranged to have sent to her post-mortam, things begins to shift as he speaks about himself and their relationship and tells her things that he had never shared before. At this period of her life (age 38) and with Harlan gone, she starts to wonder about whether she will ever have children...something she's always wanted. So, in tandem with her processing the content of the emails, she begins an adoption search and ends up smitten with a 4 year old in a Russian orphanage named Azamat. The story follows her difficult journey to Murmansk, Russia to get 'Mat'; and, then, their new life in the US which includes her family and her colleagues at the Baltimore collage where she teaches. All the while, as she is continuing to receive Harlan's emails, trying to bond with Mat, dealing with a fellow university teacher's attentions, she is trying to find her equalibrium in all of it. There are twists and turns I didn't mention to avoid spoilers, but I can say you will adore Lucy and her watershed year.

[Lydia Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review posted here

People, this is not a little book. It’s 320 pages long. I started reading it at 9:30pm thinking I’d get a few chapters in. Next thing I knew I was closing the book and looking at my clock where the time of 4:30am was looking at me with accusation. I haven’t stayed up like that to read a book in one setting, or I should say, to read an adult book in one setting, in… never.

I was simply blown away by this story. Susan Schoenberger flawlessly moves between the past and present, connecting the story of Harlan’s death to Lucy’s life and the decisions being made. Add into the equation the realistic portrayal of the difficulties of adopting, especially from another country, the struggles of dating and the coping of grief from unfulfilled love and you have a knockout of a story. And in spite of all these elements, not once did I feel overwhelmed, or that there was too much stuff going on for the story to be effective.

I wept and rejoiced with Lucy, I fell in love with Mat, I grieved for Harlan and felt the sting experienced by Louis as Lucy struggled to adapt to her new life.

If you are looking for a book that will knock your socks off and grab you by the shoulders and shake you until you cry, this is it. By far, one of the best books I’ve read this year.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and everything, but felt a bit amateurish. It read like something I could write, to be honest, which is not really a compliment. Some of the characters seemed a bit flat, a bit two-dimensional (Harlan in particular), so it was hard to have the kind of sympathy for them that I think I was supposed to have. Some of it seemed sort of heavy-handed, or maybe just lacking in nuance, in subtlety: the perfect example of this is that she mentions Lucy's "watershed year" at least seven or eight times, which, as the title of the book, was obvious enough without having to point it out. I enjoyed reading the story and it was interesting enough that I read it quickly and easily, but when I compare it in my mind to other books I've read that had real depth and/or a way with words, this novel was a bit of a throwaway, something to read on a plane.

[Diane D White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good Author's Heartfelt But Insubstantial Early Work

Had I not previously read another very well done and touching later novel by this author, I might not have felt the lack of compelling emotional depth in this one so much. The story elements are, after all, built upon the deepest emotions most of us can feel. Yet I consistently felt only an intellectual engagement with this book's themes of imperfect relationships, yearnings for love, grief, healing, and stubborn hope for better. It was a good tale that rings true. I could only have wished for its telling to also linger in the reader's mind, tugging one's thoughts unexpectedly back to revisit one character or the other, reflecting on some twist or turn, and connecting more solidly with one's own human experiences. I do look forward to more from this author, whose talent and promise is plain!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Watershed Year was a recommended book here by a friends on Goodreads. I really enjoyed this wonderful story of a thirty-something professor named Lucy and the story starts off with the loss of her best friend Harlan. This is a book that takes you through the healing process but in that transition time, Lucy adopts a four year old boy from Russia becoming another journey in itself…..This is a touching story, a life changing one for Lucy, but also helps you look at what you can do in your own story…..A really nice read…..

[Pam Arneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

Gave this book five stars because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book. I loved the emails she received from her friend after he died. it showed I think how much he loved her.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a roller coaster for me. At times I wanted to shake Lucy until her teeth rattled and tell her to get a grip. Other times I wanted to cry along with her in her grief. If nothing else, anyone who reads this book should learn to tell everyone around them how much they are meant, how much they are loved. Why didn't either one of them express their feelings? Why was time so wasted?

And then Lucy's relationship with Louis - why didn't she want to let him help her? They had a relationship. Louis wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt. She didn't have to guess. But she rejected it.
Why doesn't she listen to what people have to say instead of assuming what they are going to say and being defensive?

By the end, I was hoping she finally grew up enough to feel confident and secure in herself. Maybe motherhood would bring her some peace.

I understand about a year of grief and finding your way without the person who is your whole life. But sometimes she just seems so scattered. It was frustrating.

[Taylor Triebenbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite intrigued at the concept of this book, with the emails and a newly adopted boy. But the book centered around her dysfunctional life with her coworker that was a complete jerk and the stories about her dead past lover that didn't really make much time sense.

It also really annoyed me how she went into the adoption thinking the kid was absolutely going to adore her. When you rip a 4 year old child from what they know you turn their world upside down and they're not going to thank you for saving them. In my eyes she made a very reckless and selfish decision without responsibly thinking it through. She was almost 40 years old, and I think it was about time she figured out what she wanted.

Overall I did not love the book, although i am glad I finished it because the last 30 pages were tear jerking.

[Lauren Nagel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this novel three stars because three is right in the middle of one and five and this is a very middle-ish type of book. Average. Average writing, average plot, average characters. Not horrible, not excellent. I did finish it, but didn’t stay up late or neglect chores to do so.

The best thing about this book was the Russian adoption plotline because that isn’t something you see every day. I thought she did an excellent job with the little boy’s transition from Russian Orphanage to American home life. However, when Lucy went to Russia to bring him home, there wasn’t much to convey the foreignness, the Russianness of where she was. Obviously, she wasn’t there to sightsee, but a little local color would have been good.

[Gayle England-Triplett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-warming story of grief and healing

Too often, the misuse or lack of proper use of commas irritates me and interferes with the correct flow of reading!
This is a wonderful story of life, with hard challenges and difficulties. The downs accentuate the ups of our lives.
Lucy loves Harlen but never tells him. He loves her but tells her only after his passing. How? Thru emails he sends her after he is gone. The tenth of each month for a year becomes so special to Lucy as she grieves for Harlen. She also decides to adopt a 4 year old boy from Russia! This becomes challenging, especially when the boy's father shows up in America.
This story wasn't what I expected. It was so much more. Please read this story! Highly recommended.

[Amy ~ Insomniac Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline intrigued me, but the book itself felt plodding and a bit unrealistic. By the end, I felt unsatisfied with the return on the investment of my time. The cancer storyline was finished, but there was a sadness left for me that didn't seem to still abide in the main character. The adoption story had some realistic parts, but plenty of unbelievable parts, as well. And there were many details that seemed to start and then be dropped, like little storylines left dangling. The author is clearly talented and writes well, but perhaps her style is not for me. I was looking for a happier ending or at least more of an ending after spending so much time in this book.

[Mrs M Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful read

Well written, a slow, thoughtful read that could be sad in places but not depressingly so. I could imagine the anxiety Lucy would feel in Russia and navigating the adoption process, the stress of being alone with a young child you can't even communicate with. Also leaves you with a sadness thinking about what may have been a great love story but never got the chance.
I often cry with a good, sad story and though I liked this book, I didn't actually get moved to tears. A good read but quite slow for me.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected page-turner, since the two main relationships in it had no obvious outcome. When the ending came though it felt like the right one, where the past and the future both sustain the main character, Lucy. I felt anxious about her life decisions to begin with, and had to trust the author to make things come out in a satisfying way. Sorry to be so opaque, but it’s hard to write about without spoilers. Suffice it to say, that it spoke to me on an emotional level.

[Sue Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

** spoiler alert ** I liked the author's writing style enough to want to read another book. But many plot points didn't seem logical to me: Mat's adjustment to his new life, Lucy's relative easy adaptability to motherhood, Louis and Lucy's relationship, finding childcare for Mat, Yulia and the premise for the adoption, etc.

[Rhiannon Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book

Setting: Maryland, Russia
Content: death from cancer, adoption

A Watershed Year was a good book but it was "not my cup of tea". Lucy is obsessed with the saints and praying to them but also admits she's not sure about them. Without her obsession with the saints it was a really good book.

[Mary Anne Fassinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, enjoyable.

This was a book that let you put yourself in Lucy's shoes, making you wonder what you would do in the same circumstances. It's a story of different kinds of love and life choices.

[Sharon Rosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and heartbreak.

This story affirms that death and renewed life can often share the same time period. We can grieve and love all together, and that family will guide us through it all.

[Sharon Van Hecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tissues Required

You will need them in the beginning and a few times in the middle. Put them away for the end. The book is full of the profound challenges of life and love ... And it's worth the read. Without giving it away ... Worthwhile end.

[Joyce A. Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

Its been a while since I read a book that wasn't a mystery that kept me turning pages fast to see what happened next. This book did that!

[Tari Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't really care for this book. It took me a long time to read it because I just wasn't that interested. Lucy was dull and struck me as weak.

[Merri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurate description of the Russian adoption issues faced by parents and children.