The women each face internal battles and external conflicts. Alice, the matriarch, her daughter kathleen, her daughterinlaw ann marie, and her granddaughter maggie all end up at the family summer home in maine. Now, in her highly anticipated second novel, sullivan takes us into even richer territory, introducing four unforgettable women who have nothing in common but the fact that, like it or not, theyre family. Courtney sullivan evidently does, too, for shes located her new novel in cape neddick, near ogunquit, where the kelleher family has owned a piece of land won on a bet since 1945. A closeknit group of 60something black women deals with loss, illness, addicted family members, and the never ending challenges of diet and exercise. The engagements was one of people magazines top ten books of 20 and an irish times best. Courtney sullivan is a powerful novel about the ties that bind. Sullivan narrates the tale with verve and precision, drawing the reader into a compelling portrait of a specific family as it changes with the values and accidents of each era. The dialogue sizzles as the tension between the womens love and anger toward one another tightens. For the kellehers, maine is a place where children. Courtney sullivans engrossing and entertaining new novel. In the end, its about the ways a persons place in time, in space, in a.
The washington post sullivan beautifully channels alice through her memoriesthe dialogue sizzles as the tension between the womens love and anger toward one another tightensyou dont want the novel to end. Maine, her sophomore effort, has built upon her first novel, commencement, about a. Courtney sullivan s maine is evocative, funny, closequartered, and highly appealing. Courtney sullivan this family saga has some funny scenes a favorite in my book club stay safe and healthy. About this reading group guide the questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of maine, j. Courtney sullivan, the bestselling author of maine, saints for all occasions begins in ireland in the 1950s when two sisters, nora and theresa flynn, set off for boston. Maine was named a best book of the year by time magazine, and a washington post notable book for 2011. Meg wolitzer, author of the uncoupling a wonderful pageturner. As summer comes to an end, their quiescent troubles explode, and each must learn to forge a new beginning. Courtney sullivan s second novel, which delves into the secrets and simmering emotions of one dysfunctional family over the course of a single summer month.
Courtney sullivan explored the complicated and contradictory landscape of female friendship. Courtney sullivan made a name for herself in 2009 with a smart, incredibly resonant debut, commencement, about four unlikely friends during their college years at smith and the turbulent 20something years that followed. Richard russo all of her books are worth reading, but sullivan s latest, about the divergent life paths of two irish immigrant sisters, may be her very best. Courtney sullivan, is an american novelist and former writer for the new york times. Courtney sullivan is a powerful novel about the ties that bind families tight, no matter how dysfunctional. I grew up outside of boston, about a ninetyminute drive from. Courtney sullivan s saints for all occasions this year, but im not sure i will. Courtney sullivan has a new book, the engagements, out in the coming weeks, but that did not stop her from spending time talking with us about her previous novel, maine, including what she thinks happens to the main characters, her inspiration for the book, and the importance of eavesdropping. It is june, and three generations of the kelleher clan are preparing to assemble for their seasonal retreat.
And in her second novel, maine, out this month from knopf, she has. Alas, a mother never is afraid, of speaking angrily to any child, since love, she knows, is justified of love. Courtney sullivan is the new york times bestselling author of the novels commencement, maine, the engagements, and saints for all occasions. Like many fictional characters, the bostonirish kellehers of j. Like all firstrate comic fiction, maine uses humor to examine the truths of the heart, in new england and far beyond.
Courtney sullivan s engrossing and entertaining new novel. At the end, while alice was in church praying the rosary, she hears footsteps and. Share a time book of the year a washington post book world notable book for the kellehers, maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old irish songs are sung around a piano. Courtney sullivan is the author of the new york times bestselling novel, commencement. Ann marie, and her granddaughter maggie all end up at the family summer home in maine. Courtney sullivan is the author of the new york times bestselling novel commencement. She comes from an irishcatholic family where many of the women go by their middle rather than first names. If youre not a member of a book club, consider starting one up with your mother or your daughter maine is a perfect family read. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
Maine by j courtney sullivan, 9780307742216, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Alice has carried guilt over her sisters premature death for decades and, as a result, has. The kelleher familys beautiful house in maine is based on the family home of my best friend from high school. The dialogue sizzles as the tension between the womens love and. In maine, frayed family ties still bind the washington. I hope to read another novel as strong and wise and beautiful and heartbreaking as j. For next week, were reading up to page 322 ending with alice, before maggie. Maine sullivans second novel, maine, deals with four women from three different generations of the same family spending the summer at a beachfront cottage in new england. Sullivan has created in the kelleher women a cast of flawed but lovable characters so real, with their shared history of guilt and heartache and secret resentments, that im sure ill be thinking about them for a long. Maine was named a 2011 time magazine best book of the year and a washington post notable book. Maine vintage contemporaries paperback copperfields. If the three generations of guiltridden, backbiting, willful, scheming kelleher women in j.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read maine. Courtney sullivan is the new york times bestselling author of the novels saints for all occasions, the engagements, maine, and commencement. Maine by j courtney sullivan hill of content melbourne. Nora will marry their irish neighbor, charlie rafferty, who has emigrated there. You want to stay with the kellehers straight through to the end of august, until the. Courtney sullivan s earlier novels, especially the 2011 best seller maine, will likely also love saints for all occasions. Though sullivan did not base the fictional kellehers directly on her own irishcatholic family, she drew on her own childhood experiences while writing the novel.
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