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Happy now?
Shonk, Katherine.
Adult Fiction SHONK
From Publishers' Weekly:
The latest from Shonk (The Red Passport) will have anyone who's ever complained about a crappy Valentine's Day counting their blessings. Not quite two years after artist and dollhouse builder Claire Kessler gets married to Jay, he kills himself on Valentine's Day, leaving a devastated Claire to learn how to navigate life alone. Ironically, Jay-who, the reader learns, suffered from crippling episodes of depression-was a psychologist, with a specialty in studying infant behavior. His knowledge about his condition didn't make it any easier for him to deal with it, Claire learns, as she gathers the courage to read the packet of instructions he left behind, containing information on everything from taking care of his difficult cat, to a note exhorting Claire not to blame herself for his act. Both tear-jerking and laugh-out-loud funny, this will have readers rooting for its brave heroine and hoping that, indeed, she will one day be happy again. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
Claire Kessler's husband of fewer than two years commits suicide on Valentine's Day. How can she not take that personally? In this debut novel (after her story collection, The Red Passport), Shonk writes about Claire's first weeks following the suicide. After the funeral, Claire, suddenly a widow, moves into her pregnant sister's carriage house along with her late husband's traumatized cat. As flowers arrive, friends leave phone messages and food, and Claire's family rallies around her, each in his or her own way, Claire starts to process difficult truths about her husband's depression and their relationship. Verdict In Claire Kessler, Shonk has managed to create a wonderfully realistic character and a story poignant and witty rather than melancholy and dark. Recommended for readers who enjoy women's literature with themes of love and loss by authors such as Anne Tyler, Anne Patchett, and Anita Shreve.-Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Shonk, Katherine.
Adult Fiction SHONK
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From Publishers' Weekly:
The latest from Shonk (The Red Passport) will have anyone who's ever complained about a crappy Valentine's Day counting their blessings. Not quite two years after artist and dollhouse builder Claire Kessler gets married to Jay, he kills himself on Valentine's Day, leaving a devastated Claire to learn how to navigate life alone. Ironically, Jay-who, the reader learns, suffered from crippling episodes of depression-was a psychologist, with a specialty in studying infant behavior. His knowledge about his condition didn't make it any easier for him to deal with it, Claire learns, as she gathers the courage to read the packet of instructions he left behind, containing information on everything from taking care of his difficult cat, to a note exhorting Claire not to blame herself for his act. Both tear-jerking and laugh-out-loud funny, this will have readers rooting for its brave heroine and hoping that, indeed, she will one day be happy again. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
Claire Kessler's husband of fewer than two years commits suicide on Valentine's Day. How can she not take that personally? In this debut novel (after her story collection, The Red Passport), Shonk writes about Claire's first weeks following the suicide. After the funeral, Claire, suddenly a widow, moves into her pregnant sister's carriage house along with her late husband's traumatized cat. As flowers arrive, friends leave phone messages and food, and Claire's family rallies around her, each in his or her own way, Claire starts to process difficult truths about her husband's depression and their relationship. Verdict In Claire Kessler, Shonk has managed to create a wonderfully realistic character and a story poignant and witty rather than melancholy and dark. Recommended for readers who enjoy women's literature with themes of love and loss by authors such as Anne Tyler, Anne Patchett, and Anita Shreve.-Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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