A Quiet Life: A Novel
From the author of A Little Hope--a Read with Jenna Bonus Pick--comes another "heartwarming, character-driven" (Booklist) life-affirming novel about three individuals whose lives intersect in unforeseen ways. Set in a close-knit suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief. Chuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat--that yearly taste of relaxation they'd become accustomed to after a lifetime of working and raising two children. Now, just months after Cat's death, Chuck finds that he can't let go of her belongings--her favorite towel, the sketchbooks in her desk drawer--as he struggles to pack for a trip he can't imagine taking without her. Ella Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits news--any piece of information--about her missing daughter. Ella adjusts to life in a new apartment and answers every call on her phone, hoping her daughter will reach out. After the sudden death of her father, Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter. But as time passes, old dreams and new romantic interests begin to surface--and Kirsten finds herself at another crossroads. In this beautiful and profoundly moving novel, three parallel narratives converge in poignant and unexpected ways, as each character bravely presses onward, trying to recover something they have lost. Emotionally riveting and infused with hope, "the soothing tone and warm worldview of this grown-up bedtime story will be good for what ails you" (Kirkus Reviews).
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
4 stars
• a beautifully written and poignant novel about love and loss
• reminiscent of Fredrik Backman stories
• follows the lives and connections of 3 characters
• trigger warnings of death, kidnapping, and intense grief
• happy ending hat made me tear up
“Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them.”
A Quiet Life follows the lives of three characters as they each struggle with loss - a husband with the loss of his wife, a mother with the loss of her daughter and a daughter with the loss of her father. Chuck, Ella and Kristen’s lives overlap and intersect and together they form bonds that will help them each move forward from their pain.
I read Ethan Joella’s A Little Hope last year and was so moved by it. I love Joella’s writing style and the way he crafts his characters. He did that exceptionally well
In a Little Hope, but he took it to a whole other level in his latest book.
Each of the three main characters are instantly relatable and loveable. I grieved along with them and loved watching how their lives intersected. I read this book in an afternoon because I could not bear the thought of putting it down.
This is a truly outstanding book and I cannot wait to read more from this author.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.