Disclosure: This is a review of the advanced reader's copy ebook provided for review by Penguin's First To Read program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
**Book Synopsis and cover photo from Goodreads**
All The Best People by Sonja Yoerg
Publication Date: May 2, 2017 by Berkley Books
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Penguin's First To Read Program
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
Synopsis:
Vermont, 1972. Carole LaPorte has a satisfying, ordinary life. She cares for her children, balances the books for the family’s auto shop and laughs when her husband slow dances her across the kitchen floor. Her tragic childhood might have happened to someone else.
But now her mind is playing tricks on her. The accounts won’t reconcile and the murmuring she hears isn’t the television. She ought to seek help, but she’s terrified of being locked away in a mental hospital like her mother, Solange. So Carole hides her symptoms, withdraws from her family and unwittingly sets her eleven-year-old daughter Alison on a desperate search for meaning and power: in Tarot cards, in omens from a nearby river and in a mysterious blue glass box belonging to her grandmother.
An exploration of the power of courage and love to overcome a damning legacy, All the Best People celebrates the search for identity and grace in the most ordinary lives.
My Thoughts:
"All The Best People" is about three generations of women struggling to get through certain life challenges as they uncover family history and secrets, affecting each of them in different ways.
This story takes place in Vermont in the early seventies, though there are sections that take place in the past. The story is told in multiple points of view, but I didn't find it confusing at all, and I rather enjoyed getting a feel for each main character's thoughts. The reader is first introduced to Carole LaPorte, a middle-aged, mother of three, who starts to feel a little off and eventually realizes that something is seriously wrong with her. The second main character is Carole's daughter, Alison, an 11 year old girl trying to handle the challenges of childhood, while worrying about her increasingly distant mother. Next, the reader is introduced to Carole's sister, Janine, who is a deeply troubled woman with some serious issues. Janine was my least favorite character in this book because she came off as very selfish and spiteful. Lastly, we get a glimpse into the early life of Carole and Janine's mother, Solange, a woman who has been confined to a mental institution for most of her life. I felt sad for what Solange had to endure throughout her life.
I found this book so interesting and the writing just flowed so effortlessly. I love when stories are easy and enjoyable to read; those are the books that are hard to put down. I loved how the author described Carole's declining mental state. The reader really gets a look into Carole's thoughts as she starts to get worse. I thought Carole's point of view was so well written and original in the way that it was written. (If that makes sense).
I thought the main characters were well rounded and it was interesting to read about each of their experiences as they dealt with challenges throughout the story. I definitely recommend reading this book if you like heartwarming and heartbreaking stories with intriguing characters. I look forward to reading more from Sonja Yoerg.
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