- I’d heard about author Joyce Maynard and wanted to check out a book of hers.
I also recommend:
- Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
- The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald
Summary from GoodReads:
Told in the alternating voices of Ruth and Dana, The Good Daughters follows these “birthday sisters” as they make their way from the 1950s to the present. Master storyteller Joyce Maynard chronicles the unlikely ways the two women’s lives parallel and intersect—from childhood and adolescence to first loves, first sex, marriage, and parenthood; from the deaths of parents to divorce, the loss of home, and the loss of a beloved partner—until past secrets and forgotten memories unexpectedly come to light, forcing them to reevaluate themselves and each other.
My Review:
Sometimes a book isn’t about the dramatic unveiling of mysteries and secrets.
When I picked up this book, when I read the back of it, that short summary that talked about “birthday sisters”, I guessed immediately what the “twist” of the story would be – so it was with a bit of a sigh that I opened up the book.
Then I was blown away by how the world came to life with just that opening scene.
Here is what The Good Daughters taught me. It taught me that a good story is told in the small scenes that chronicle the lives of two very different girls/women. It taught me that a tragic mistake, or circumstance, or “mystery” isn’t the story, it’s just a piece of the puzzle. It taught me that love always finds a place to manifest itself, even if it’s unexpected.
So while I could do the obvious and berate Joyce Maynard for writing a book with such an overused story, I won’t.. because it wasn’t used as a plot device – instead it was just part of the story that helped tie things together, and I loved it for that.
I loved the descriptions, both of the country and the people. I felt connected to both Ruth and Dana, but never intimately involved in their lives, more as an outsider watching through a window as the story developed. It was a strange feeling for me, because I usually want to be so emotionally invested, but I didn’t need to be with this book, because I knew how the story ended. But that didn’t make it any less interesting and that is the mark, to me, of a good contemporary story.
About the Author
For more reviews on The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard, please follow the book tour.
What an amazing review! It sounds like you really connected with this book.
Thanks so much for being a part of the tour. I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page today.
Thank you!!
Your review is spectacular and not simply because of your humility and honesty, though I very much appreciated that. I also appreciate the reminder to at least try reading a book before I judge it, something I have a tendency to do. This book sounds wonderful and I’m now looking forward to enjoying the story for the way Joyce Maynard tells it and because it’s a good, well-written story .
)
Thank you
Thank you! That means a lot to me. It really did remind me of how much I love reading just to read, and not just for the gimmicks that can be present.
I’ve been a fan of Maynard for many years…ever since her first book that came out when she was just a teenager.
I like how you describe what connected with you in the story. Those are some of my experiences, too. I like how you were blown away by the descriptions, the feeling of connection, and watching the story unfold.
Hope you enjoy more of her books!
Sounds like one for my list. Great review