Ethan Joella
Author of A Little Hope
Works by Ethan Joella
A Prayer for Ducks 1 copy
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A Little Hope by Ethan Joella is a very highly recommended drama of interlinking stories set the small city of Wharton, Connecticut over the span of ten months.
Greg Tyler, 39, has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and now he and his wife, Freddie, must find a way to deal with his illness and the treatments while caring for their 7 year-old daughter. The other stories about people in or from Wharton all touch the life of the Tyler's in some way. Greg's boss, Alex, loss his son years show more ago and subsequently had an affair and daughter. A widow, Darcy, grieves for her late spouse while her son struggles with addiction. A wedding is being planned and we learn about several of the people involved. People are dealing with life, uncertainty, loss, and grief all while being connected through their community.
A Little Hope is a beautifully written collection of stories that work together to depict quiet, ordinary lives in a small town. The stories do return to characters and continue following their experiences. Joella presents glimpses into the lives of people in this community and opens up a window into their feelings, thoughts, struggles, and doubts. It is reminiscent of real life in the depiction of each of the characters and their private emotions as they quietly react to and process the events around them. These are ordinary individuals and this emotionally powerful debut allows us into their inner lives.
While about different individuals, the stories all work together to create a sensitive portrait of a community through the inner lives of these people. It is a strong debut novel that has an emotional intensity even though many of the character's reactions are outwardly restrained as they deal with their struggles privately. They find a way to forgive and love, or at least accept their circumstances, in order to move on while handling the many challenges even a normal life encompasses. This is an excellent novel!
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/10/a-little-hope.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4305699388 show less
Greg Tyler, 39, has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and now he and his wife, Freddie, must find a way to deal with his illness and the treatments while caring for their 7 year-old daughter. The other stories about people in or from Wharton all touch the life of the Tyler's in some way. Greg's boss, Alex, loss his son years show more ago and subsequently had an affair and daughter. A widow, Darcy, grieves for her late spouse while her son struggles with addiction. A wedding is being planned and we learn about several of the people involved. People are dealing with life, uncertainty, loss, and grief all while being connected through their community.
A Little Hope is a beautifully written collection of stories that work together to depict quiet, ordinary lives in a small town. The stories do return to characters and continue following their experiences. Joella presents glimpses into the lives of people in this community and opens up a window into their feelings, thoughts, struggles, and doubts. It is reminiscent of real life in the depiction of each of the characters and their private emotions as they quietly react to and process the events around them. These are ordinary individuals and this emotionally powerful debut allows us into their inner lives.
While about different individuals, the stories all work together to create a sensitive portrait of a community through the inner lives of these people. It is a strong debut novel that has an emotional intensity even though many of the character's reactions are outwardly restrained as they deal with their struggles privately. They find a way to forgive and love, or at least accept their circumstances, in order to move on while handling the many challenges even a normal life encompasses. This is an excellent novel!
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/10/a-little-hope.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4305699388 show less
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella is an exceptional, very highly recommended literary family drama and coming-of-age story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is one of the best novels of the year and should not be missed. The bulk of the story takes place over the summers of 1974 and 1975 at The Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos, and in a dual narrative follows two siblings, Chip and Maggie Bishop.
In 1974 Chip Bishop has just graduated from high school and is also show more undergoing treatment for leukemia. Rather than staying in town, where everyone knows he is dying, he leaves without a word to his family and starts working at The Red Maple Inn for the summer. There Chip can lead a relatively normal life for a time, returning home when he knows the end is near. Chip has arranged with his doctor to get transfusions at the local hospital. When he returned home after his summer adventure, he never tells his family where he went.
In 1975, Maggie Bishop has been grieving along with her parents ever since her brother Chip died. He never told anyone where he went last summer, but Maggie finds his name tag for The Red Maple Inn. She decided to follow in his footsteps, taking off for the inn without telling her parents where she is going. Once there she is welcomed by the employees when they learn she is Chip's sister. While working, she also tries to find people who knew Chip and can tell her about his last summer there while she is also making connections of her own.
The writing is excellent in this character-driven, emotional story as the narrative flips between the point-of-view of Chip in 1974 and Maggie in 1975, with some chapters from earlier times/memories in their lives. One sibling knows he is dying while another is on the cusp of her adult life. Both are grieving a loss. The narrative captures the close relationship between the siblings. Expect emotions to run high during some scenes. The time period is depicted realistically and factually. The story of The Velveteen Rabbit plays a role in the novel, along with The Catcher in the Rye.
All the characters are wonderfully depicted as fully realized, emotionally complex individuals, with even minor characters resembling real people. The siblings both have rich interior lives, with Chip's perhaps more complex, but as he knows he is facing death this seems understandable. The grief, which is at the forefront of the plot for multiple characters, is handled well, with compassion, insight, and grace. Maggie begins to experience healing while dealing with her loss. Anyone who has experienced a loss of a sibling or loved one will appreciate the way the experience is handled in the plot.
The Top of the World is a perfect novel for those who enjoy literary character-driven, emotionally complex family dramas and coming-of age stories. Thanks to Scribner for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/05/the-top-of-world.html show less
In 1974 Chip Bishop has just graduated from high school and is also show more undergoing treatment for leukemia. Rather than staying in town, where everyone knows he is dying, he leaves without a word to his family and starts working at The Red Maple Inn for the summer. There Chip can lead a relatively normal life for a time, returning home when he knows the end is near. Chip has arranged with his doctor to get transfusions at the local hospital. When he returned home after his summer adventure, he never tells his family where he went.
In 1975, Maggie Bishop has been grieving along with her parents ever since her brother Chip died. He never told anyone where he went last summer, but Maggie finds his name tag for The Red Maple Inn. She decided to follow in his footsteps, taking off for the inn without telling her parents where she is going. Once there she is welcomed by the employees when they learn she is Chip's sister. While working, she also tries to find people who knew Chip and can tell her about his last summer there while she is also making connections of her own.
The writing is excellent in this character-driven, emotional story as the narrative flips between the point-of-view of Chip in 1974 and Maggie in 1975, with some chapters from earlier times/memories in their lives. One sibling knows he is dying while another is on the cusp of her adult life. Both are grieving a loss. The narrative captures the close relationship between the siblings. Expect emotions to run high during some scenes. The time period is depicted realistically and factually. The story of The Velveteen Rabbit plays a role in the novel, along with The Catcher in the Rye.
All the characters are wonderfully depicted as fully realized, emotionally complex individuals, with even minor characters resembling real people. The siblings both have rich interior lives, with Chip's perhaps more complex, but as he knows he is facing death this seems understandable. The grief, which is at the forefront of the plot for multiple characters, is handled well, with compassion, insight, and grace. Maggie begins to experience healing while dealing with her loss. Anyone who has experienced a loss of a sibling or loved one will appreciate the way the experience is handled in the plot.
The Top of the World is a perfect novel for those who enjoy literary character-driven, emotionally complex family dramas and coming-of age stories. Thanks to Scribner for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/05/the-top-of-world.html show less
Ethan Joella's The Same Bright Stars beautifully explores the life of Jack Schmidt, who is devoted to running his family's beachfront restaurant. Jack's dedication has cost him personal happiness, with failed relationships and no leisure time. When the DelDine group offers to buy Schmidt’s, Jack faces a tough choice between preserving his family's legacy and pursuing a life of his own. This poignant novel captures the struggle between duty and desire, and the transformative power of new show more beginnings. Joella’s storytelling is heartfelt and deeply engaging, making it a compelling read. show less
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella is a very highly recommended heartbreaking and heartwarming literary novel following the lives of three people who have all suffered a terrible loss. Joella's first novel, A Little Hope, was on my list of best novels of 2021 and A Quiet Life is also an excellent novel.
In a Pennsylvania suburb, Chuck Ayers, Ella Burke, and Kirsten Bonato are all experiencing tremendous grief and loss. Chuck's wife, Cat, has died and he is struggling with living without her. Ella show more is simply trying to survive by working constantly while hoping for information about her missing daughter. Kristen's father suddenly died and she has set aside her goals while working at an animal rescue center and trying to deal with the loss.
This is a beautifully written novel that you will cherish as you read each carefully crafted word and connect with these wounded souls who are trying their best to carry on while under a great emotional burden. Chapters alternate between the lives of these richly portrayed characters in heartbreaking narratives until their lives converge unexpectedly and emotionally.
A Quiet Life is very much a character driven novel. With empathy, hope, sympathy, and emotionally accessible language, Joella makes these character all realistic individuals you will care deeply about. All of them are portrayed as fully realized characters with great insight and realistic details. There is great comfort found in the journey these characters undertake and the healing they are slowly experiencing. In the end the encouragement to be there for someone are words that can speak to all of us.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/11/a-quiet-life.html show less
In a Pennsylvania suburb, Chuck Ayers, Ella Burke, and Kirsten Bonato are all experiencing tremendous grief and loss. Chuck's wife, Cat, has died and he is struggling with living without her. Ella show more is simply trying to survive by working constantly while hoping for information about her missing daughter. Kristen's father suddenly died and she has set aside her goals while working at an animal rescue center and trying to deal with the loss.
This is a beautifully written novel that you will cherish as you read each carefully crafted word and connect with these wounded souls who are trying their best to carry on while under a great emotional burden. Chapters alternate between the lives of these richly portrayed characters in heartbreaking narratives until their lives converge unexpectedly and emotionally.
A Quiet Life is very much a character driven novel. With empathy, hope, sympathy, and emotionally accessible language, Joella makes these character all realistic individuals you will care deeply about. All of them are portrayed as fully realized characters with great insight and realistic details. There is great comfort found in the journey these characters undertake and the healing they are slowly experiencing. In the end the encouragement to be there for someone are words that can speak to all of us.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/11/a-quiet-life.html show less
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- Works
- 6
- Members
- 806
- Popularity
- #31,649
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 39
- ISBNs
- 30