The Charm Bracelet

Long-time readers of mine will know that I am not a fan of women’s fiction. I tend to cringe at the saccharine sweetness of such stories where all problems miraculously solve themselves within 288 pages. I find the characters are poorly developed, if at all, and usually end up being simple archetypes that do nothing but highlight my issues with such stories. However, when you are an avid reader, you will find that more often than not the right book will cross your path at exactly the right moment. Such is the case with Viola Shipman’s The Charm Bracelet.

Not my normal fare at all, The Charm Bracelet is the story of three generations of women, of which all three are at a crossroads in their life. They come together one magical late show more spring holiday weekend. Problems are confronted, pasts are revisited, and family stories are shared in abundance. The three women reconnect and rediscover what it means to truly live. (See? Even the description has me gagging at the sweetness.)

What had me start the book and kept me reading were not the characters, the setting, or the writing. The characters are one-dimensional, the setting is idealized, and the writing is sentimental at the best of times and just plain basic everywhere else. However, the mini-lessons to be found through the descriptions of and narratives behind each charm are the heart of the story. These lessons are sentimental, but that does not diminish their importance. Life is so serious these days that we all need reminders to have fun, to let go of control, to seek out the type of love we deserve, to follow our passions, etc. Lolly’s charm bracelet provides the necessary visual reminders of such lessons.

Interestingly enough, Viola Shipman is really Wade Rouse, an author known for his nonfiction work. He wrote The Charm Bracelet as an ode to his grandmothers and their charm bracelets, and he did a decent job of it. Lolly, an amalgam of his own two grandmothers, is a larger-than-life character that makes you wish she was yours. Meanwhile, her bracelet, the traditions around it, and the memories behind it make you wish you had a similar tradition in your family. Her poignant stories are the highlights of the novel because of their simplicity and joy, no matter what tragedy might be underlying them. They reiterate your faith in humanity and remind you that while life is indeed a journey, it is still up to you whether that journey will be joyless or joyful.

For such a simple book, The Charm Bracelet had me thinking deep thoughts about my own life both while reading and after finishing. The one lesson that hit a bit too close to home was the one about living your passions. According to Lolly, if you follow your dreams, the rest of life’s little mundane details – like money, shelter, food, etc. – will resolve themselves. We all know that is rarely the case. However, it did get me questioning my own passions. I may not have all of the answers yet, but I am thinking about them in a way I have not done since my first year in college, and for that I am grateful.

The Charm Bracelet is a stereotypical women’s fiction novel, but it is the perfect book to assuage roiling post-election emotions. The story’s simplicity is soothing, and Lolly is a great reminder of the importance of being true to oneself. We all need such reminders of love and acceptance these days. show less

Stuffed shirt Arden and her floundering college-aged daughter Lauren spend the summer at the home of Arden's mother, Lolly, a quirky woman with a lifelong love of charms fostered by her own mother. Each charm on Lolly's bracelet tells a story, and she uses these stories to help guide her daughter and granddaughter toward a more fulfilling path for their lives.

This book is a quintessential "beach read" - set in the summer and a fluffy read that you can finish pretty quickly. This type of book is not really my cup of tea, and The Charm Bracelet was no exception. The book starts out okay but quickly devolves, getting increasingly worse with each additional chapter, culminating in ridiculously unbelievable events (e.g., Lauren at the Tulip show more Queen pageant).

The idea of the charms of Lolly's bracelet each guiding a chapter is an interesting device and could have been fantastic if the author didn't beat the reader over the head with the concept. It's hard to go more than a page or two without having the charms mentioned. At point, Lolly even compares the wonder of the Northern Lights to her charms! (I wish I were kidding or exaggerating about that one, but I'm not.)

The characters are all very one-note and for some reason, often have a habit of speaking in unison. Considering no one has a unique voice though, it often doesn't matter much who is speaking. Everyone speaks in platitudes, like "Expectations are just preconceived resentments." (I guess all expectations are bad ones??) Some of these border on meaninglessness, and some just simple are! For instance, Lolly gives her granddaughter advice on romantic love, saying, "You must never lose who you are, but you also must be willing to lose yourself entirely in the depth of the relationship." Um, what?

There is a total lack of diversity in this book, as all of the characters are Caucasian. Worse still, when Lauren enters the pageant, an organizer tells her it's just like Miss America "except, well, some of our girls don't always look like Miss America," to which Lauren responds with a laugh. At best, the reference is that these "girls" (young women) are ugly; at worst, it's that they aren't 'all-American' (aka, not Caucasian enough). I hope it's the former, but even that's pretty awful.

Much has been made of the author actually being a man, writing with a female pen name. The consensus within my book club seemed to be that he wrote what he thought a woman would want to read. For instance, the romantic 'hero' of the book doesn't just have a six pack -- he has an eight pack! He also 'helpfully' tells Arden how he just wants her to be a well-rounded person who cares about more than money and her career. This could potentially be good advice, but this is guy who has only known her a couple of a weeks. If I was sort of dating someone for only a few weeks and he started saying things like that, I'd be questioning how he even knows me well enough to make such a judgment (and I probably wouldn't keep dating him!).

That all being said, a couple members of my book club really did love this book. And in the author's defense, he did manage to cover a lot of heavy topics (e.g., dementia, divorce, death, etc.) while managing to keep the book feeling like a light and heart-warming tale. Also, he paints a beautiful portrait of Lake Michigan and the surrounding area, especially in its summer months of glory. The descriptions of the geography and shore culture were by far my favorite parts of the book. However, it was not enough for me to want to recommend this book to others. show less

I will tell you right at the beginning of my review that this was a fantastic book! The author did a great job as a first time novelist with this story in making the characters and the story come alive. Its a fantastic book to read and I think it would be a great book to be discussed at book club meetings.

The book centers around Lolly, grandmother, Arden, daughter and Lauren, granddaughter. Lolly is starting to lose her memory and wants to share the stories of their family and invites her daughter and granddaughter home to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend. She uses her charm bracelet and has a story to tell about each charm on her bracelet. Arden, long embarrassed by her mom had quit wearing her charm bracelet but Lauren still wore show more hers. As the stories are told, Arden realizes the mistakes that she's made in her life and the three women work to re-connect with each other and with their inner feelings.

Its a wonderful book about love and family and the family history that makes us all what we are today. I am definitely looking forward to future books from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book for an unbiased review. show less

Wow. I got teary-eyed by the end of each charm story! Viola Shipman ( aka Wade Rouse) does an impressive job immersing you into the lives of Lolly, Arden, and Lauren. Each woman is on a different course in their lives, but only Lolly has learned the true art to living life: live your life exactly the way you want to live it so you have fewer regrets. Lolly is in the sunset of her life. Her enthusiasm is contagious to those around her who know her and love her. Arden is unhappy with her life, her career, and herself. The rough patches of life hardened her attitude. She doesn't realize it at first, but returning home to Michigan to her mother was the best decision she ever made. It triggers an unplanned course-correction. Lauren loves her show more grandmother deeply. She wants her life to be full of joy and love.

The charm bracelet is more than just a bunch of memorable charm stories. It's about faith and love and the pursuit of happiness. show less

I bought as a cover buy, and after reading my the synopsis and the first chapter, I fell in love with the writing, the plot and the characters. From the opening pages, I started crying, as I am an easy crier.
Maybe I had a good relationship with my maternal grandma, that is not with us since 2008, perhaps because my paternal grandmother was suffering from dementia. This book hit a lot of arrows into my gut, but I fell in love with the Lolly, Arden & Lauren.
Loved the story, and how each charm connects with to the plot of the story.
It is a story that makes look at your past, live the today for a better tomorrow for you and the next generations to come. Love how eccentric is Lolly, and she has a passion for living her life and passing her show more heritage to her daughter and granddaughter. The charms are part of Lolly's life, and she is giving them to the women of her life so they will continue with the story to the next generations.
What surprised is that this book wrote it a male author with the pen name.
I am for sure reading all of Viola Shipman's books; I found a new favorite author. I think that when I decide to reread this book, I will annotate the text even though I have marked the quotes I liked with my arrow paper clips. show less

I really enjoyed this book about three generations of women tied together by family memories, told with the help of the charms on a charm bracelet. It is about learning your family's history and looking forward to your family's future. Lolly is an eccentric older woman who tries to teach her daughter and granddaughter to take hold of life and enjoy it. This is an enjoyable book, a very quick read, and a delight for anyone! One of my favorite lines from the book is: "Give a piece of yourself. You will never realize how deep of a footprint you might make on a stranger."

This book was a touching story about three generations of women held together by love and stories surrounding the charms they wear on their bracelet. While "The Charm Bracelet "often put a smile on my face and tears in my eyes, there was something that didn't resonate with me, so I never fully connected with it.

The setting was picturesque and I did like the three women (Lolly, Arden and Lauren), especially Lolly who had lived a very full and satisfying life, but at times I found the book repetitive. Each part was based on a different charm then there would be a story/flashback and then back to the present day. After the fourth charm I was getting bored as the plot was too predictable.

Also, all the characters were just too good to be show more true and said "I love you" so often that I found myself rolling my eyes each time they said it to one another.

Overall, "The Charm Bracelet" was a nice story about family relationships but too sickly sweet and sentimental for me. show less