Bethlehem: A Novel

A family of privilege. A majestic ancestral home. A strained marriage. A tragic accident. A family secret lurking in the shadows. If you like character-driven historical fiction novels that have more than one story-line and provides readers with an atmospheric experience of time and place, this may be the perfect read for you. This is definitely the kind of story I tend to gravitate towards on a lazy weekend when the weather makes staying indoors, curled up with a cup of tea and a book, so appealing. The story starts off rather slowly - more of a slow wandering pace - that is coupled with the author's detail oriented prose. I am a reader who appreciates descriptive setting details and don't mind when a story takes a bit of time to get show more going. This story isn’t all glitz and glamorous, fancy parties, chauffeur-driven cars and a life of privilege. At its heart, this is a story about love, temptation, regret, loss, acceptance and forgiveness.

As I have mentioned, the author's prose is delightfully descriptive. I found it easy to visualize the grand rooms at Brynmor and the lavish – bordering on decadent – 1920s debutante ball. The two story-lines – one set at the onset of the 1920s focuses on Susannah’s generation and the 1960s story-line representing the 'present day' - work well together. I found myself growing to appreciate Susannah and marveling at her strength. Joanna, not so much, but that stems from my difficulty in seeing Joanna's situation as a hardship or struggle. That being said, this story is strong on relationships and how relationship dynamics can change into surprisingly unexpected friendships. As for the family secret, I admit, I am a sucker for stories with a family secret at its root, and the author has created a lovely web of intrigue that slowly reveals the truth to the reader.

Overall, a wonderful historical fiction story set in the American steel-boom era.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

I'm not sure how many people know the history of Bethlehem, PA - but like many industrial boom towns, it had its own heyday. Family, secrets, tragedy, success, and two strong women who are thrown together make up this page-turner. Sometimes, you don't find what you were expecting when you make desperate moves to save your marriage and the life you know, but perhaps you find what you really needed in the end. The characters in this have plenty of depth, and really are what drive the story. A great historical fiction with family at its heart.

My curiosity for this book began with the enchanting cover, it's beauty instantly drawing me in. Sadly, my excitement was quickly extinguished for several reasons, first being the painfully slow beginning that is diluted with character names and nicknames. I felt so lost, and trying to keep up with which character was which, plus the nicknames, made me almost give up before I really dived into the story itself!

Once I got my bearings as far as the characters and dual plot lines, I was able to properly immerse myself in the drama of the Collier and Parish families. Bethlehem is told through the eyes of matriarch Susannah, flashing back to her youth in the 1920's, and her daughter-in-law Joanna in the 1960's, who's family has come to stay show more with Susannah and her mother in the family mansion. The views of both women are clear and concise, but despite the depth of the characters themselves, and their stories, I fought to connect with them, despite the depressing and suppressive situations they both find themselves in.

Truth be told, this novel isn't particularly what I had been expecting. To me, it didn't really feel like a historical fiction, which is what I was hoping for, but it's lacking any significant historical events. There are a few cultural references in the flashbacks, but otherwise the story could really fall into any time period.

There is a certain charm to the tale that kept me engaged, especially the 1920's time line. I absolutely adore that era and honestly would've been fine if Joanne's story wasn't even included. It's a strong enough premise to hold its own, and I believe I would've liked it better if it would've been the main focus.

All in all, Bethlehem wasn't a terrible read, but the pace is on the slower side, the entire premise and feel is dark and depressing, and I had really wanted to love it, but it was just ok.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own. show less

This novel takes place in Bethlehem, PA during the 1920’s and the 1960’s, alternating between each and revolving around two woman in one family and the secrets they keep. In the 60’s Joanna moves into the family home with her husband and two children. With him at work, all the time, she doesn’t want to spend her time with her mother-in law Susannah and her mother. Forty years earlier, we see Susannah as a young woman coming of age and what life was like. The story is slow moving with much personal interactions within this wealthy family. The steel industry of Bethlehem is just a backdrop and the novel really deals with Joanna and Susannah’s secrets. Although, the writing was descriptive and believable, I felt the story dragged show more leading up to the climax, which was no surprise. show less

This was a slow-burn for me, but definitely one that kept me interested enough to keep reading. In the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going when a young family moved to the husband’s home town and into the mansion where his mother and grandmother reside.

For a young mother, just the thought of living with your mother-in-law and your husband’s grandmother can be daunting. In the beginning, young wife Joanna finds it difficult to settle in and to parent her children without interference. She finds solace walking in a nearby cemetery and browsing through old family photographs while her children play. Because of this, Joanna begins to learn more about the past of her husband’s family.

When an unexpected death show more happens, things come to a head and Joanna learns the truth about a shocking secret concerning the family’s past. Once revealed, the secret gives Joanna a new perspective about her husband’s family.

Readers who like historical fiction and romance will enjoy this story. Be sure and have the tissues handy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review. show less

3.5 stars
This was one of those simple but enjoyable comfy type reads. I'm in the middle of moving and it was nice to sit down and relax and read a few chapters here and there. I really loved the last few chapters of the book as everything came together and there were some good, emotional moments.

One of the reasons I chose to read this book is because it featured a big, old house with multiple generations of a wealthy family living it. That's right up my alley because it usually involves long-held family secrets and that was certainly the case here. The story goes back and forth between two timelines, one in the 1960s and the other in the 1920s. Joanna has just moved with her husband and two children into the family home of her in-laws. show more While she and her mother-in-law, Susannah, have a cordial relationship, Joanna still doesn't feel at ease in her new surroundings. The 1920s storyline follows Susannah as she grows up with her siblings and some dear family friends.

The book gets off to a rather slow start and I think some of that is because so many characters were introduced all at once and it was hard to keep track for awhile. I personally preferred the chapters in which Susannah was the main focus as I felt like I understood her better than Joanna. I feel Joanna was a tad underdeveloped as a character and it really wasn't until the end in which I kinda got where she was coming from. The ending in my opinion changed this from a pleasant but only average type story into something more meaningful. I enjoyed the moments shared between Joanna and Susannah. Overall, I wouldn't say this is an absolute must read, but it was certainly good enough that I am glad I read it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review! show less

While this debut novel is hard to classify and define, it is a read that should be savored for the story-telling abilities of its author, Karen Kelly.

The opening chapters where Kelly introduces a plethora of characters are slow going and can be confusing because of the sheer number of characters. However, the bottom line this is about three generations of women, Joanna, a mother of two and the young wife of Frank Collier, Frank’s mother Susannah, and his grandmother, who are all living in the Collier family home. As Joanna struggles with raising her two children alone since her husband is seldom at home, she must also deal with her disappointment at being uprooted from her own home and plunked down with the other two women.

The show more author’s story is developed slowly and with deliberation. Her descriptions of both time and place are precise are well written. The story line, while certainly not new, is unique.

If you are looking for a traditional historical story book, this isn’t the book for you because the time line isn’t set in a single year or decade. But if you are looking for a well-written book featuring families, secrets, strong women, with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure, and some time spent in the 1920s, then this will be a book you’ll want to put at the top of your to-be-read list.

My thanks to thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Edelweiss for an eARC. show less