Maine

By: J. Courtney Sullivan

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

In her best-selling debut, Commencement, J. Courtney Sullivan explored the complicated and contradictory landscape of female friendship. Now, in her highly anticipated second novel, Sullivan takes us into even richer territory, introducing four unforgettable women who have nothing in common but the fact that, like it or not, they’re family.

For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree bearing the initials “A.H.” At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath the surface.

As three generations of Kelleher women descend on the property one summer, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

By turns wickedly funny and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to Maine and to each other.

Excellent!

I hope this author writes another nove soon.
The overall performance of the narrator was really good too.
The story is about a family, their rise and downfall, the family members as individuals and all their airs, graces and secrets. A good read!

Unpleasant characters and bad narration

I like Courtney Sullivan’s other books but this one was quite bad. I enjoy complicated characters but these characters were not so much complicated as truly unpleasant. The narration for an adult book was terrible. Sounded like being read to in a child’s library. I had a long drive and couldn’t return it because I didn’t use a credit or I wouldn’t have finished it. Her other books had great narrators and that may have affected the overall feeling as well. Try The Cliffs of you would like to read a great book of hers.

I don't Always Write Reviews, But When I do..

...You Know the Book is Superb.

This book turned me into a huge Sullivan fan. Gorgeous writing, refreshing plot, realistic characters, far from cliche.
I'm neither Irish nor from the East Coast, but Sullivan basically described my family and some of the people In my life-that's how nuanced and realistic her characters are. And that's why they are likable-because they are relatable, they are real. Sullivan's psychological insight into family dynamics and dysfunction is a real talent. She provides an unbiased view into characters' motives and motivations and reveals how simple misunderstandings and differences of character can develop into feuds and hurts, and also, how simply sometimes they can resolve- how funny life can be.
Caveat: The narrator spoke slowly and overly dramatically. I got used to her mid-novel though, so don't let that detract you from purchasing this.

LOVED THE CHARACTERISATION

Thought the 'worm farming' descriptions were amazing - and such a powerful reflection of the character of Kathleen. I did enjoy this book - the irresponsible Gabe, the family dynamics, the ways people misread situations. The dollhouse.........

Everyone seemed angry.

Would you consider the audio edition of Maine to be better than the print version?

Yes in print I may not have finished this one.

What other book might you compare Maine to and why?

Nothing to compare it with.

Which character – as performed by Ann Marie Lee – was your favorite?

The granddaughter who is expecting a baby

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Family drama at it's best... or worst.

Any additional comments?

This wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.