The Blessings - Softcover

Juska, Elise

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1455574023 ISBN 13: 9781455574025

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

"Bursting with wise observations." -J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Engagements and Maine
"Gleams like a jewel." -The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Stunning. . . Unique and unforgettable." -Glamour
Hailed by Stewart O'Nan as "deft and tender" and as one of the best books of 2014 by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Elise Juska's THE BLESSINGS is an extraordinary novel about an ordinary family. The Blessings rally around one another in times of celebration and those of sorrow, coming together for departures and arrivals, while its members harbor private struggles and moments of personal joy. College student Abby ponders homesickness in her first semester away from her Philadelphia home, while her cousin Stephen commits a petty act of violence that takes a surprising turn, and their aunt Lauren faces a crisis in her storybook marriage she could never have foreseen. Through the lens of one unforgettable family, this beautifully moving novel explores how our families define us and how we shape them in return.

About this title

About the Author

Elise Juska's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Ploughshares, Gettysburg Review, The Missouri Review, Good Housekeeping, The Hudson Review, and many other publications. She is the recipient of the Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction from Ploughshares and her work has been cited in The Best American Short Stories. She lives in Philadelphia, where she is the director of the undergraduate creative writing program at the University of the Arts.

Review

"#1 . . . A stunning wide-angle snapshot of the Blessing family of Northeast Philadelphia. . . They could be any family-and yet, in Juska's capable hands, they're unique and unforgettable."―Glamour, "The 10 Best Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List Right This Second"

"[A] bighearted novel. . . . Juska's moving, multifaceted portrait of the Blessing family gleams like a jewel."―Philadelphia Inquirer

"Takes us into the heart of one of Philadelphia's large Irish-Catholic families . . . the storytelling is confident and Juska writes movingly about the emotional life of individuals within a close social unit."―The Toronto Star

"I loved this book. . . . At its core, "The Blessings" is ultimately about family: the people you are tied to by blood and birth, the people you celebrate your victories with and who support you during times of sorrow, the people who will always be there for you no matter what. This is a beautifully complex and thoughtful novel that is perfect for summer reading, whether you're on the beach or lying in a hammock."― The Times Leader

"Beautifully crafted. . . Juska draws the characters so fully, with thoughts and feelings so real, the reader can't help but become emotionally invested."―All You

"Several generations of the Blessings, a Philadelphia-based, Irish-American family, come beautifully to life in a deceptively simple tale that examines the foibles, disappointments and passions that tie family members together. . . The author brings a depth of understanding to the human condition, including in her descriptions of Abby's cousin Stephen, on the road to becoming a ne'er-do-well; her uncle Patrick, a successful eye doctor, contemplating infidelity; and Meghan coming to terms with her eating disorder . . . Despite these challenges, the Blessings rally round each other-whether that attention is wanted or not-and the reader leaves feeling lucky to have spent some time in their presence."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Fans of writers like Anne Tyler, Alice McDermott and even Richard Yates will revel in Juska's resplendent novel detailing two decades in the life of the Blessing clan."―BookReporter.com

"With a keen eye for detail and character, Juska shows us that, Tolstoy notwithstanding, a happy family can be happy in its own way and make for great storytelling... An exquisite portrait of a large family."―Shelf Awareness

"Throughout the novel, right up until the affecting final scene, Juska explores the paradox of family-how it is the thing that both stifles and sustains you, how it can be simultaneously predictable and unexpected, stable and fragile... the result is the best kind of family portrait-one in which you know each member's foibles and flaws and yet love them anyway."―BookBrowse, Editor's Choice

"It takes a writer with voice and depth to tell the story of a large Irish Catholic family's travails and make it feel fresh. Elise Juska succeeds with this novel set in Northeast Philly."―Philadelphia Magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1455574023
• ISBN 13: 9781455574025
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288