House and Home - Hardcover

McCleary, Kathleen

3.46

492 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1401340733 ISBN 13: 9781401340735

Publisher: Voice, 2008

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The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she'll do just about anything to keep it.

Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she's about to lose it all.

After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen's husband, Sam--who's charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible--has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they're getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold.

Ellen's life is further complicated by a lovely and unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish, social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to that the confusion over how she really feels about her almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious novel about what matters most in the end . . .

Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

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About the Author:

Kathleen McCleary is a reporter and writer whose work has appeared inThe New York Times, Good Housekeeping, More, and Health. A column she wrote on marriage forUSA Weekend magazine generated more mail than any other first-person column the magazine had ever run. She is also a regular columnist for HGTV.com; one of her pieces sparked such huge reader response that it launched a TV series on the HGTV network,Bad Bad Bath.

From Booklist:

Ellen can stand losing her husband. With his weird inventions and obsession with magic tricks, he has ignored family finances and sent them plummeting into financial hell. It is the loss of the beloved home that she has decorated so lovingly over the years that threatens to shatter her. The fact that her daughters don’t want to leave the house, either, only adds to Ellen’s sorrow. To make matters worse, the perky new owner shows up early to measure windows, check out the walls, and make notes for her contractor. As this oblivious woman rambles on about the changes she is going to make, it becomes obvious to Ellen what she needs to do. In McCleary’s poignant, gently humorous novel, the characters seem utterly alive, and the locations are exquisitely described. This book also has one of the best opening paragraphs in recent memory, and is altogether so superior it’s hard to believe that it’s a debut. Readers who enjoy fine women’s fiction, such as Mary Alice Monroe’s Sweetgrass (2005), will be delighted to discover this new author. --Shelley Mosley

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