Landslide by Susan Conley

{Thank you to Knopf for my gifted copy}

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Summary:

After a fishing accident leaves her husband hospitalized across the border in Canada, Jill is left to look after her teenage boys–“the wolves”–alone. Nothing comes easy in their remote corner of Maine: money is tight; her son Sam is getting into more trouble by the day; her eldest, Charlie, is preoccupied with a new girlfriend; and Jill begins to suspect her marriage isn’t as stable as she once believed. As one disaster gives way to the next, she begins to think that it’s not enough to be a caring wife and mother anymore–not enough to show up when needed, to nudge her boys in the right direction, to believe everything will be okay. But how to protect this life she loves, this household, this family?

With remarkable poise and startling beauty, Landslide ushers us into a modern household where, for a family at odds, Instagram posts, sex-positivity talks, and old fishing tales mingle to become a kind of love language. It is a beautiful portrait of a family, as compelling as it is moving, and raises the question of how to remain devoted when the eye of the storm closes in.

Publication Date:

February 2nd, 2021

Genre:

Family Life Fiction

Purchase Your Copy:

Amazon Link | LibroFM Bookstore Link

My Review:

Set in a small fishing town in coastal Maine, author Susan Conley shares the story of Jillian Archer, her marriage to Kit, and her relationships with her two teenage sons Charlie and Sam.

After her husband Kit is seriously injured in a fishing accident, Jillian is holed up at home with her two teens, during the barrenness and isolation of a New England winter. She feels torn between being by her husband’s side during his recovery in Canada, and being with her sons, whom she affectionately refers to as “the wolves”.

This book speaks to a family in crisis, a small town that has faced tragedy, an industry that is suffering, and the toll that this all takes on their community as a whole. And while there are many other issues at play, Jill’s interactions with her sons are a highlight of this book, and just feel so real.

She so vividly portrays the “dance” that a mother’s journey through parenting in the teen years must be (I am still a few years away from living this myself…) The bleak setting of a harsh winter in Maine, combined with the complexities and layers of family dynamics, paired so perfectly.

Conley’s writing, while told through sparse prose, is masterfully compelling and includes a multitude of contemporary themes, perfect for a book club discussion. Landslide is the kind of book you can get lost in, and I already know it is one that I won’t forget.

I am discussing this book over on my #bookstagram account @genthebookworm and I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you to Knopf for my gifted copy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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