Julie's Review: Second House from the Corner

Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Series: None
Publication Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 304
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A novel about how our past always catches up to us
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Second House from the Corner centers on the story of Felicia Lyons, a stay-at-home mother of three drowning in the drudgeries of play dates, lost pacifiers and potty training who occasionally wonders what it would be like to escape the demands of motherhood. But when an unexpected phone call threatens to destroy her life, Felicia is forced to return to her childhood home where she must wrestle with an ex-lover and long buried secrets to save the family and home she loves despite the daily challenges. Felicia Lyons is a character who mothers can identify with and laugh along with. You can't help but cheer for her in Johnson's engaging and well-written novel. ~goodreads.com  

Review: Second House from the Corner is probably one of the most honest looks at being a mother and wife that I've read in a long time. Ms. Johnson doesn't hold back and that is refreshing. Felicia Lyons or Faye has 3 children 6 and under and at times feels harried taking care of the kids since her husband is always working. She finds herself losing it at times and that's when she needs a break. She's done well for herself as an actress and strives to give her kids the stable family life that neither she or Preston had. She's a good mom that spends a lot of her time with the kids while also trying to resurrect her acting career.

One phone call on a regular evening changes how Faye reacts and overreacts to things going on in her life. It also leads to some very poor decisions on her part as well. There isn't a lack of times in he book where you won't want to smack or shake her. In the end, though it's a journey that she needs to take to rid herself of the ghosts that have been haunting her since she was a young girl.

I want to talk about Preston for a moment because I think how he treats Faye leads to her journey. I think that Preston is still stunned that he landed someone as beautiful as her for a wife. He holds her on a pedestal and where else is there to go but down form there. He's never home to help with the kids even on the weekends it's up to her. Everyone needs a break even the most devout mother. Part of me felt that he wanted her as a trophy wife but didn't want to share her with anyone. I also think he was a bit naive to think that he was her first lover. I wanted to shake him a few times and ask him to treat her like a person instead of a possession.

This is a novel that kept me turning the pages until the very end. I wanted Faye to desperately figure out what it is that she needs to get out of her system. I wanted her to wrestle with her demons once and for all so that she could be the person she wants to be.

Second House from the Corner is an intriguing and fast-paced novel. It will have you up late finishing it and you probably won't be able to get it out of your head after wards.


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