Author: Brenda Janowitz
Series: None
Publication Date: April 18, 2023
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Wasn't expecting the twist but as usual a great story
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can't help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love. But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can't ignore the more complicated memories. Because that's not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn's character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family's grandson, Henry—a former love—and by the driver’s son, Leo—her best friend. As plans for the property are put into motion and the three are together for the first time in over a decade, Emma finds herself caught between two worlds and two loves. And when the house reveals a shattering secret about her own family, she’ll have to decide what kind of life she really wants for herself now and who she wants to be in it. ~amazon.com
Review: I've been a big Brenda Janowitz fan since reading The Dinner Party and her writing gets better with each book. How do you leave the past behind when it keeps coming into your present? Even more daunting how do you reconcile the past that is true with the past that you thought was your truth? Emma has very fond memories of growing up in a fancy estate where her parents helped to run the household. It's also where she fell in love with her childhood best friend, who was the grandson of the estate owners. Of course it isn't that easy since his grandfather and her mother forbade them from being together. What do you do when your other childhood best friend buys the property and wants to tear down the main house to build a housing community. She's not on board and even joins a local organization to stop Leo from building it.
Emma is in quite the quandary with Leo and Henry. It is so easy for the 3 of them to fall back into the roles they had as teenagers. Except are these the roles they are supposed to be in as adults. Emma also has her own journey she needs to take part in and figure out who she is, who she wants to be and how she reconciles the past.
What I loved about this story was the meaning of home and how it doesn't always have to be tied to a physical place. As someone who has fond memories of her childhood home, it is hard to let go of, even though you know the memories you made there are what counts. This is something that Emma has to learn as well.
I liked the tie to Audrey Hepburn but it's definitely not what you think when you go into the book, which makes in better in my opinion.
If you haven't read any of Ms. Janowitz' books, I highly suggest you go and read her back list or start with this one!
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