May 30, 2018

Whiskey & Ribbons


"My life used to have color. Now it's monochromatic." ~ pg. 110

Life continues after loss. We may not feel it is possible at the time of grief. We may not want to move on. But the world does not stop; loss is a major part of life that cannot be avoided. Heal the best way you know how.

Told in three points of view, alternating between past and present, is a story set in contemporary Louisville, Kentucky. Evi is a trained ballerina, nine months pregnant and snowed in during a blizzard. Her husband, Eamon, prepares for fatherhood and grapples with his dangerous profession as a police officer. He is killed in the line of duty on a hot morning in July. Now it is winter again and Eamon's brother moves in with Evi to help raise the six-month-old baby.

"And now I was burdened with a secret that was never mine. A secret on loan." ~ pg. 174

Leesa Cross-Smith, may I have a word with you? The audacity to invade my literary life and take my imagination away from the real world to focus on characters you created. The dialogue and descriptive scenes demanded my undivided attention. Certain chapters forced me to think about how I handled losses I'd experienced; questioning whether I really moved on. Oh, the power you had over my time while slowly turning the pages of this well-written book! Taking in every sentence.

No, it was not a page-turner. No, I did not rush reading. I haven't read a book this slow in ages! I took the advice of my bookhearts (#PrissInBooks, #ReadInColour, Keyona Chocolate-Covered-Pages and Author D.L. White) and savored every word. Thanks for the recommendation, y'all! And thank YOU, Leesa Cross-Smith for gifting readers with Whiskey & Ribbons. I know it's only May but this is the best book I've read this year!

I don't drink whiskey but I definitely advise bookhearts to 1) read Whiskey & Ribbons at your leisure and 2) sip your favorite adult beverage while reading this novel. It is meant to be consumed at a slower than normal pace; savor the flavor. Put everything else on hold to discover what it means to really heal.

Title: Whiskey & Ribbons
Author: Leesa Cross-Smith
Published: March 2018
Pages: 259
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

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