Reviews

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited for this book, as I am from Northern Minnesota and as someone from northern Minnesota, I disagree that “Northwoods” Wisconsin is southern Wisconsin. I was expecting somewhere along the shore of Lake Superior. Which isn’t a huge deal, but that was something I was bothered by. Overall, the story was interesting and the characters compelling- they were realistic portrayals of rural Wisconsinites. I personally wasn’t a huge fan of how preachy the book got at times, but the message was there. I also wish the focus was more on Esther and less of Cooper, but it was decent read nonetheless.

tildyreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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mrst's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

katevdz's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book a quick comfort read set in small town Wisconsin and centers on 3 POV: Esther Larsen, a stern but caring matriarch, her granddaughter Iris, and Cooper who is finds himself in town for the funeral of his stepmother with his sister and father. I loved the setting- the small town pride and midwestern spirit is strong in this book. I also enjoyed the depiction the small town, the complicated family dynamics, and the friendships of the funeral ladies themselves. This book had me yearning for a community of my own.

Content Warnings

amanda_reads_alot's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A lovely novel about a Midwestern community that felt like it could have been my family- a heartwarming book!

alissamargaret's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski is about a group of individuals that live in Ellerie, a small town in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Esther Larson has been cooking food for funerals for seventy years with a group of "funeral ladies." She makes an internet friend but realizes that she was scammed out of $30K. Her granddaughter Iris is desperate to help her while also wanting to focus on her own goals of opening a vacation home in the area. Previous resident Annabelle Welch has passed away and her husband Ivan (a celebrity chef), Cooper (adult step-son), and Cricket (teenage daughter) arrive in Ellerie for the funeral and end up staying longer than expected. Readers follow the story of these folks in this slice-of-life type book as the Welsh's try to heal following their loss and other trauma they have experienced and as the town rallies to support Esther by creating a community cookbook to sell.

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I chose to read it because the title and cover caught my eye and I thought it would be interesting. Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The author has a specific way that she writes and it took me a little bit to get used to it but I thought it was an effective style for this story. The characters were interesting and I felt invested in learning about their lives and struggles. With a few exceptions, in general the story does not get very deep. There are some potentially difficult topics that are addressed in this story that readers might want to be aware of (cancer, alcoholism, PTSD related to gun violence) but I thought they were explored in a very realistic way. I also appreciated the multi-generational POV. There is a bit of a love story but it is clean.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me a free advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on March 12, 2024

egkaetzel's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.5

I read this as ARC from Avon Harper.
It’s hard to really say what this book is about. I thought it would be a light hearted read, but it is not and anyone reading should look carefully at the trigger warnings. Namely it focuses heavily on characters dealing with PTSD gun violence. It isn’t dark though, it also centers the stories of different generations of women and the power of community. And the power of cooking! I think it’s a portrait of life in small towns all over the country where the church ladies believe everything can be cured by a good casserole.

I feel like there are several places it could have gone that it just didn’t and that left the book feeling a bit uneven. I would have liked more focus and detail on the cookbook rather than Coopers story. Overall though the character all felt very real and familiar and that kept me reading.

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