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Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County: A Novel by Claire Swinarski
4 reviews
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County
Author: Claire Swinarski
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Snarky • Endearing • Uplifting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the "funeral ladies," she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed--it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can't fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days.
Iris, Esther's whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community. As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she's found the missing piece of her puzzle.
Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he's been looking for.
It doesn't seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness--things might just turn out okay.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I immediately added The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County to my TBR when I saw the cover and title. I predicted there would be older characters and a real sense of community, which I was correct about. Claire Swinarski delivers a feel-good read that was a pleasant surprise.
Told from multiple POVs, this novel is almost two stories within one and for me that detracted from the fullness of each one. At times lighthearted, it also touches on several heavier topics that really gave the story depth and allowed for reflection. Each of the characters felt familiar and fully developed. There was a real sense of community and coming together in the hard times. I especially appreciated the focus on cooking and the power it has in bringing people together.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was an enjoyable read that felt like a hug and offered a reminder of the importance of building community and leaning on them when needed. I always gravitate towards books centered around food, so the recipes were a nice addition. It would make a good selection for book clubs.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• The Chicken Sisters
• small town settings
• recipes
• older characters
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, child death, grief, gun violence, mass/school shooting, PTSD, mental illness, alcoholism, panic attacks/disorders, cancer, domestic abuse, pregnancy, identity fraud
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"If there was one thing the funeral ladies understood. It was the power of a goddamn casserole to lift your spirits."
"They all thought you had to be in love to commit. They didn't realize it was the other way around: that love came from commitment."
Author: Claire Swinarski
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Snarky • Endearing • Uplifting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the "funeral ladies," she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed--it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can't fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days.
Iris, Esther's whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community. As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she's found the missing piece of her puzzle.
Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he's been looking for.
It doesn't seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness--things might just turn out okay.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I immediately added The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County to my TBR when I saw the cover and title. I predicted there would be older characters and a real sense of community, which I was correct about. Claire Swinarski delivers a feel-good read that was a pleasant surprise.
Told from multiple POVs, this novel is almost two stories within one and for me that detracted from the fullness of each one. At times lighthearted, it also touches on several heavier topics that really gave the story depth and allowed for reflection. Each of the characters felt familiar and fully developed. There was a real sense of community and coming together in the hard times. I especially appreciated the focus on cooking and the power it has in bringing people together.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County was an enjoyable read that felt like a hug and offered a reminder of the importance of building community and leaning on them when needed. I always gravitate towards books centered around food, so the recipes were a nice addition. It would make a good selection for book clubs.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• The Chicken Sisters
• small town settings
• recipes
• older characters
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, child death, grief, gun violence, mass/school shooting, PTSD, mental illness, alcoholism, panic attacks/disorders, cancer, domestic abuse, pregnancy, identity fraud
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"If there was one thing the funeral ladies understood. It was the power of a goddamn casserole to lift your spirits."
"They all thought you had to be in love to commit. They didn't realize it was the other way around: that love came from commitment."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
PTSD, identity fraudawahle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, and Death of parent
alltoowellread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
egkaetzel's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
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