A review by astifelreads
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A Quiet Life ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Ethan Joella

“Maybe that is love. Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them - the same way a painting or a photograph will leave its shadow on the wall after it’s gone, the way a tree will leave a crater where the roots and stump were.”

Ethan Joella does it again. After reading his ‘A Little Hope’ this was going to be an instant buy. This book follows three different individuals dealing with grief in their lives. Chuck Ayer is an older gentleman who just lost his wife to cancer and deciding how to live his life without his wife. Ella Burke’s daughter is missing and she’s just trying to hold the pieces of her life together while waiting for news. Kirsten Bonato is a young woman trying to cope with the loss of her father. She’s working at an animal rescue and has given up her dreams of being a vet while dealing with the feeling of being lost without her dad. 

“Happy New Year, he thinks, because he is lost, and he hopes he finds something this year that will stop the hurting.”

Ethan Joella captured grief so beautifully and authentically in this book. By the end it had me in tears as I connected with the characters and their ups and downs so much. Having lost my mom nearly a year ago I connected to the characters quite a lot. And while this book dealt with loss and grief there was also hope in it. It was a balm to my soul as I go through my own grieving process. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick read with a hopeful ending. 

“Be someone’s cardinal.”
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