đ¸đ¸đ¸đ¸đ¸
The People We Keep
Allison Larkin
368 pages
Gallery Books
Available 8/3/21
Amazon
This post contains affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you purchase the book through this link
âWe have people we get to keep, who wonât ever let us go. And thatâs the most important part.â
A beautiful coming of age story that is gritty, raw, and wholly authentic. Larkinâs writing drew me in and her adept characterization of April kept me spellbound. I was profoundly invested in April, rooting for her and endeared to her. Larkinâs story took root in my soul and made me feel deeply. I havenât cried that many tears for a character in a very long time!
We meet April as she hotwires her elderly neighborâs car. Sheâs headed to her very first gig, and sheâs youngâŚonly 16. But thereâs a maturity to herâŚone that only people who have had to deal with adult things as a child can understand. Of course an audience at a bar doesnât know that. How could they know the deep emptiness she feels and how sheâs searching for something to remind her that she exists? Oh but how she captivates that crowd…her songs and their message, her voice. And from that moment on, she captivated me too.
Aprilâs story resonated with me deeply. Her loneliness emanated through her story. The feeling of abandonment and how she internalized it. That feeling that everything good could just slip away. Believing that her worth was always conditional. Larkinâs portrayal of Aprilâs journey of self-discovery is poignant and relatable. Itâs heartbreaking and heartwarming. Itâs compelling and relatable.
But donât be deceivedâŚin spite of the hardships and the anguish, April is not fragile. Sheâs tough and courageous and determined. And while sheâs young and a tad naĂŻve, she is also willing to be open and incredibly wise. Even though she kept running from heartache, she also never gave up on the idea of home. Maybe that hard and soft dichotomy is what made April so distinct and endearing.
And the supporting cast of characters arenât to be overlookedâŚ.so unique, so perfect. (Ethan was my favorite!)
As someone who had a parent(s) that couldnât be present (emotionally), I too struggled to learn that my worth wasnât connected to their inabilities. In reading Aprilâs story, I felt seen and understood. What a cathartic gift Larkin has given to us!
This one is currently available through Book of the Month and will be widely available on August 3.
Happy reading friends!
Leave a Reply