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HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
Joyce Maynard
William Morrow
June 25, 2024
432 pages
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Genres: Literary, Coming of Age, Women, Family Life – Marriage & Divorce
This book is a sequel to Count The Ways, published in 2022. It’s helpful to have read the first book but not necessary. When events from the past are mentioned, there are always enough details that the reader won’t feel lost.
This story covers many years. We watch Eleanor and her family quietly go about their lives, the children are grown with children of their own. It is character-driven, with a lot of narration. We are privy to many of Eleanor’s thoughts as she gets reflective of events in her past. As in the first book, the reader has a window into an imperfect family with conflict, love and everything else that accompanies a family dynamic. Reality. In particular, I love Eleanor’s relationship with her differently-abled son, Toby. Toby is such a unique and lovable character.
Many current issues and events are mentioned in the book. In one way, I think it helps the story to be relevant. But sometimes, it gets too detailed, at which point it seems to bog down the flow of the story.
Just as in the first book, I have come away from this book feeling like this is a very real family, one I have gotten to know (and like) well. I know I will miss them when I’m finished.
A few of my personal positives: I loved the cover! No particular reason, I just do. And I appreciate that some of the chapters are very short. Short chapters make books fly by! And, lastly, I love that one of the little girls grows up reading Beverly Cleary books. This is the author that got me on the wonderful road of reading, many years ago.
And, one negative, that doesn’t really impact my rating: the book could have been a little shorter. The narrative on climate change (which DID fit into the story) could have been hugely condensed. There were a few other parts that could have been edited to be shorter. But, the part that almost affects my rating (down from 5 stars to 4 stars) is all the talk of Donald Trump. I don’t want or need to read about controversial political issues in a novel about a family. But in the end, I couldn’t do it. This truly is a 5 star book.
And, lastly, thank you to Joyce Maynard for adding the epilogue. Much appreciated!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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