The Widows Wounded Daughter

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The Widow's Watcher is about a woman named Jenna who has suffered an unbelievable tragedy, and an older man by the name of Lars who hasn't had the best go of things himself. Jenna ends up on his lake in the middle of a brutal Minnesota winter only to get taken in by him and caught up in a decades-old crime revolving around his wife.

The two form an unlikely friendship that I absolutely loved reading about. He's very brittle around the edges but his heart is in the right place, and he really ends up being quite the match for Jenna don't worry, not in a romantic way! I loved that The Widow's Watcher was based in my home state of Minnesota. Even though the town itself is fictional, it still mentioned quite a few places I was familiar with including the city I went to college in.

I love when I can relate to the setting of a book, so this was a plus for me. It hooked me in from the very start, and between the flow of the writing and the super short chapters, it made for a very fast read. This book isn't all that long less than pages so I think it is a good choice for someone looking for a shorter book they could read in one day.

The world of the widow: grappling with loneliness and misunderstanding

I felt like the book was more about the emotions than the actual mystery that takes place. Even though the mystery is a good one, I got more caught up in the characters and the emotional aspects of both Lars and Jenna's stories than the mystery itself. The end had me in a puddle, so just know that you may cry! Even though I own all of her books, this is the first novel I have read from Eliza Maxwell. I think her writing is very good with excellent flow. The wording may be a little "simple" for an adult book at least from what I'm used to , but I think that helped a lot with the readability for me and the speed at which I was able to read it.

This book wasn't quite what I had expected it to be, but I still ended up loving it, and I definitely think it is worth checking out I also can't wait to read her other books now. I would recommend this book to anyone who maybe isn't so much about the mystery, but the emotional connection they can get from the book and its characters. The Widow's Watcher in 3-ish words: View all 6 comments. May 15, Sherri Thacker rated it really liked it Shelves: This book did not grab me from the very beginning but once I got going, it was hard to put it down.

Lars and Jenna are an unlikely pair and how they met makes you want to read more. This is heartwarming This book did not grab me from the very beginning but once I got going, it was hard to put it down. This is heartwarming, sad, but has hope thrown in too. The author has a way of pulling you in. Highly recommend this one! I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own. Jun 16, Karen Kay rated it liked it Shelves: I received this from netgalley.

Reclusive Lars Jorgensen is an unlikely savior. I really liked the pacing of the story. Loss, redemption, forgiveness, love and being able to live on and move through life's terrible tragedies. Jun 07, DJ Sakata rated it it was amazing Shelves: Was it an innate part of him, or was this what years and the grinding sands of loss did to a person?

Shaped them into so Favorite Quotes: Shaped them into something smooth and hard and polished. Hope was a frightening thing to rekindle. As impossible to control as a wildfire on a dry plain. No matter how many years go by, the past never really lets you go. Goes where you go. What exactly is involved in playing knick-knack, paddy-whack anyway?

And why does it need to happen on my knee?

The old man sounds kind of sketchy. With a regal wave of my well-manicured hand, I push all that to the side as I have decided I want new categories of Brilliant, Ingeniously Crafted, and Extraordinarily Well-Written. Eliza Maxwell has word voodoo. The characters were many and all were irreparably fractured, some hanging by a thread, and most were not always likable or admirable. Yet by the end of this uncannily insightful and maddeningly paced story, I understood that they had each been existing with and working at living through a long series of harrowing events as best they could, and I adored every single one of them by the time I arrived at the epilogue.

I seldom cry but this eloquently evocative tale moved me, my eyes stung with an unusual wetness while my throat burned and felt constricted on several occasions. The storylines were brilliantly crafted, tautly written, and hard to quit as they were fraught with addictive tension and prickling intrigue. Jun 25, Rachel Wallace rated it liked it. I'm also having a hard time rating it because there were parts I really liked but a few key factors that seemed pretty improbable to me. I am pretty sure 3 Stars is the right choice for me.

Grumpy, equally tragic Lars happens to see her thro 3 Stars I'm not even sure how to categorize this book. Grumpy, equally tragic Lars happens to see her through his kitchen window, realize what her intentions were and stops her. Jenna was the opposite of grateful. As luck would have it, Jenna's car won't start, this very small MN town which basically shuts down for the winter, has no hotels so Jenna and Lars are stuck together while she waits for her car to be fixed.

As Jenna and Lars slowly begin to bond and their stories are doled out to the reader in little bits and pieces, we learn about the life altering events which brought them to this place and time together. Can they help each other? What was so horrible that made Jenna walk out onto that ice? What made Lars so miserable?

All will be revealed. It reminded me of my Aunts who have spent their entire lifetime in Minnesota. Lars story was so interesting. I won't ruin it by giving away much about it, but I can say his story was layered with many factors and so much emotion. It's impossible to not be affected by that story.

Why widowhood is one of the developing world’s key problems | Cherie Blair

I liked the whole concept of the Midwestern sensibility, particularly in Owen. He just took everything in stride. He may not have loved the situation, but he just faced it and dealt with it because there was no other way. I just didn't have the energy to spend with these sad sad people and read about their overwhelming grief. It's not like there were being dramatic, they had legit reason to be sad, it was just depressing to read about it after a while.

Yes, her book covers are gorgeous and enticing and make you want to crawl inside and find out the story behind the image. But those covers are only one appetizer before a multi-course meal. Readers are initially drawn-in to the banter between a mother and her teen aged daughter, then one single sentence zooms out and shows that things are not as they seem. Nothing is as it seems. No one is as he or she seems. The pain of their guilt radiates from the characters and is exacerbated by the secrets they keep. Eliza Maxwell knows how to write secrets.

It's giving when you've got nothing left to give, from places you can't afford to give anything else. Maxwell builds extraordinary, yet realistic relationships between the characters that allow readers to relate to them.

in (short-lived) mourning

Prepare to feel emotionally drained after you finish reading because this book puts readers through the wringer. The writing is lovely and flows well with short chapters that allow for a quick read. There are some scattered SPAG errors, but none were enough to impact my enjoyment. Double points awarded for one of my favorite sayings, "You can't judge a book by its cover This full review and more special features on Hall Ways Blog.

I read two previous novels by Ms. In several ways, they were outside my usual reading sphere: I usually avoid contemporary fiction heavy on relationships, deep emotions, and a fair amount of psychological issues because my experience with them has generally been unpleasant.

Not so with Ms. As always, peeps, I read two previous novels by Ms.

I admit that the tale of a damaged and grieving thirty-something woman with nothing to live for meeting or encountering or being snatched up by a crotchety, laconic sixty-something old man has been done before, in one permutation or another. Yet Jenna is different enough to set her apart, and Lars is definitely unique.

I found it hard not to like them, are about them, be annoyed with and irritated by them, much as I feel about people I actually know. It takes talent to write characters this way, especially when the secondary characters are equally well-drawn. The colder than cold Minnesota winter, alternating between the crystalline white of fresh snow and the gloominess of heavy, lowered clouds seemed as much a part of this story as the characters themselves, and as appropriate. So was the cozy, warm, but tiny back-to-bachelor basics cabin Lars lived in and offered as an asylum of sorts, although grumpily at first, to Jenna.

A posh chalet would never have worked so well. This novel is packed with dialogue, always a risky proposition unless the author has a true ear for how real folks talk. Here the Minnesotans speak as if their words have been saved for a long winter and they are reluctant to use too many all at once. Jenna is equally laconic at first, wrapped in soul-destroying grief and determined to follow her uninterrupted path.

And then, when it makes sense, everyone has quite a bit to say. No false notes here, though. The two criticisms I have are relatively minor. The first is that the veritable floodgates of emotions opened wide nearly all the time. Rarely did the water, figuratively or literally, dry up for very long. I certainly get the individual and collective tragedies among these characters are enormous, but the constant tears pooling, streaming, spilling flowing, and dripping—every possible way they fill one's eyes and then cascade down—lessening instead of deepening the real sense of loss.

In this sense, I think less is indeed more. The second issue was the odd coincidences, the abrupt—and not particularly convincing—way Jenna recovers enough to literally solve a mystery no one else could have don, and a couple of other stretches that, were the story and the characters not so otherwise solid, would have induced some serious eye-rolling. I noticed that some reviewers found this novel quite sad and depressing. Indeed, it began that way, but then the possibility of a satisfactory ending, if not a particularly happy one in the traditional sense, and the gradual metamorphosis of Jenna and Lars from their grief into people who could survive in a diminished but not completely empty world was neither sad nor depressing for me.

A very good book, so go read it! I really enjoyed this read. It was a very well-written and heartfelt story. I was easily absorbed into the story and enjoyed the characters. There were a few minor issues that kept me from giving the full five stars, but the book is definitely worth a read if you enjoy contemporary fiction.

This was my first book by Eliza Maxwell and I look forward to reading more of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest I really enjoyed this read. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. May 14, Cheryl rated it it was amazing.

I absolutely fell hard in love with this book. A true treasure of a read. You have to order a copy of The Widow's Watcher right away. Jenna and Lars had me from the get go. They were quite the pair. What with their "insults" or really I should say Jenna's insults towards Lar's attitude. When Lar would crack a smile, I could not help but smile as well. They were both wounded souls who actually needed one another. Although, I liked Jenna's deceased daughter, Cassie's voice whispering in Jenna's ea I absolutely fell hard in love with this book.

Although, I liked Jenna's deceased daughter, Cassie's voice whispering in Jenna's ear along the way. Eliza Maxwell pens a heartfelt, lovely story that reached deep into my soul with her endearing characters that will stick with you long after you have put down the last page in The Widow's Watcher! After The Grave Tender , this was my second book by Eliza Maxwell , and I've learnt that you need to be in a certain mood for these.

Ms Maxwell definitely knows how to pull you into a tragic story, and she crafts it skillfully with beautiful writing but goodness these stories are sad and heartbreaking, and did i mention, sad? In spite of all this gloom, I was glued to this and I absolutely adored the friendship between Lars, a cantankerous old man who lost a lot, and Jenna, who has lost everyt After The Grave Tender , this was my second book by Eliza Maxwell , and I've learnt that you need to be in a certain mood for these. In spite of all this gloom, I was glued to this and I absolutely adored the friendship between Lars, a cantankerous old man who lost a lot, and Jenna, who has lost everything and just wants to put an end to it.

The wintry setting of remote Minnesota added beautifully to the atmosphere. With its short chapters, this was quite a fast read, but the characters are nevertheless fully fleshed out. There is a mystery to be solved, but at the forefront, genre wise, this is more contemporary fiction exploring grief, guilt and forgiveness. I have my third book by Eliza Maxwell ready on my Kindle, but I need a somewhat more lighthearted read first. May 03, Mystica rated it really liked it.

Jenna stumbles upon Lars unintentionally but it seems like fate. Both have suffered unimaginable loss of family in very hard circumstances. Lars however lives in uncertainty whereas Jenna has given up all hope.

Jenna is suicidal and just wants to end it all. Lars is living on borrowed time. His heart will give up any day soon. How Lars rescues Jenna from a watery death and how Jenna repays the favor by digging into his past uncovering the sad story of his wife and two children and tries to look a Jenna stumbles upon Lars unintentionally but it seems like fate. How Lars rescues Jenna from a watery death and how Jenna repays the favor by digging into his past uncovering the sad story of his wife and two children and tries to look at it with a fresh eye investigating what has been painstakingly gone over - over and over again by not just Lars but by private investigators as well.

What she uncovers gives a glimmer of hope to Lars, so that he can get some kind of closure and understanding over a three decade misery. That Jenna herself will benefit from Lars mission was not apparent at first but helping out someone else did work miracles for Jenna herself.

That she is able to live for herself is what Jenna gets from the entire experience. This was a particularly sad story, but very well written. Characterization was spot on and the plot was good. Dec 07, Kim Carter rated it it was amazing Shelves: I truly believe that narration makes or breaks a story for me, the narration was on point with The Widow's Watcher. I was sucked in from the get go Jun 18, Katy Katyslibrary rated it really liked it. Thank you so much TLC Book Tours and Amazon Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and for having me on this book tour!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book as I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I ended up emotionally attached by the end and hoping that we see these characters again soon. I give this book four stars! I think my favorite part about this story was seeing two troubled souls find each other and help each other. We have all been there Thank you so much TLC Book Tours and Amazon Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and for having me on this book tour!

We have all been there in life where the dark times seem to consume us and we could use someone to pull us back into the light. I thought Lars and Jenna were just what the other needed and can I just tell you how much I loved that it wasn't a romance! Far too often mysteries, especially like this one, have a way of getting a romance story line involved and sometimes I enjoy it, but other times I think it takes away from the mystery the book is meant to be. Eliza just let this be a mystery with healing and growth occurring for the characters naturally.

I did think it was a little predictable in terms of some aspects I obviously don't want to go into specifics and do spoilers but in other ways I was left unsure about so many things up until the end. That always makes me happy because I'm left guessing till the last pages and that keeps me involved and reading quickly needing to see what happens and who doesn't enjoy that? There was nothing overly dramatic about this book, no big twists or crazy plot lines, but it was interesting all the same.

As I said I would love to see what was next for these characters. The ending brought about so many emotions and I just want to know how life goes on after that ending!! Ugh any who I recommend this for a light, quick mystery: May 21, Linda rated it it was amazing. This book starts out with much sadness and continues all the way. It had me from the start and I could not put it down. I read all day yesterday and today only stopping to cook and take a shower. Well sleep too but that is beside the point.

Two lost souls brought together due to so much loss and sadness. Two that would never hav First I have to say thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Two that would never have given each other a second look before. Not a love story at all. But full of a kind of love that will last forever. Jenna came to Minnesota for one thing and only one thing. She was on a mission and was so determined to see it through that nothing was going to stop her.

Lars is an old man who has known so much loss and was not going to let Jenna do anything to ruin his pond and mess with the rest of his life. They are drawn together in a way that will keep you wanting to know more. Wanting to know what happens next. Who did what and why. They each blame themselves for what life has given them. Jenna just wanted to die and Lars just wants answers of his own. But what will happen when those answers are finally there. Will they be able to live with the details of what happens. This book will certainly make you cry.

The Widow of the South

The ups and downs will make you dizzy. Not a love story of the conventional sense but a story full of love. But when Deb went to the doctor complaining of back pain, she learned that her cancer had returned. For three years, the cancer was controllable, but it was not cured. She felt embraced by her social circle. Francie Bonomie, a fellow New York writer, tells the story of her friend Peggy Weinberger, a suburban socialite, who awoke one morning to find her husband dead next to her.

She was excluded from the realm of the couples, who had been her best friends, exiled to the netherworld of single ageing women and smarmy men. Benilda points out that being widowed is a singular kind of displacement, entirely different from any other kind of separation. When you get a divorce, your family is no longer a family. But you move on. Moving on can be fraught with obstacles.

Some women simply cannot be alone and are so afraid of the stigma of being single that they are willing to settle for men who are not loving, validating, or solvent.

See a Problem?

Maybe because I feel too old? Maybe I carry too much guilt? You have to come back. As happens annually, some , women will lose their spouses this year. They will be cast out into an unkind, unfriendly world of creditors, misunderstanding friends, overbearing relatives. At least in this country, there is hope for rejuvenation.

It ensures that when the time comes, both are able to be fully dedicated to each other and to the moment rather than torn by uncertainty. Having a living will, even if it is impossible to anticipate everything, is important, and I would recommend having a proxy, someone you trust to help with medical decisions. Bea Schwartz nods vigorously. People should give that to one another. Without warning, he had died one morning in and left her alone. Mom survived the loss. But she never forgave him for leaving her.

Many women are blindsided by it because couples rarely talk about the inevitable. Death and dying features. Order by newest oldest recommendations. Show 25 25 50 All. Threads collapsed expanded unthreaded.

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