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1.38k reviews by:
emilyisoverbooked
“…the most important parts of our stories are not the worst things that have happened to us, but what comes after. There is a beautiful grit that only humans seem to exhibit, by picking themselves up after a tragedy and making life wonderful in spite of its shortcomings.”
Heartbreaking, powerful, and sweet. Grab your tissues, sad romance friends.
Heartbreaking, powerful, and sweet. Grab your tissues, sad romance friends.
I liked it even more the second time! Can’t wait for the movie.
Thank you so much to Ballantine Books for the copy of this ARC.
Rootless starts off with Sam noticing a charge on a shared credit card with his wife for a plane ticket. Efe decided to leave Sam and their daughter and fly back to Ghana as their marriage has reached a crisis point. From there, the book goes back to when Sam and Efe first met and closes in on the present timeline, and I really loved that structure. Their meeting was so sweet and I loved all the 90s/early 2000s references. We learn about the ups and (lots of) downs from their pasts and get to understand who the characters really are and delve into their experience as Ghanaians living in London.
When we get to Part 2, closer to present day, I had a harder time with this book. Sam and Efe both made some choices that I really wasn't on board with, but still think they can reconcile their marriage. The ending had a CHOKEHOLD on me - totally unexpected - but I think it worked well for the novel. I appreciated the reality of how hard motherhood is in this book, along with the discussion around the lack of self confidence and necessity of having others to help while raising kids. But also - get therapy and help others get therapy when it’s needed.
There are some pretty major trigger warnings in this book that I think will affect the reading experience pretty heavily, as it did for me, so be sure to research those.
Rootless starts off with Sam noticing a charge on a shared credit card with his wife for a plane ticket. Efe decided to leave Sam and their daughter and fly back to Ghana as their marriage has reached a crisis point. From there, the book goes back to when Sam and Efe first met and closes in on the present timeline, and I really loved that structure. Their meeting was so sweet and I loved all the 90s/early 2000s references. We learn about the ups and (lots of) downs from their pasts and get to understand who the characters really are and delve into their experience as Ghanaians living in London.
When we get to Part 2, closer to present day, I had a harder time with this book. Sam and Efe both made some choices that I really wasn't on board with, but still think they can reconcile their marriage. The ending had a CHOKEHOLD on me - totally unexpected - but I think it worked well for the novel. I appreciated the reality of how hard motherhood is in this book, along with the discussion around the lack of self confidence and necessity of having others to help while raising kids. But also - get therapy and help others get therapy when it’s needed.
There are some pretty major trigger warnings in this book that I think will affect the reading experience pretty heavily, as it did for me, so be sure to research those.
3.5 ⭐️
Thanks so much to Anchor for the copy of this ARC!
A *phenomenal* dual timeline storyline that was unfortunately just way too long. The plot and themes were wonderful - I loved the views on race in America, and am really glad that there’s a book written centering on these particular topics… just wish it was parsed down a bit!
Thanks so much to Anchor for the copy of this ARC!
A *phenomenal* dual timeline storyline that was unfortunately just way too long. The plot and themes were wonderful - I loved the views on race in America, and am really glad that there’s a book written centering on these particular topics… just wish it was parsed down a bit!
Thank you to Celadon Books for the copy of this ARC.
Tara Connelly is just getting out of prison for a drug trafficking charge, and although her prospects as an art teacher are over, she's ready to move back in with her family and move forward. But her family has their own struggles, and to put it lightly, is a bit of a mess.
Goodness - I absolutely fell in love with this story. The characters in this family are very raw and have so much growth together. As Tara navigates life after prison, she experiences unlikely love and support and learns how to adjust to best assist her family. Her interactions with her nephew, Conor, are absolutely the sweetest and I really appreciated how genuine she is as a person. Her mind returns to her mother's old Irish stories of her and her siblings as heroes with their own special superpowers in The Connellys of County Down, and it was beautiful to watch Tara grow and bloom and finally remember the power her mother attibuted to her. I loved the multiple POVs, the messiness, the beautiful growth, and really just everything about this story.
Tara Connelly is just getting out of prison for a drug trafficking charge, and although her prospects as an art teacher are over, she's ready to move back in with her family and move forward. But her family has their own struggles, and to put it lightly, is a bit of a mess.
Goodness - I absolutely fell in love with this story. The characters in this family are very raw and have so much growth together. As Tara navigates life after prison, she experiences unlikely love and support and learns how to adjust to best assist her family. Her interactions with her nephew, Conor, are absolutely the sweetest and I really appreciated how genuine she is as a person. Her mind returns to her mother's old Irish stories of her and her siblings as heroes with their own special superpowers in The Connellys of County Down, and it was beautiful to watch Tara grow and bloom and finally remember the power her mother attibuted to her. I loved the multiple POVs, the messiness, the beautiful growth, and really just everything about this story.