From National Book Award finalist and the New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home comes a “powerful, beautifully crafted” (People) family saga about three generations of women who struggle to find freedom and happiness in their small Midwestern college town. A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl is a poignant novel about three generations of the Wise family–Evelyn, Laura, and … of the Wise family–Evelyn, Laura, and Grace–as they hunt for contentment amid chaos of their own making.
We see these women and their trials, small and large: social slights and heartbreaks; marital disappointments and infidelities; familial dysfunction; mortality. Spanning from World War II to the present, Thompson reveals a matrilineal love story that is so perfectly grounded in our time–a story of three women regressing, stalling, and yes, evolving, over decades. One of the burning questions she asks is: by serving her family, is a woman destined to repeat the mistakes of previous generations, or can she transcend the expectations of a place, and a time? Can she truly be free?
Evelyn, Laura, and Grace are the glue that binds their family together. Tethered to their small Midwestern town–by choice or chance–Jean Thompson seamlessly weaves together the stories of the Wise women with humanity and elegance, through their heartbreaks, setbacks, triumphs, and tragedies. “Thompson’s new novel draws the reader in with character and plot…but what ultimately holds the reader enthralled is…her ability to capture the nuance of individual moments, thoughts, and reactions. No one writing today is better at this…[an] extraordinary novel” (Washington Independent Review of Books).
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Jean Thompson is a brilliant novelist from the classic school of storytelling. This is a moving tale built upon a foundation of unforgettable characters, drawn with empathy and insight. A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl is a story that illustrates our present moment through a keen and unflinching look at our past. Thompson’s work centers on the Midwest, what some call ‘fly over’ country, but in her hands, we come to see that it is the center.
The story of three generations of women, grandmother Evelyn, her daughter Laura, and her granddaughter Grace, with the focus largely on Grace’s view of things. Evelyn taught at the local college and despite the fact that she and her lawyer husband were comfortable financially, had two healthy children, a large circle of friends and a great deal of community involvement, is a very unhappy woman. She dies early in the book and the focus shifts to Laura, who is not so happily married, with two adult children who don’t seem to have much in the way of goals for success in adulthood. Her husband Gabe has a drinking problem, her son Michael, is a musician with a drug problem and a volatile relationship with his father. Laura plays peacemaker on a regular basis. Grace has finished her college degree but is unsure of what she really wants to do, so she works at the local health food store and watches from the sidelines as her mother unsuccessfully tries to keep the battles between Gabe and Michael from getting out of hand.
This was a very well written, addicting read. It was not the most uplifting story but it felt very real and believable. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.
If you are looking for an incredibly tragic, moving family saga then look no further, A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson has you covered!
I went into A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl knowing it was going to be a family saga about three generations, but I don’t think I realized just how sad it was going to be. There is a lot of hurt and pain in this book, so I definitely think you need to be in the right mood to read it. That being said, it was beautifully written, and I can tell that Thompson is very skilled at her craft. I think Grace was my favorite viewpoint, but also one of the saddest. This is a tear-jerker for sure so I would make sure to keep some tissues handy!
I listened to all of A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl on audio, and I really enjoyed the narrator Cassandra Campbell. She narrators another book that I want to listen to soon, so it is nice to know I already like her from this book. I listened to her on 1.8 speed which was perfect, and I could understand her just fine. I think that listening to this may have made it a tiny bit less of a tear-jerker for me so if you are worried about crying while listening to the audio, you might not have to. It’s sad and tragic, but doing the audio detached me a little bit and I didn’t cry a whole lot even though usually I’m sure I would.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Elastic Heart by Sia
Final Thought: There aren’t a whole lot of happy things that happen in A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl, so if you aren’t in the mood to be melancholy this might not be the book for you. It made me long for lilac trees, and lilac seemed to be a theme in and of itself which was very interesting. The book revolves around the lives of three different generations of women, and if that sounds like your thing I would definitely recommend checking it out. I’m glad I did the audio of this book, and I look forward to reading more from Thompson.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book (and a candle!), all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I looked forward to reading Jean Thompson’s A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl. I enjoy reading multiple generational stories. Set in a small town we meet Evelyn who is a college professor during WW II, her daughter, Laura who has an unhappy marriage who raised two children Grace and Michael, a drug addict. Laura is pulled in many directions as she deals with settling the affairs of her mother after she died, her son’s addiction, and an unfulfilled marriage. Grace tries to deal with her mother and brother while trying to figure out her own dreams.
I found myself getting bogged down in the story and could not connect with the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for this ARC.
Women hold a family together. They plan the social activities and family gatherings, act as a buffer between butting heads, ease the high emotions of family conflict, and provide the meals for the family table that brings generations together.
It is not an easy job, or an easy life. Especially in families afflicted with personality disorders, addictions, mental illness, anger issues, conflict–or even with the usual garden variety issues common to all families.
A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson is about three generations of women who have struggled with holding the family together even when their personal dreams are sacrificed for their family. The characters, Evelyn, Laura, and Grace, are vital and distinct while recalling to mind our own mothers and daughters.
It is a heartbreaking story that spans from WWII to the present, each generation of women hoping to find self-fulfillment and true love yet putting the interests of others first.
Each woman who reads this novel must ask herself in what way has she repeated her mother’s life, in what ways has she sacrificed her dreams, and if it was worth it in the end. And do we make these choices out of societal or familial expectation or out of the love we have for our children?
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.