A mother being dragged ever deeper into the icy waters of depression. A daughter who finds a devastating secret about a shadowy past buried in her mom’s dresser. And the key to unlocking a long-hidden family mystery that could save or destroy much more than their two lives. Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother … mostly about her mother Elaine’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother, who shuts herself off from human connections and instead buries herself in the lives and deaths of the strangers she writes about, is nursing her own carefully-kept secret. But in Elaine’s raw and fragile state, Molly knows not to pry too deeply.
Until her Uncle Stephen is thrust into the limelight because of his miracle cure of a young man and her mother can no longer hide behind other people’s stories. As Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York–a secret that could save or destroy their future.
Between Before and After is:
- A riveting YA story told in dual narratives during the flu epidemic in 1918 New York City and 1955 San Jose, California
- An historical coming-of-age novel about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters.
- Written by award-winning poet, novelist, and teacher Maureen McQuerry
- Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Laurie Halse Anderson
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WOWZERS! Ms. Mc Querry seamlessly weaves Elaine and Molly’s intertwined stories from 1919 New York to 1955 San Jose. The struggle with depression is handled with grace. The view of the miraculous is thought provoking. I enjoyed this journey through the messiness of family relationships. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I recommend this book to young and mature adults alike who enjoy time-slip novels.
I won a copy. All views expressed are my own opinion.
My Review:
This poignant tale of family, coming of age, and miracles, follows fourteen year old Elaine and her brother Stephen as they fight to survive after the death of their mother, with their absent alcoholic father. Elaine finds a job with a wealthy family to support her family.
Thirty years later Elaine’s fourteen year old daughter Molly gets the idea to find out more about her troubled mother’s past, drawing inspiration from her mother’s career as a biography author. As the pieces begin to fall together, their life is disrupted by a real life miracle.
A multi-layered story with complex characters, about secrets and the choices we make for the people we love. Elaine is a clever young woman forced to grow up too soon, she is book smart as well as street smart, taking charge of her small household at fourteen. Thirty years later she has become a classically troubled and depressed writer, her marriage is suffering, and her children walk on eggshells around her. Her brother Stephen has held to his childhood faith, and works as a high school teacher at the Catholic school. He is one of the few bright spots in Molly and Angus’s lives taking them on adventures doing the everyday things that their mother can’t be bothered with.
The parallel storytelling entwined with the tale of Hansel and Gretel lends insight into the secrets of Elaine and Stephen’s past and how their upbringing shaped the people they became. Molly is more like her mother than she realizes, she struggles to maneuver growing up while her family is falling apart, caring for her brother, and trying to figure out her life in the aftermath of the miracle.
An intriguing read that kept me guessing despite how it had me thinking that I knew how some things would turn out. Stephen is one of my favorite characters, he loves his sister despite everything and always sees the best in her and remains humble in the spotlight. I enjoyed the rich storytelling and how Molly and Elaine’s stories intertwined revealing Elaine’s secrets with even more questions cropping up along the way, making it an ever increasingly hard book to put down. Stephen was one of my favorite characters, and it was interesting to see how he was when he was a boy and how Elaine sacrificed to care for him. A tale of family, secrets that bring us together and tear us apart, and miracles. A well written and engrossing read!
Books reviewed are checked out from my local library or purchased with my own money, unless otherwise noted.
– A stunning YA novel about the bonds of family and the power of hope. –
From the first sentence, this book captured my attention and drew me in, tugging my heart-strings and daring me to put it down.
With gorgeous imagery, authentic historical detail, and overall amazing storytelling, Maureen McQuerry took me on a journey that I won’t soon forget!
The split-time aspect was amazing—I enjoyed seeing the stories of Molly and Elaine side by side and watching as they paralleled each other. I also thought the Hansel and Gretel retelling side of this book was very intriguing!
This book dealt with some really difficult topics, and my heart ached for the characters, especially for Elaine. But I also really connected with Molly—her love of writing and curiosity coupled with her sense of responsibility made for an incredibly endearing character, but it was the struggles both girls faced that shaped this story into the amazing book that it is!
Abandonment, betrayal, loss, and secrets are woven throughout, but it is the hope found in the midst of all that, and the overcoming love of family that truly brought this story together. And the ending was great, if surprising!!
****Highly Recommended!!****
Note: There is a very small amount of more mature content in this book, but nothing graphic, so I would probably recommend it for 14+
A thoroughly engaging book about family told through to time periods—1918 for Elaine and 1955 for her daughter Molly—Between Before and After is unique and refreshing. Love of their brothers and interested in writing are commonalities between Molly and her mother, yet there’s also an air of depression around Elaine. One Molly is convinced comes from something from Elaine’s past.
In an effort to figure out what is happening with her mother, Molly embarks on a fact-finding mission to try and figure out the disconnect between them.
Maureen Doyle McQuerry gives readers an intricately layered story of two young women in very different times who are related but distant. Elaine’s storyline is more emotional as she lives through heavy moments of loss and grief. Yet, Molly’s journey of discovery enhances both.
The end is more abrupt and could have been fleshed out a bit more, but the journey is definitely worth taking. For those looking for YA reads that don’t center on romance, Between Before and After is an excellent choice.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Now, I’m always interested in stories that connect different times in the past. Usually I like when they are related to more of major historical events, but this one had its own connections that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering where it would all go, and how it would all connect. As we followed through the mother, Elaine’s time period, there were so many things going on in her life that it kept me guessing and catching clues for paths to try to figure out just what the major secret she was hiding from her daughter was. I started to figure it out a bit, once we learned of the crush Elaine had, but how that all turned out wasn’t the exact path I’d predicted in my head, and I love how an author can keep you guessing, and even when you start to figure it out, still have surprises left for you in the end! I liked how even though we had Molly’s Uncle Stephen who was very religious, and then her mother who was not happy with god, all of that was done without seeming to force the reader to feel one way or the other. Definitely a great mystery and also a good family story. It was fun to read about a trip to the very first McDonald’s in their town back in that time period and compare it to what the fast food restaurant is today. Now, I can’t give a specific quote, in case anything changes in the final edition of the book, but there was one line or bit that I really, really liked. A part where one of the characters said that a good story isn’t written to teach a lesson. Anything that the reader learns is through what they identify with in the story. Also they said something about there being something in the human heart that needs a story. I believe all of those things are true. At least for me, and the books that I read.