In the aftermath of World War II, the members of the Sutton family are reeling from the death of their “golden boy,” Eddie. Over the next twenty-five years, they all struggle with loss, grief, and mourning. Daughter Harriet and son Nat attempt to fill the void Eddie left behind: Harriet becomes a chemist despite an inhospitable culture for career women in the 1940s and ’50s, hoping to move into … into the family business in New Jersey, while Nat aims to be a jazz musician. Both fight with their autocratic father, George, over their professional ambitions as they come of age. Their mother, Eleanor, who has PTSD as a result of driving an ambulance during the Great War, wrestles with guilt over never telling Eddie about the horrors of war before he enlisted. As the members of the family attempt to rebuild their lives, they pay high prices, including divorce and alcoholism—but in the end, they all make peace with their losses, each in his or her own way.
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It’s 1945 and the Sutton family has lost their oldest son in WWII. The parents and the remaining two children have to learn to live life with the knowledge that he won’t be coming home. George, the father, hides his feelings by becoming more involved in his work and in his stern way of planning his remaining two children’s futures. Eleanor, the mom, drowns her sorrow in alcohol. Harriet wants to become a chemist in a time that women didn’t have careers and Nat wants to become a jazz musician, much to his father’s disapproval. The book takes place in the 25 years after the end of WWII as they learn to adapt to all of the changes in society during this time period.
The author did considerable research to follow this family through a tumultuous time in US history. Her research and tying it in with the music of the times make this story even more enjoyable and helps to make the family more real to the reader. The characters are very complex – especially Harriet and Nat and the depth of the writing makes the changes in their lives more understandable. This is a novel about love and family, change and personal growth and forgiveness. It’s a book that you don’t want to miss.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This is a family that is reeling over the loss of their son/brother/step-brother, Eddie. How it affects each of them and how they move forward.
Harriet is going to college to study chemistry so she can work alongside her father. The way she is received by an advisor from the Minnesota College should not have surprised me, but he did. A woman wanting to study such a field as chemistry?! Gasp, that’s a man’s only field. Thankfully the next advisor she spoke with wasn’t so harsh. Unfortunately, Harriet didn’t know that her father, at this point in time, wasn’t too keen on the idea of her working for him.
Nat has big dreams to become a musician, but again their father didn’t agree. While he does eventually find his way to jazz music, he discovers he’s not making enough money to support his growing family.
I will say their dad, George, was my least favorite character. He didn’t believe in any of his children’s dreams, and he is blamed for sending Eddie to war. I know people cope in different ways with death, so maybe he thought if they took the path he wanted, they would be safer? That’s a hard one.
Alcoholism is a big issue with some of the characters, especially the mother, but if I say anymore that may be giving away spoilers.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting to me how each character dealt with the hardships they faced. I also like that the story took place over 20 plus years. I liked seeing how the characters grew into the people they were meant to be.
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The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. It was one of those instances where I was potentially willing to read it regardless of content specifically because I loved the cover that much. While that’s not always the most wise book choosing method, in this case it turned out to be worth it. Sheldon took me down a fun and emotional nostalgic road that was worthy of gorgeous cover art.
As you may have expected, Harriet and Nat were my favorite part (characters! Always the characters!). First and foremost, it was a sibling relationship, and I love reading about siblings. Second, I really appreciated the perspective these two voices brought to the story. Their experiences, while similar, were also very different, and I think that level of insight into the story would’ve been lost had we been limited to a single narrator.
While I enjoyed both narrators, I especially appreciated Harriet and her struggles and determination to break the mold. And the fact that she decided to pursue her dreams in the grand old state of Wisconsin? Winning! I also want to mention that despite my lack of jazz knowledge, Nat’s passion for it was palpable and I loved that I could feel it deep in my feels.
Overall, I really enjoyed escaping into the past with Harriet and Nat and the rest of their family. It was an emotional ride following along through their trials and tribulations, but also a reminder that everyone has a battle even if we don’t see it.
Don’t Put the Boats Away is a thought provoking and well written story. The story takes place after World War 2 and the timeline encompasses 25 years. I enjoyed the alternating timelines of the past and present. There are certain components of the writing that were quite impressive to me. The themes of loss and forgiveness were evident to this reader. I appreciated the way that the author dealt with grief , PTSD, and alcoholism especially in post war time. The research the author did was quite apparent. The discussion of societal and class changes following the war were vivid and well described. I cannot commend the author enough for the vivid imagery that she was able to create. The description of the summer home on Cape May were fantastic. The characters were well developed, complex, authentic, and well fleshed out. This is a historical fiction novel that I would highly recommend.
I enjoyed reading this post WWII family story that spans a few decades. Though the story is focused on the Sutton family, the story immersed the reader into an amazing well researched historical read on the medical advancements, political highlights, and the struggles of women in professional roles throughout the decades. This is Ames Sheldon’s follow up to the first novel, Eleanor’s Wars – though this book worked as a great stand alone that continued to follow the development of the Sutton family. I loved that the writing incorporated the cultural changes happening in the country and how it is affecting the lives of our protagonists as it makes their problem relatable and believable. What is really beautiful about the writing is that it did not shy on touching upon complex themes and issues. I loved that it brought the family to a seamless resolution in the end. What a well written story that I enjoyed reading.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Don’t Put the Boats Away” by Ames Sheldon, She Writes Press, August 2019
Ames Sheldon, Author of “Don’t Put the Boats Away” has written an intriguing and memorable story. The Genres for this story are Fiction and Domestic Fiction. The timeline for this story is after World War Two and spans for twenty-five years. The author goes to the past or future when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes the characters as complex, complicated, flawed and dysfunctional.
The Sutton family is mourning the loss of son and brother Eddie, after World War Two. I appreciate that the author discusses the tragedies of war, and how this affects the individuals that survive. A current theme that seems to run through this story is the inequality of men and women when it comes to higher learning, employment, and positions of importance. Another theme that is evident in this novel is both loss, forgiveness, and self-worth.
In about a span of twenty-five years, the author writes about the members of the Sutton family, their achievements, frustrations, loss, and recovery. There are some twists and turns, secrets, heartaches, and memorable family get-togethers. I love the way the author uses music throughout the story.
I also applaud the author for discussing the problems of PSTD, alcoholism, depression, and the importance of getting help. I would recommend this thought-provoking novel.