Award-winning author Lynne Hugo returns with a life-affirming, poignant novel in the spirit of A Man Called Ove—a story brimming with both wit and warmth about how a family gets on . . . and goes on. CarolSue and her sister, Louisa, are best friends, but haven’t had much in common since CarolSue married Charlie, moved to Atlanta, and swapped shoes covered with Indiana farm dust for pedicures … farm dust for pedicures and afternoon bridge. Louisa, meanwhile, loves her farm and animals as deeply as she’d loved Harold, her late husband of forty years.
Charlie’s sudden death leaves CarolSue so adrift that she surrenders to Louisa’s plan for her to move back home. But canning vegetables and feeding chickens are alien to CarolSue, and she resolves to return to Atlanta—until Louisa’s son, Reverend Gary, arrives with an abandoned infant and a dubious story. He begs the women to look after the baby while he locates the mother—a young immigrant who fears deportation.
Keeping his own secrets, Gary enlists the aid of the sheriff, Gus, in the search. But CarolSue’s bond with the baby is undeniable, and she forms an unconventional secret plan of her own. How many mistakes can be redeemed?
Praise for the novels of Lynne Hugo
“Sparkling prose, wry humor, and timely, relevant themes abound.”
—Donna Everhart, USA Today bestselling author of The Moonshiner’s Daughter
“A tender hymn of hope and rebirth that stays with you long after the last page.”
—Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
“I lost hours of sleep as I raced to finish this extraordinary novel.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of Waisted
“Delivered with humor and heart.”
—Terri-Lynne DeFino, author of The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses)
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This book stays with you. Written with gentle wit in an engaging and accessible style, it reprises much-loved characters first encountered in The Testament of Harold’s Wife. In The Book of CarolSue, Louisa, Gary, and Sherriff Gus are joined by Louisa’s sister, CarolSue, as the two women undertake the clandestine care of a baby reluctantly abandoned by her immigrant mother. Louisa’s son, the Reverend Gary, further strains her patience as he grapples with his conscience and mismanages his fledgling church. CarolSue’s suburban lifestyle fails her once she trades the bridge table for the potato patch even as her affection for the baby, Gracie, grows more maternal every day. And Sherriff Gus, well, he’s just not quite sure what the heck is going on.
The Book of CarolSue is not so much a sequel as another lens into a complicated family dynamic. We experience the fraught love of sisters as they mourn the loss of their spouses, the humorous quirks of romance in later years, and the unique joys and challenges only a newborn can bring. A lesser writer would have hammered home these emotions with florid prose and overstated dramatic devices—especially when describing the harrowing experiences of Gracie’s mother, Rosalina. Ms. Hugo uses a subtle brush that proves far more effective, enabling us to empathize with every character despite their conflicting needs and goals. This multi-faceted approach, combined with subtle humor and a vivid emotional palette, conveys powerful truths that, in the end, leave us both uplifted and grateful for those who love us.
It is not essential to read The Testament of Harold’s Wife before reading The Book of CarolSue, though once you meet these delightful characters—described as only Lynne Hugo can—I guarantee you’ll want to pay another visit to the farm. And perhaps even have a cup of “special tea.”
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy reading books with older main characters and I love reading books about sisters so this was a win-win for me. Sisters Louisa and Carol Sue are in their 60s and even though they are alike in some ways, they are very different. Louisa has always been content to live and work on the family farm. She is pretty set in her ways and is happiest in messy old clothes working in her garden. CarolSue had married and moved to Atlanta more than 20 years earlier. She enjoys dressing well, playing bridge and having lunch with her friends.
As the story begins, CarolSue’s husband has just died. The first person she calls is her sister and Louisa gets there the next day. Even though CarolSue isn’t sure what to do with her life, Louisa convinces her to go home to Indiana and live on the family farm. It’s a very different lifestyle for her and she reluctantly agrees. When she gets to Indiana, she realizes that Louisa’s method of getting over grief is to keep busy – working in the garden, feeding the chickens and other farm duties. CarolSue has about decided to go home when her nephew, Gary, shows up with a baby that he claims belongs to one of his church members and he asks his mom and aunt to babysit until he finds the mother. Well – there is way more to that story than I am going to tell you in this review but the important thing is that they both love taking care of the baby and learn to love her.
There are a lot of funny moments in this novel. Louisa has named all of her chickens and talks to them while she lets them wander around in the house. She fixes her special tea once a day – tea mixed with whiskey and when her boyfriend, who is also sheriff, comes to visit they take naps together – which are way more than naps. Louisa also has a straight forward way of looking at the world which is humorous at times. In many ways she tries to be a tough old lady but she really has a heart of gold that she keeps hidden from everyone but her sister. She and her son never see eye-to-eye, she doesn’t understand his life of being a preacher (and doesn’t mind telling him) but she helps him out every chance she gets and was willing to take the baby for a day, that became a months and to keep the baby hidden from Gus (which caused an end to their ‘naps’ for awhile).
This book deals with more than sisters learning to live together — it’s also about grief, fear of the future, family and love. It also touches on illegal immigrants and the way they are treated. Overall it’s a wonderful story of two sisters coping with life and leaning to reach out and change their attitudes when needed. It’s a fun book to read and I hope that there is a third book in the future. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these sisters.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Life-affirming and nourishing! For me, Lynne Hugo’s wonderful “The Book of CarolSue” was a comforting combination of love, suspense, humor, and hope – as well as an accurate reportage on the nature of grief for loved ones and times lost. By using a beautifully-woven variety of voices to tell the tale, Ms. Hugo intriguingly creates a much broader worldview than seems likely at first, given its rural locale and number of characters. Successfully alternating points of view like this is no easy feat in a novel, but Ms Hugo managed it expertly. My hat is off to her for such delicious storytelling.
Thanks to Book Club Cookbook & Kensington Publishing for a gifted copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
This was a heartwarming story of sisters, long-time friends who are now both widows but with very different lifestyles. After the death of husband Charlie, CarolSue moves from Atlanta to the farm at the invitation of her sister Louisa. What starts out as a tedious, predictable farm experience for CarolSue turns into a game of cat and mouse as the introduction of an abandoned baby awakens maternal longings in CarolSue.
The plot thickens with humorous hijinks as CarolSue and Louisa babysit little Gracie for Louisa’s incompetent son Gary, while he tries to locate the mother – a young immigrant who fears deportation. They try to keep the baby hidden from Louisa’s boyfriend, Gus, who is also the sheriff.
Themes of trust, love, redemption, faith, and family are woven throughout this sweet and humorous novel.
I really enjoyed this read. The off beat sisters with their powerful relationship showered in humour. It kept me entertained and curious.
An easy, pleasant read. FOr a while I wondered what is going to happen here, then there was uncertainty about how it would go, then toward the end it became predictable.
Quirky and unusual. At times I wanted the story to move along, but I really enjoyed this book.
I enjoyed this book and am now reading the one that is the prequel to it; The Testament of Harold’s Wife. The characters are very unique and interesting. There is some heartache and the book shows how the characters deal with that. It also weaves in some topical social themes; such as deportation. I enjoy books about senior ladies (as I am one myself). The main characters are two sisters, Louisa and CarolSue who decided to live together on Louisa’s farm with her animal friends after their husbands die. I love the author’s way with words. I will forever think of “naps” differently after reading this book.
“There’s an upside and a downside to every way of life. It was the downside of this life that I hadn’t missed when I was in Atlanta.” (CarolSue)
This book had my emotions jumping all over the place. What a heart tugging story of a family that drew me in from the first page. I haven’t read the first book “The Testament of Harold’s Wife” but I had no problem finding myself lost in the pages of this book and not feeling confused in the least bit. Ms. Hugo wove CarolSue’s story with finesse, humor, heartbreak, and lots of family drama. CarolSue finds herself living with her best friend and sister, Louisa, back on the home farm in Indiana after her beloved husband, Charlie dies. This isn’t what she expected at this stage in her life. How does she cope and what purpose will she have in this animal menagerie with family and friends that are off the “normal” chart?
Ms. Hugo has crafted her characters with amazing detail. Each one is as individual and unique as any I’ve read. They are written with deep convictions and emotions. I couldn’t help but feel for them as the story evolved. She writes them into a story that is dramatic yet her humor lightens the seriousnesses. She places the characters in scenarios that are relevant to the times but she does it with sensitivity. I had my heart yanked apart at certain places in the book and yearned for a resolution that was satisfying to the characters and for me. Then there were scenes that I laughed out loud. Especially at the sarcastic lines. This story is filled with so much that made it a great read….like a Glitter Jesus, afternoon “napping”, a baby that is missing a mother, and the “Plan” are among a few of them.
There are also profound lines that perfectly blend with the story and will stick with me for a long time. They made me think but also touched me with the insightful meanings.
“Isn’t it strange how we think one thing is going to happen and then something so utterly different happens? Inside we are so disappointed and have no idea that life might just have handed us a huge gift. And it’s so difficult to remember to be open to that possibility, isn’t it? Because we never know when that might be the case.”
“….love isn’t measured in length of time, but in tenderness and gratitude.”
This is a story of a famly’s love for each other. Through the thick and thin of life’s challenges, they stick together. It’s not always pretty but it’s the right thing to do. This was a great getaway read for me. I want to thank Ms. Hugo for the privilege of reading her very entertaining story. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.
It’s been over a year since I read her previous novel *The Testament of Harold’s Wife*, but it felt like coming home.
CarolSue, and her sister Louisa, have been dealt a crappy hand or two, and we’re dropped right in the middle of the story. I absolutely love how their sister bond was presented and dissected, and how it felt so comforting.
I loved the personalities of CarolSue and Louisa. They’re filled with so much snark and sass, but it’s equally balanced with genuine emotion. They made me laugh, they made me tear up. . . I just loved them.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Book of CarolSue” by Lynne Hugo, Kensington Publishing, August 25, 2020
Lynne Hugo, the author of “The Book of CarolSue” has written a memorable, witty, delightful, and heartwarming novel. The genres for this novel are women’s fiction and fiction. This is the second in a series, and it can be read alone. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The author describes her colorful and dramatic characters as mostly likable and relatable. They are quirky and dysfunctional. Of course, what enjoyable story doesn’t have chickens goats, cats, and dogs? I love the way the author vividly describes the characters, scenery, and events in the story.
Louisa rescues her sister CarolSue when Charlie, CarolSue’s husband passes away. Before CarolSue has a chance to blink she is helping Louisa on the farm picking sweet potatoes, listening to Louisa talk to the chickens, and having “naps” with Sheriff Gus.
Louisa’s son Gary has found religion, and somehow has a knack for finding trouble. As a matter of fact, Gary does turn to ask Sheriff Gus for some help. Sheriff Gus doesn’t really notice what is going on at Louisa’s house. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this entertaining and humorous novel.
Having come from a blended family hosting five children (four sisters, one brother), this book was a beautiful reminder in the sense of the family bond…one that sometimes gets lost when life gets busy, but has a way of coming back together when needed most.
Hugo’s narrative is one of family, grief, and loss…an almost haunting tale that stays with the reader long after they close the book.
I look forward to reading more titles by this author.
Yes, author Lynne Hugo has most certainly done it again. Told a marvelous, fantastic, touching, wonderful tale that will leave you full and complete and satisfied, and wanting more at the same time. Like its predecessor, The Testament of Harold’s Wife, The Book of CarolSue is about a lot of things: family, farming, small town life, the death of a loved one and the need – and ability – to move on. CarolSue’s circumstances aren’t like her sister Louisa’s, but that gaping hole after the death of her beloved husband Charlie is exactly the same. He had a long illness, but his death was unexpected. She left the Indiana farm life years ago to live in Atlanta with Charlie. A happy, more sophisticated life But now he’s gone and she’s alone, trying to figure out what kind of life she’s supposed to live now if she’s not Charlie’s wife. She always wanted children but that was not to be, so it’s just CarolSue and her memories.
Until Louisa comes along. Sisters take care of one another (even if it turns out they don’t tell one another every little thing). Just like CarolSue was there for her when her husband Harold died, Louisa is there for CarolSue. She packs her up and back they go to Indiana. There’s room in the farmhouse and they’ll have each other for company. Without Charlie, Atlanta is no longer her home, so CarolSue agrees, and it seems okay at first. Until she starts to think maybe you can’t fill a hole with a place, and maybe being back where her memories and the life she’s accustomed to are is the better choice. So she starts planning her departure, but not yet sharing with Louisa (after all, even sisters don’t always tell each other everything).
And then suddenly there’s a baby. Oh, Gracie! What an angel. What a blessing. Just what CarolSue needs. Yes, she does realize she’s old enough to be this child’s grandmother but she can easily care and provide for – and love – this child.
Someone left Gracie on the doorstep of Gary’s church. Gary is an internet preacher with a history of his own troubles. He is desperately trying to find the child’s mother and asks his own mother Louisa and his aunt CarolSue to babysit. Louisa says she wants that baby gone, CarolSue already can’t imagine life without her and Gary is a mess. And Sheriff Gus, Louisa’s new friend that she “takes naps” with, is investigating.
I’m not going to tell you anymore and spoil it. Read it for yourself. Go back and read The Testament of Harold’s Wife while you’re at it. These are stories with smooth, flowing, well-developed plots and language, in a setting that makes you believe you are living in it. Both The Book of CarolSue and The Testament of Harold’s Wife will surprise and satisfy you, make you think about family and loss and just hanging in, hanging on when you sometimes have to. Hope, humor, heart, it’s all there. The characters are delightful, deep, rich, lovable, infuriating. But human, beautifully human. Once you meet them they’ll stay with you always.
Lynne Hugo is no longer a new author to me, but she is now one I will most certainly continue to read and recommend. Such enjoyable, well crafted, engaging stories that make you feel and think. Thanks to the author for an advance copy of The Book of CarolSue for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. I recommend author Lynne Hugo’s work without hesitation.
The Pattern That God Weaves in Our Lives is Rarely Understood
This is truly an awesome work of women’s fiction. It brought tears of joy and sadness in a soul encompassing manner. The book is centered around two middle aged sisters and some awesome changes in their lives. I don’t want to give out any spoilers (like details), but this book will haunt me for a while and I will reread it. It ends on an upbeat note that lets the reader know what will happen in the future without getting to experience it in the book. I will be checking out this author’s other books. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
The Book of Carolsue is a well written story about sisters. I love to read stories about sisters. I think it’s because of the love I have for my sister.
I also really enjoy the fact that the main characters are older, in their 60’s in fact.
Louisa and Carolsue are sisters that are very different. The characters are complex, flawed and well fleshed out.
The author has a wonderful way of dealing with sensitive topics such as grief and immigrants.
A well rounded story that will stay with me .
The Book of CarolSue is a warm, witty, and poignant novel about family. When CarolSue’s husband passes away, she moves back to Indiana to live with her sister, and when an abandoned baby shows up at their house, their lives open up to love and possibilities! I loved the relationship between the sisters—it felt so genuine with their bickering and their affection! The book explores the serious and timely issue of immigration with heart and compassion. You will be charmed by these characters and their story!
BOOK REVIEW: The Book of CarolSue by author, Lynne Hugo
ARC~ August 25, 2020
“There’s an upside and a downside to every way of life.” This couldn’t be more truthful a statement for CarolSue and Louisa. While living two very different lives as to their personalities, likes and dislikes, these quirky, spirited sisters now find themselves melding their worlds together once again, after many years, on their Indiana family farm with some of the most unlikely of characters that lend to the witty and unconventional.
With the recent scars of grief that have made their way into the heart and soul of this family unit, humor, hope and whimsy take root as they learn to pick up the pieces by leaning on one another as they face their past haunts and on to what life has in store…
The Book of CarolSue weaves threads of vulnerability, strength and true heart with the added sprinkle of surprise through an unexpected ‘little’ miracle that brings not only conflict but joy into the lives of those who have been given the chance to embrace it.
An endearing yet subtle narrative that shows us that no matter our age, or what “Plan” life has for us, family can enrich and inspire during the most unpredictable of times~ with love.
I thank Ms. Hugo for my personal copy of The Book of CarolSue and allowing me the opportunity to review this touching novel of re-discovery.
4 Stars
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Wild Sage Book Blog
Endearing and subtle, Lynne Hugo’s book “The Book of CarolSue” is a modern day parable. Set after “The Testament of Harold’s Wife”, we return to the semi-rural family farm of two sisters, Louisa and CaroleSue, in Southeast Indiana. Both sisters are recently widowed and working through grief – Louisa, with the tragic loss of her husband and grandson; CarolSue, with the more recent death of her husband. Louisa remained on the family farm whereas CarolSue had been living a relatively cosmopolitan lifestyle in suburban Atlanta. After several years apart, they are learning how to live together again as sisters, but their sanctuary is perturbed yet again with the unexpected arrival of a newborn. Louisa’s son and CaroleSue’s nephew Gary, a somewhat wayward minister with a fledgling congregation, enlists their help to care for the baby girl, Gracia. The baby has been left mysteriously in his care. Gracia’s origins turn into an extended quest for Gary to find her mother. The mother, Rosalina, is a migrant worker and happens to be closer to them than the women realize. Gary solicits help from the town’s sheriff Gus to trace Rosalina. Sheriff Gus is also courting Louisa; meanwhile Louisa and CaroleSue hide their care of baby Gracia from both Gus and the church congregation to help maintain Gary’s public persona as a minister.
“The Book of CarolSue” reads well with a comic irreverence vaguely reminiscent of the TV show, “The Golden Girls”. It is also a tale of a return to Grace. Despite their personal grief, Louisa and CaroleSue meet unexpected life challenges from a position of love. Not fear, not self-pity, nor judgment, but love motivates them to overlook the disruption to their personal lives and care for baby Gracia. Through their care, they find a renewed sense of purpose. Lynne Hugo’s “The Book of CaroleSue” is spiritually elevating.
Beautiful story of family; Dispite distance of differences in opinions when the chips are down these sisters are there for each other. Lynne Hugo know how to grab you emotions and take you thru them all. happy, sad, love or mad….Very well told in an enjoyable book.
Thank you to Net Galley, Kensington and Lynne Hugo for this advance reader ebook in exchange for my review..
This review is soley my opinion.
could not get into it. took too long to explain who characters were.