The truth will set you free, but first it will make a huge mess of things. Nina’s once-sweet life has unexpectedly turned sour. Her father has just died, her marriage is over, and her job is in jeopardy. Her teenage daughter is slipping away from her, and her mother may or may not have fallen off the wagon. Her ex-con brother, Ray, has just found out he’s a father, and her sister, Lola, is about … sister, Lola, is about to reveal that she knew Ray had been responsible for the childhood accident that resulted in the loss of her short-term memory. When the entire family gathers for the funeral, it is the first time in years that they are forced to deal with their issues.
With Nina struggling with her family drama, all she has left to hold onto is her final assignment photographing images for the book 32 Ways to Make Lemonade. Well, that and the attention of a younger man who might turn out to be more heaven-sent than she thought. But Oliver’s on-again-off-again interest in her romantically ebbs and flows so much she is seasick. And then Jack, her ex-husband, shows up, wanting to get back together.
Nina is reluctant to let Jack back in her life; she is still smarting over some assumed infidelity on his part and the miscarriage they both suffered. As she continues to turn to Oliver, she finds that not only does he provide a welcome distraction from her troubles, but he also helps her understand what she stands to lose if she walks away from her family.
When Oliver breaks off the relationship by revealing that he has decided to resume his education, complete his Master of Divinity degree, and enter the Catholic priesthood, Nina realizes that she has been given a second chance to follow her own path back to her own happiness. Just as Oliver has focused on what was important to him and found the courage to pursue it, Nina chooses to reconnect with her mother and reconcile with her ex-husband. In doing so, she comes to know that her family’s love is the best sweetener for her life.
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This delightful, beautifully written book details a year in Nina Griffin’s life as she struggles to find a path forward through a tangle of escalating challenges. Nina, her brother, and her sister each harbor secrets, and following the death of their father, the walls they’ve worked so hard to build crumble, revealing new possibilities for all of them. Full of warmth and memorable characters, THE LEMONADE YEAR deals with love, loss, and family with a deft touch and a distinctive sense of humor. I look forward to reading the sequel!
I was delighted to find this rich read. Willoughby-Burle presents interesting, believable, and vulnerable characters I greatly care about. She captures conversations of the heart in ways that leaves us tenderized and wiser than when we begin reading the book. I’m looking forward to her other books and cheering her on!
I really enjoyed this book! I thought the themes of family and sacrifice, love and forgiveness were inspirational. It’s so hard to deal with loss, and this book meets it head on and shows that mistakes don’t ruin our lives or relationships forever. It takes a lost woman and shows her how to change her own life for the better. I liked it a lot!
The Lemonade Year was definitely an interesting read. This is a contemporary women’s fiction and it’s written in first person, present tense. That was hard to get used to at first, but by the time I read the first hundred pages, I was starting to warm up to Nina’s character. Although, I can’t say that I was really invested until later on. This isn’t a book that fits neatly in a box. It’s a novel about loss, love, death, grief, childhood, parenthood, and so many other things. The writing is beautiful and Burle has a way of leaving out just enough to keep the reader hanging on the edge wondering how to fill in the blanks. This type of story takes some work on the part of the reader. It isn’t a light, fluffy read. It’s a thought-provoking read with wonderful nuggets of realization, hope, and learning.
If you’re a fan of literary fiction, women’s fiction, or a book that has layers of meaning, I think you’ll enjoy The Lemonade Year. This book contains a lot of life issues including alcohol, drugs, mentions of sex outside of marriage, but all is done in good taste.
A wonderful work of women’s fiction. Nina’s struggles with family and love are very much relatable, which makes this an easy read. Though I sometimes wanted to give Nina a little shake, she was only a little lost. Don’t we all get that way sometimes? And while it took a little longer than I’d like to reveal the issues behind her siblings Ray and Lola, it was satisfying to see it all come to together at the end. With flashbacks to the past, a marriage falling apart, family drama, and a lot of character development, this is a book that really puts you with Nina and her family. I especially related to her on the teen daughter relationship! Oh, when life gives you lemons…