by Published by: Picador
Published on: May 2010 (paperback)
Page Count: 336
Genre: Women’s Fiction
My Reading Format: paperback review copy sent to me by the publisher
Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook
My Review
Emily is an earnest young professional living with her fiance who continues to have issues with her parents concerning her upbringing, her brother’s death, and their continued relationships. As an “on the rise” District Attorney working the case of her career, Emily appears as though she’s taken the bull by the horns, but she struggles with her self-confidence. She is not the happy person one would expect. The closer her wedding draws near, the less sure she becomes of anything.
Emily isn’t the only member of the family with issues. Her mother, Laura, still hasn’t gotten over how Emily was closer to her father while she was growing up. Couple that with her lingering animosity over Thomas’ death, Joe’s role in it, and her resentment over her decision to give up acting when she became a mother, Laura is bitter. Ostensibly she is the most put together of the threesome being happily remarried, but her motivations cannot be trusted. Joe was the family’s driving force in its heyday. He experienced wild success as a playwright and actor. As his children and marriage aged, he felt his role slipping. His writing wasn’t what it once had been and he found himself mid-life crisis which ultimately cost him his marriage and his family. The role that this crisis played in Thomas’ death continues to haunt him, affecting his relationship with everyone and anyone. He is most pained by the way his daughter treats him. There was so much turmoil and angst with this family that I found myself wondering if Thomas was the lucky one.
After reading The Embers, I watched the author’s 2000 film “75 degrees in July.” It was the fact that Hyatt Bass wrote both a movie and a novel that attracted me to The Embers initially. I cannot say that watching the movie did much for my appreciation of her novel. Once again there is a family eaten alive by resentment. There was little relief and not much insight. Thankfully, the hope wasn’t lacking in The Embers. Between the two stories, The Embers not only contained resolution, but I fully understood the underlying issues. No one was a saint. No one was helpless. I do think that all of the characters with the exception of Laura’s fiance let their dander get up way too quickly, something that was true even more so in “75 degrees in July.” It was as if every statement or expression was examined to see if a slight could be found.
I called Emily earnest at the beginning of this review. Earnest is a good word to use to sum up the entire novel. It didn’t work as well for me as I had hoped. If you are interested in strained family relationships and character-driven plots, you may want to give The Embers a try. Hyatt Bass is a talented writer and clearly cares for the characters she created.
Other Voices
You know what I think, why not check out some other reviews?
Sounds like a pretty heavy book. I do think I might enjoy it if I was in the right mood.
Hmm…I’m a little more hesitant after reading your review, but I still think I’ll give it a try.
Hmmm…sounds a little overdone maybe? I’ve been less tolerant of such books these days. I think I’m getting grumpy in my old age.
I am a huge fan of family dramas so I found this one to be original. I’m sorry you didn’t love it!