Springtime in Bluffton, South Carolina heralds thirty-five-year-old Kate Vaughan's annual tradition of trying New Things. This spring, her pastwhich she's tried so hard to keep in place over the past decadewill come marvelously apart; her New Things will make everything change, and everything begin.
Composed of flashbacks of only the component parts of Kate's childhood and early adulthood that have led up to the present moment, And Then I Found You details the most determined, devastating decision a mother should ever have to make. These brief evocations slowly clarify her past, and are intermingled with her current conflicts with Rowanthe perfect boyfriend whom she still isn't completely satisfied withand with her inability to let go of what's already happened.
Without giving too much away, I will say I was awed by the plot, especially because it actually happened in the author's life, but was very disappointed by the story itself. Don't get me wrong; Henry's prose is elegant and coherent, but I just feel the book as a whole is kind of boring. Everything that happens isn't excitingat least not as exciting as the author tries to convey it as. She flits across the complexity of human emotion but doesn't exactly capture it, which is why I couldn't connect with this book, either.
My biggest issue however, is Kate. She's just really, really snobby and difficult to understand, or respect, for that matter. I adore all the characters around her, from her sisters to her best friends to her loversthey are really well createdbut she herself is really dislikable. Her mindset is incredibly selfish and stuck up; her mantra is "you don't know what I've experienced so get away from me and stop trying to sympathize with me." I know Henry was trying to convey the difficult emotional burden upon a mother who is forced to part with her child out of "selflessness," but she sacrificed Kate's character to do so. My detachment from and dislike of the protagonist soured the entire mood and perspective of the story.
I was proud at Kate's growth, though; throughout the book, she learns she needs to love herself before loving anyone else, and this is something to which all readers will be able to relate. Compassion, even through wistfulness, matters; you just have to be willing to freely give it.
Pros: Henry is an accomplished storyteller // Secondary characters are lovable // Fascinating premise // Kate's character development is clear
Cons: Highly dislikable protagonist // Style is decent, but really mediocre... very forgettable // Not that resonating // Predictable, unsatisfying ending // Rather dull and not suspenseful throughout
Love: "People talked about heartbreak, but in Kate's opinion, hearts don't break, they merely ache and throb until you learn to ignore that same heart all together."
Verdict: And Then I Found You wasn't as I good as I thought it would be. The plot revolving around a mother reuniting with her long-lost daughter seemed touching, but in the book, it just isn't portrayed very movingly. However, I am impressed with Patricia Callahan Henry's ability to craft a beautiful, feel-good story about self-actualization and self-discovery. The overarching message is quite affecting as well; this is a book about loss, and about findingboth those you love, and yourself.
6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.
Source: Complimentary copy provided by Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, for the Itching for Books blog tour.
Composed of flashbacks of only the component parts of Kate's childhood and early adulthood that have led up to the present moment, And Then I Found You details the most determined, devastating decision a mother should ever have to make. These brief evocations slowly clarify her past, and are intermingled with her current conflicts with Rowanthe perfect boyfriend whom she still isn't completely satisfied withand with her inability to let go of what's already happened.
Without giving too much away, I will say I was awed by the plot, especially because it actually happened in the author's life, but was very disappointed by the story itself. Don't get me wrong; Henry's prose is elegant and coherent, but I just feel the book as a whole is kind of boring. Everything that happens isn't excitingat least not as exciting as the author tries to convey it as. She flits across the complexity of human emotion but doesn't exactly capture it, which is why I couldn't connect with this book, either.
My biggest issue however, is Kate. She's just really, really snobby and difficult to understand, or respect, for that matter. I adore all the characters around her, from her sisters to her best friends to her loversthey are really well createdbut she herself is really dislikable. Her mindset is incredibly selfish and stuck up; her mantra is "you don't know what I've experienced so get away from me and stop trying to sympathize with me." I know Henry was trying to convey the difficult emotional burden upon a mother who is forced to part with her child out of "selflessness," but she sacrificed Kate's character to do so. My detachment from and dislike of the protagonist soured the entire mood and perspective of the story.
I was proud at Kate's growth, though; throughout the book, she learns she needs to love herself before loving anyone else, and this is something to which all readers will be able to relate. Compassion, even through wistfulness, matters; you just have to be willing to freely give it.
Pros: Henry is an accomplished storyteller // Secondary characters are lovable // Fascinating premise // Kate's character development is clear
Cons: Highly dislikable protagonist // Style is decent, but really mediocre... very forgettable // Not that resonating // Predictable, unsatisfying ending // Rather dull and not suspenseful throughout
Love: "People talked about heartbreak, but in Kate's opinion, hearts don't break, they merely ache and throb until you learn to ignore that same heart all together."
Verdict: And Then I Found You wasn't as I good as I thought it would be. The plot revolving around a mother reuniting with her long-lost daughter seemed touching, but in the book, it just isn't portrayed very movingly. However, I am impressed with Patricia Callahan Henry's ability to craft a beautiful, feel-good story about self-actualization and self-discovery. The overarching message is quite affecting as well; this is a book about loss, and about findingboth those you love, and yourself.
6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.
Source: Complimentary copy provided by Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, for the Itching for Books blog tour.
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