Book Review: "A Little Hope" by Ethan Joella

Ethan Joella's debut novel, A Little Hope, is a beautifully written, thought-provoking, and moving story about love, despair, and second chances.

This was so good! I received this from Scribner Books and didn’t know what to expect, but it really captured my heart.

In the small town of Wharton, Connecticut, people are struggling.

Greg, a father and businessman, is dealing with a cancer diagnosis that leaves him and his wife Freddie trying to both confront and avoid the future that lies ahead. Luke is struggling with addiction, the feeling he constantly disappoints his mother, and regret over the life he let slip away. Luke’s mother, Darcy, still mourns her husband, and can’t seem to connect with her son.

Meanwhile, when Ginger returns to Wharton for a friend’s wedding, she runs into an old boyfriend, and that encounter—as well as the subsequent wedding itself—makes her question the direction she's chosen for her life. And Greg’s boss and his wife deal with an issue resulting from a betrayal years ago, and are surprised how it impacts them now.

The lives of all these characters intersect in myriad ways over a period of time. Their stories are familiar yet in Joella’s hands they take on extra poignancy and hopefulness. At first the large number of characters took some getting used to, and I wanted to know what was happening with Greg and Freddie, but after a while I loved the way the story was told.

There’s nothing overly dramatic (I worried a few times the plot might veer that way) or flashy about the book, but it’s just an excellent read. So glad to have this cross my path!

Thanks to Scribner Books for the complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

A Little Hope publishes 11/16.