Tammy Letherer A coming-of-age story reminiscent of works by Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout, ‘Hello Loved Ones’ takes readers on an emotional journey as a young girl struggles to define family ties, and to answer:
Is love determined by blood or by choice? And what responsibility do we have to the life we create?
Terrific novel had me at ‘hello.’ What a satisfying novel, on every level. I haven’t read something I enjoyed this much in years. Chapters focus on different characters in the family, giving you different perspectives on the situation they all face. Just when you think you totally agree with one character, another comes along and changes your view…sometimes subtly, sometimes turning everything on its head. There’s a realism to the whole novel and the emotions are so genuine. Quite a feat for a book that’s also such an addicting read. I heartily recommend it.
Fantastic! This book held my attention from the first page. I loved that the story was told from the perspective of each of the characters. I felt like Tammy captured the essence of life in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s. I was very pleased with the ending – happy, but not sappy. The story wrapped up nicely, but not too neatly. I highly recommend this book. I would love to read a sequel.
Realism at its best. The book is set in Holland, Michigan in 1968. The family therein is dysfunctional at best, but this is what makes the book so realistic. Each member of the family has their own view of Richard, husband and father. Some level of anger is felt by all of them, yet they also feel love, despite how he may have treated them. The minister of the local church also is a major character. He does not escape from the human flaws that the others exhibit. In fact, he is portrayed as weak and selfish in his life decisions. When a crisis occurs, the main characters come through, each with their own brand of more laudable responses. The most obvious quality of this story is its realism. It is a very enjoyable read; am looking forward to further works from Ms. Letherer.
