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Cascade

by Maryanne O'Hara (Goodreads Author)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 426 ratings · 141 reviews

A novel of art and desire in the 1930s

It’s 1935, and Desdemona Hart Spaulding has sacrificed her plans to work as an artist in New York to care for her bankrupt, ailing father in Cascade, Massachusetts. When he dies, Dez finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience, bound to the promise she made to save her father’s Shakespeare Theater, even as her town may be flooded...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published August 16th 2012 by Viking Adult

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Apr 07, 2013 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I believe this is tied with Tell the Wolves I'm Home for my favorite book of the year. I can't say enough about it, beautifully written, meaningful and enjoyable. An incredibly moving story, heartbreaking and, ultimately uplifting. I just can't recommend this enough. Enjoy!

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Jul 17, 2012 Meghan added it

This book must be the top book that I am excited about reading! I have won this as a giveaway, and can't wait to hold it in my hands. The cover looks amazing and the story sounds so compelling. I will update my review once I have received and read this novel! So ecstatic!

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Jun 28, 2012 Lara Kleinschroth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

What drives the artist -- a need to leave something behind, something preserved of one's self, or simply for the fame and fortune in the here and now? Art lives long after the artist has passed on. The central theme to this extraordinary book is expressed by the main character, Desdemona Hart Spaulding: 'We people take up space, and then when we're gone, there's just the space left, and sometimes you can't quite comprehend how that can happen.' This is illustrated on a grand scale, with the floo...more What drives the artist -- a need to leave something behind, something preserved of one's self, or simply for the fame and fortune in the here and now? Art lives long after the artist has passed on. The central theme to this extraordinary book is expressed by the main character, Desdemona Hart Spaulding: 'We people take up space, and then when we're gone, there's just the space left, and sometimes you can't quite comprehend how that can happen.' This is illustrated on a grand scale, with the flooding of the town of Cascade Massachusetts to create a reservoir for Boston. How does an entire town simply cease to exist? Who will remember -- the river, the library, movie theater, round church, diner, and playhouse, not to mention the people?
Set against the backdrop of 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression and with rumblings of disturbing news from Europe, Cascade explores one woman's search for identity and lasting permanence. Her father has died, her marriage is not ideal, and her town is about to be flooded and obliterated. She has nightmares of drowning, and creates paintings from the point of view of a drowning man's last sight, looking up out of the water. She thinks she finds her answer in a Jewish travelling salesman, but he turns out to be as impermanent as everything else. Dez is an incredibly well-drawn character -- she is so flawed (she falls in love with a Jewish man, but knows nothing of his religion or culture, and makes no attempts to find out), and some of her decisions (or accidental stumblings) start a chain reaction of unravellings you don't think she'll be able to get out of. But she is strong and tenacious.
So many themes and images weave and overlap, yet it never gets messy -- O'Hara ties everything together very neatly. Images of water are everywhere, Shakespeare lives among the pages, and all of it is expressed in Dez's art. And simmering beneath the surface are the brutal realities of the Great Depression and the strengthening of Hitler's power.
Dez eventually learns that there is no permanence, that the only constant is change: '...trying to hold on to things was uncertain. You lost control when you died. You had no idea whether what you cared about would go into a museum or into a rubbish bin.'
For a fascinating trailer of this book (I know! A book trailer -- how awesome is that??), check out the author's website at maryanneohara.com (less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, reviewed

This was a First Reads win, and I am so grateful to have won it. 'Cascade' certainly provides a lot to think about, and is one of the rare books that inspires me to dig into the real life events behind the fiction.

There are so many plots and themes seamlessly woven into a beautiful narrative. The obliteration of a town to create a reservoir. A marriage of convenience with a man who doesn't understand you, then passion and adultery with a man who does. Small town dissatisfaction, big city disill...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-c, arc, audio-book, historical-fiction, united-states

I have to admit that the first thing to catch my attention about this book was the cover- absolutely gorgeous and refreshingly different than most historical fiction on the market today. From there, the setting called out to me – Central Massachusetts in the 1930’s-40’s. Not only is that where I live but it is one of my favorite periods in American history because of the way of life and the onset of the war. And then there is the plot device of a town (like one I grew up in) that might or might...more I have to admit that the first thing to catch my attention about this book was the cover- absolutely gorgeous and refreshingly different than most historical fiction on the market today. From there, the setting called out to me – Central Massachusetts in the 1930’s-40’s. Not only is that where I live but it is one of my favorite periods in American history because of the way of life and the onset of the war. And then there is the plot device of a town (like one I grew up in) that might or might not be destroyed because a big city needs more water.

The beginning of the book moved a little slowly for me. The author uses this section well to establish the characters, particularly to get us into the mind of the main character, Dez Spaulding. It is also to establish a connection with the town of Cascade – the daily goings-on and the way of life in a small community. After reading the whole book I can safely say that although it felt slow while reading, it was necessary to make you care about what might or might not happen to Cascade.

Once you reach a little more than half-way the pacing of the novel picks up significantly as we are dealing less with character development and more with what is going to happen to Cascade and all of the events surrounding that decision. For me, the real “ah-ha!” moment was when I realized that this book was loosely based on a real event that happened in Massachusetts in the 1930s – several small towns were completely dismantled to create the Quabbin Reservoir (more on this story to come this week). I also very much appreciated the inclusion of the Works Progress Administration and the desire of several of the artist characters to be a part of it because this is another aspect that hits close to home for me (again, more to come later). Once I engrossed myself in the local history my interest in the story really grew and could not put the book down.

The only thing that bothered me while reading this book was that every now and then there would be a statement that felt out of place, usually in relation to the us being told that “four years from now I would remember…” or something to that effect. It just seemed to clash with the way the rest of the story was written and I didn’t think that it added much to the reading experience.

This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time after reading it. The characters are well-crafted and do not feel stereotypical or cookie-cutter – they feel like living, breathing, people. The plot is fairly unpredictable – just when you think you have figured out where it is going, it goes in a different direction. There is even a surprise at the end which had me saying out-loud “NOOOO!”. I also liked the ending – despite everything that happens. Cascade is a book that will make you think a little and was another one in which I waited a little while before deciding to write the review because I needed time for it all to settle into my mind.

I had a few more qualms with the audiobook narration. Frankly, I didn’t really like the narrator chosen for this book. Despite the beautiful prose, the narration was what frequently made me put the book down. For at least the first ¾ of the book the narrator didn’t really have any modulation or tonality to her voice. It all felt very blah – this could have contributed to how slow the first portion of the book felt to me. Toward the end of the book either I was too sucked into the story to notice it anymore, or she changed her manner of speaking because the end was, in my opinion, better narrated than the beginning. When she would voice one of the men characters it was very poor in my opinion – I would have preferred that she hadn’t tried to make male voices and it all sound the same. Also, these voices would often frequently be spoken softer than her typical narration of the main character – I’m not sure if this was a production issue or not, but I had to frequently turn up the volume during dialogues.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.(less)

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Jul 21, 2012 Guylou rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

First of all, before I tell you how much I like this book, I would like to thank Penguin Group for giving me an advance copy of this great book. It is always nice to get a free book!

I really enjoyed this book. Maybe because I related so much to the main character, Dez. Her life and ambitions are so similar to mine and deep down; I wish that my future will be similar to hers. The characters were real and likable and sometime not so much. The author portrayed the time period very well and overall...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Erika Robuck rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the Boston suburb of Cascade in 1935, Desdemona Hart Spaulding has put off her art career in New York to care for her dying father, and in the process, has married a steady local man to rest her father’s concerns about her own well being, and to resurrect the theater in town, to which her father has devoted his life.

When her father dies, not only has she realized the terrible error of her marriage, but she learns that the town of Cascade is in the running to be destroyed so that it can become...more In the Boston suburb of Cascade in 1935, Desdemona Hart Spaulding has put off her art career in New York to care for her dying father, and in the process, has married a steady local man to rest her father’s concerns about her own well being, and to resurrect the theater in town, to which her father has devoted his life.

When her father dies, not only has she realized the terrible error of her marriage, but she learns that the town of Cascade is in the running to be destroyed so that it can become a reservoir for Boston. Desdemona does not wish to hurt her husband, but her deepest desire is to have freedom from the marriage to pursue a career in art, and a relationship with a Jewish painter with whom she has fallen in love. As the town faces increasing pressure and the knowledge that its demise is imminent, Dez becomes entangled in a web of her own desires and mistakes that take on catastrophic consequences.

With its doomed lovers and condemned town, CASCADE, reads like the kind of Shakespearean drama that would have been performed on the wooden planks of Dez’s father’s theater. O’Hara does an admirable job portraying a woman conflicted about her choices, but unwilling to compromise on her dreams. I found myself wanting to physically hold Dez back or warn her from walking into bad decisions, but that is what made the novel so compelling. I was also satisfied with the denouement, when Desdemona reaches full maturity and demonstrates her growth.

O’Hara skillfully weaves Desdemona’s creative process through the emotional tapestry of the novel, and her prose is exquisite. This book is a perfect balance of literary fiction with a compelling plot, and would make an excellent book club selection. I can envision a lively debate about Dez’s choices with some siding with her or standing firmly against her. Dez is a complex heroine and one of the most real I’ve read in recent memory, and I won’t soon forget her.

Unlike the town, the novel CASCADE will be timeless because of O’Hara’s storytelling. I highlighted passage after passage of the beautiful language, and I want to reread the novel to hunt for the Shakespearean references I know are there. If you are a fan of historical fiction that deals with complex relationships and thematic layers, I recommend that you read this book. I give CASCADE my highest endorsement.(less)

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May 02, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge-books, historic-fiction-1900s

Giveaway Opportunity May 2 - May 12: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Find the enhanced version of this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Depression era lit is not my usual stomping ground, but the minute I read the description of Maryanne O'Hara's Cascade, I knew I'd have to read the book. I'd been raised on stories like this, anecdotes of my grandfather's ranch being flooded to promote economic growth in the Missouri River Valley, whole communities just slipp...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Ionia rated it 3 of 5 stars

To be very honest, When I began reading this novel, I was actually rather bored. The first chapter certainly didn't grab me and thrill me any and it was kind of slow plodding along for a while after that. I didn't dislike it at all and the writing is good, but there wasn't much excitement at first.

As the story progressed, I had trouble finding a character that I could identify with, but as time went on, I grew to like this book. The plot, although the pacing is slower,is interesting and unlike...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Clare rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: someone-cheats

So sad. I have several shelves for specific books I read (memoir, YA, someone cheats), and now I may have to add a new shelf - one for suicide.

I am so depressed after reading this book.
It follows the life of Dez Hart, who marries Asa Spaulding in order to give her father a home in which to die. Depressing enough already and the book takes place *after* The Great Depression (just a little humor there).

But Dez and Asa have an empty marriage, and I weep for the willful blindness that kept 2 peopl...more So sad. I have several shelves for specific books I read (memoir, YA, someone cheats), and now I may have to add a new shelf - one for suicide.

I am so depressed after reading this book.
It follows the life of Dez Hart, who marries Asa Spaulding in order to give her father a home in which to die. Depressing enough already and the book takes place *after* The Great Depression (just a little humor there).

But Dez and Asa have an empty marriage, and I weep for the willful blindness that kept 2 people so fundamentally unsuited to each other married. Of course, Asa wants kids and Dez does not. That's in addition to Dez' artistic interests and Asa's interest in small town conservation. Then Dez starts a friendship with a Jewish artist named Jacob. The overt (and covert) anti-Semitism made me quite uncomfortable. Then Dez's friendship with Jacob turns into an affair. Jacob leaves town after the suicide of the town doctor creates suspicion, since Jacob is the main heir of the doctor. Dez follows Jacob to New York, but Dez's hesitancy to stand up for Jacob publicly when her neighbors start a whispering campaign about the greediness of Jews tears their relationship apart permanently. And that's before Dez think she might be pregnant with Jacob's child. However, it could be Asa's, after he drunkenly rapes her one night. (Seriously! Super cruel and depressing)

Dez becomes a minor and then a major artist in New York, and later marries a benefactor, but alwyas carries a torch for Jacob.

This book was a hot mess. It was linear - which you know I like - but the author introduces crises (Dez's period is 4 days late!) and then never resolves them. So for a long time, I wondered if Dez was actually pregnant. And if so, was the baby Jacob's or Asa's? But there's NEVER any mention of abortion, adoption, pregnancy or a period. How could the writer and her *cough* editors miss resolving this CRUCIAL plot point. With no mention? WTH?

And books that emphasize the hidden hates and motives of the human heart are hard for me to read. I am still wincing.(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one! It's a quiet book that packs a wallop...giving the reader a lot to think about, during and after reading. I can't discuss the themes explored in the book without revealing spoilers, but I know I will be thinking about this book for a long while. It's not a book to read when you are anticipating a quick, entertaining read but one you want to slow down and savor. It won't satisfy readers looking for a fast-paced novel filled with action, but if you want to take the time...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Sheila DeChantal rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would you be willing to sacrifice to be who you want to be?

When Desdemona was at the peak of her breakthrough as an artist in 1935, she made a hasty decision to marry Asa Spaulding, a solid and stable man, and make a home in the town of Cascade to be there for her bankrupt father whose health is quickly failing. While Desdemona felt in her head this was the right decision for the circumstances, her heart strongly disagreed.

And who's head has not been overrun by their hearts wants?

With Casca...more What would you be willing to sacrifice to be who you want to be?

When Desdemona was at the peak of her breakthrough as an artist in 1935, she made a hasty decision to marry Asa Spaulding, a solid and stable man, and make a home in the town of Cascade to be there for her bankrupt father whose health is quickly failing. While Desdemona felt in her head this was the right decision for the circumstances, her heart strongly disagreed.

And who's head has not been overrun by their hearts wants?

With Cascade being considered to be flooded to provide water for Boston, Desdemona is even more restless with her decisions. When she becomes attracted to a fellow artist Jacob who provides her with everything her husband can not, she knows it is time to make the hard choices that hopefully can correct the wrong ones she made in her past.

But at what cost? Is it possible to turn away from a choice without causing further damage? And even as she contemplates a brighter future, would she be able to live with herself for doing so?

First. Let's take a pause for this beautiful cover. Cover love at its finest, cover alone would cause me to pick up this book wanting to know more, and honestly... it did factor in on my choice to read this book.

While set against the backdrop of the Depression and WWII, Cascade (thankfully) focuses more around Desdemona and her relationships with the men in her life and the decisions she must make. While beautifully written, Cascade is not for the person looking for a quick read. It takes times to absorb this slower paced detail oriented book. You really get the feeling you are brought fully into the world that is Cascade.

For me, the book was good but the slower pace was a deterrent. Perhaps it was the time of year that I chose to read this that made it more of a struggle for me. Desdemona is not the most likable character, her choices... well, if you read it you will see. Cascade, in my opinion, is a book to take your time with, to read over several sittings and contemplate what would you do put in a similar situation?

Well written, filled with historical facts that will make you think and learn, and those are always pluses for me. (less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

About:
Cascade is a beautifully written novel about an artist named Desdemona Hart who finds herself in an unhappy marriage in the 1930's. Dez was well off as a child, and went on to travel to Paris and New York to study art. When the Great Depression hit, Dez and her father find themselves bankrupt. She marries pharmacist Asa Spaulding to save them financially.

After her father's passing Dez now finds herself in an unhappy marriage. Her father owned a Shakespearean playhouse, and he willed it off...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Lorca Damon rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s my job to read a book with every intention of picking it apart, word by word, professionally tossing around compliments or disdain. But with Maryanne O’Hara’s novel Cascade (Viking), I was so drawn in by the best storytelling I’ve found in a long time that I forgot it was my job to review it. I was simply too wrapped up in enjoying it.

Desdemona Hart used to be a promising young artist who even made it so far as to study in Paris. She gave up her art to take care of her sick father and to ta...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, adult-read, ebooks, excellent-book, historical, fiction, infidelity, my-reviews, relationships, romance, secrets, adultery, suicide, death, art, literature

Author: Maryanne O'Hara
Published by: Viking Adult
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

"Cascade" by Maryanne O'Hara was well written historical fiction setting was from the Boston suburb of Cascade around 1930-40's where "Cascade" is about big change, ambition, mystery, hope, mortality, tradition, a wrong marriage, the possibility of passion, and the cost of pursuing what most matters." I found this novel has a slow beginning but as you get further int...more Author: Maryanne O'Hara
Published by: Viking Adult
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

"Cascade" by Maryanne O'Hara was well written historical fiction setting was from the Boston suburb of Cascade around 1930-40's where "Cascade" is about big change, ambition, mystery, hope, mortality, tradition, a wrong marriage, the possibility of passion, and the cost of pursuing what most matters." I found this novel has a slow beginning but as you get further into this read it does pick up. You will also find that this is a long read, however there is a reason for it...for in your reading it all will be explained to what is going on in the mind of Desdemona. We find that Desdemona(Dez)Hart Spaulding has stopped her career in New York in Art to take care of her dying father...gets married...and she wants to devote her life in the theater in town. This was the time of the 'Great Depression' had struck and her father had lost everything except the playhouse. Her father dies(two months after Dez's wedding) leaving her a secret that was in 'Portia's casket' not to be open until the Playhouse reopened. What was up with that? To find out you will have to pick up "Cascade" to see what was in Dez's fathers mind at that time.

Desdemona now realizes she is in a loveless marriage. Her husband, Asa Spaulding was a hard working pharmacist, but not one for passion and he had no eye for art which his wife had a deep passion for. What will come of this? The town of Cascade is in the 'in the running to be destroyed so that it can become a reservoir for Boston.' Now, what would happen to the playhouse that had been willed to Asa or their first born? What was up with Dez being so consumed with herself and her wants? Dez was a complex heroine that kept this novel moving really giving the reader a lots to think about...'Cascade postcards.' I did realize that this was not a fast pace read but a slower pace one that was needed in order to absorb this detail oriented artistic realism of Dez. As time passed, Dez has fallen in love with a Jewish painter(Jacob). Was he a artist ready, willing and able to free her? From the read we find Dez doesn't want any children and their is a definitely envy of her friend Abby who was free to go and do as she pleased. Truly Art is her everything. She loved her art ... in her studio... paints putting in all on canvas. Now, this novel is really taking off and this is where I say you must pick up "Cascade" to see how this author will take you on a ride through this read. It really gets even more interesting with a few more people. The characters were all well developed keeping you turning the pages to see what would happen next because there will be twist and turns. In the end you do get answers about the 'Portia Casket' and all I will say of that is Wow!

"Cascade" was a very intriguing read of a small towns 'life during the Great Depression, a artist struggle and in the end was it all worth it? Would I recommend as a excellent read? YES!
(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars. As what comes to be known as the Great Depression spreads its stranglehold across America, from the crowded streets of New York to the western plains, aspiring artist Desdemona Hart finds her life irrevocably changed. When the fallout from the flailing financial markets wiped out her father's resources, including the family home, Dez was forced to give up her precious art school, the tuition far too dear. Instead of moving to New York City and immersing herself in the whirlwind of its...more 3.5 Stars. As what comes to be known as the Great Depression spreads its stranglehold across America, from the crowded streets of New York to the western plains, aspiring artist Desdemona Hart finds her life irrevocably changed. When the fallout from the flailing financial markets wiped out her father's resources, including the family home, Dez was forced to give up her precious art school, the tuition far too dear. Instead of moving to New York City and immersing herself in the whirlwind of its cosmopolitan art scene, she agrees to marry Asa Spaulding, the local pharmacist, in order to provide a roof over her ailing father's head. But a scant two months into the marriage of convenience, Dez's father dies, having given his precious Shakespearean playhouse to his son-in-law while leaving Dez charged with seeing the once-famous summer theater brought to life once more. Stifled by the trappings of the domestic life she never wanted, Dez finds solace in the weekly visits from Jacob, a Jewish peddler and fellow artist, giving birth to a dangerous and all-consuming attraction. As Dez's hometown faces the threat of imminent domain, takeover by the government in order to provide nearby Boston with a precious water supply, Dez is faced with a choice. Will she settle for a life of tradition and security, or will the call of her art, the desire to create, prove too great a lure?

Cascade is a lyrical debut, marking Maryanne O'Hara as an author to watch. Set during one of my favorite historical time periods -- the tumultuous 1930s, with the ever-encroaching threat of a second world war on the horizon, O'Hara has crafted a novel of a woman, her town, and indeed the world on the brink. Caught in the raging, warring waters of societal expectations, world events, personal desire, and life's greatest constant -- change -- Cascade is in many respects a chronicle of how mankind alternately embraces and fights the great river that, over time, forms the path and direction of one's life.

Given the time period in which Dez's story occurs, and the unexpected (and delightful!) nods to Shakespeare throughout the novel, I hoped to love Cascade. And while there is much to appreciate in O'Hara's lyrical prose and grasp of time and place, for fully the first two-thirds of the novel I struggled to tolerate Desdemonda. While the circumstances that drove her to make the sacrifice of a hasty marriage to Asa are compellingly set forth, from the moment her father dies and Jacob is introduced into the narrative she becomes selfish and cloyingly immature. There are flashes of remorse, of second-guessing, but for the Dez of Cascade art, the desire to create, to leave her mark, trumps everything. While I realize divorce carried a stigma in the '30s that has been largely lost today, Dez's half-hearted attempts at maintaining the status quo while romanticizing her affair de coeur with Jacob, elevating it to the levels of star-crossed Shakespearean tragedy, fell flat.

That said, despite my issues in connecting with Dez, O'Hara's use of water imagery throughout the novel is masterful, a compelling study in how much we are formed by the events we encounter -- to what extent are we products of our circumstances, and to what lengths can we form our futures by how we respond to those experiences. I loved how Dez is drowning in her choices -- namely, a convenient marriage -- even as her town faces flooding. She loses herself in her attraction to Jacob even as the world around her is engulfed by an ever-encroaching flood of anti-Semitism. And, most tragically, she nearly loses any hope of a future as she becomes so obsessed with what-ifs and might-have-beens that she nearly drowns, carried under by the weighty baggage of her own emotional history.

Despite my personal dislike for the manner in which Dez chooses to pursue her dreams, by the final third of the novel, when both Dez and Cascade's lives reach their respective crisis points, I was thoroughly invested in O'Hara's storytelling. Her world-building is superb, and her gift with language and her artistic flair for vibrant, visual imagery is oft-times stunning. Much like the postcards Dez creates documenting Cascade's eventual destruction, O'Hara's debut is a beautifully-rendered "postcard" snapshot of a world in flux, but -- like the timeless final words of The Tempest (one of my favorite plays), an unflinchingly honest, beautifully stark examination of the best and worst life offers and lasting power of art as a vehicle to document, encourage, and challenge both the creator and its audience.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Wisteria Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-century, historical-fiction

HIstorical fiction...interest to those seeking a strong women theme. Some small town prejudices in the 1930 timeframe. The Massachusetts Water Authority needs to create a reservoir for electrical plant to furnish Boston with power. Cascade has a larger population which would displace the entire town. The alternative is less inhabited, but less desirable as a viable choice. The struggle to save Cascade is at the center of this plot. Desdemona Hart Spaulding makes a promise to her dying father to...more

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May 05, 2013 Shaula rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was ultimately about destruction and loss and so was hard to read at times. In a lot of ways it was like reading an Existentialist novel: one can see clearly the crossroads in the story and wants to yell at the characters and tell them to turn left instead of right.

That said, the whole story is an illuminating look into small town American in the middle of the Depression and at the beginning of the New Deal. The undercurrent of anti-semitism is disturbing but accurate and serves to rem...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara is set in 1930s Massachusetts as the rest of the world is on the cusp of war with the Nazis and Boston is hoping to alleviate its water shortage by creating a new reservoir along the Cascade River. Painter Desdemona Hart Spaulding lives in the sleepy little town of Cascade, which has been a target of lawmakers looking for water over the last decade. Her life is nothing like she expected as her family falls on hard times, and she makes a life-altering decision to marry...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kat rated it 1 of 5 stars

i found this book outside my gate yesterday which was good timing as i had run out of library books and they are closed until jan 2. i didnt even know i won!

it takes place in 1935 and its a small town. the womans dad died leaving his playhouse theater which is falling apart and no longer open to her husband who she married so she could take care of her dad. she is a painter who doesnt seem very happy.

i dont think i would have continued reading this book if i had something else but im willing to...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, own, tlc

Initially, this book did not capture my attention whatsoever. I found the first pages to be somewhat disjointed and uncertain. Once the plot started taking shape and things started falling into place, the flow got considerably better. The story takes place in Cascade, Massachusetts, where artist Dez is living with her new pharmacist husband, Asa and her father, the proprietor of the now closed Shakespearian theater. It is revealed that Dez has settled into her life with Asa strictly to provide s...more Initially, this book did not capture my attention whatsoever. I found the first pages to be somewhat disjointed and uncertain. Once the plot started taking shape and things started falling into place, the flow got considerably better. The story takes place in Cascade, Massachusetts, where artist Dez is living with her new pharmacist husband, Asa and her father, the proprietor of the now closed Shakespearian theater. It is revealed that Dez has settled into her life with Asa strictly to provide security for her father during the Depression. At first, I found Dez’s motives to be entirely selfish and therefore couldn’t sympathize with her discontent. When her father dies and she falls in love with another man, I began to see why she would feel stifled by her convenient marriage and life in a small town. When the state decides that Cascade will be the site of a new reservoir to fulfill Boston’s water needs, Dez’s aspirations finally have an outlet in the form of a magazine serial chronicling the fate of the town.

There’s a lot going on in this book: Dez’s painting and her ambition to immerse herself in the art scene of a big city, her relationships with Asa and the object of her desire, Jacob, and the future of her father’s theater and of Cascade. Despite so many key plot points, at times I felt like nothing was happening. I think the 2nd third of the book could have been tighter and more refined. I felt like Dez was an unreliable (3rd person) narrator, being too emotional, unrealistic about Jacob, and bent on sabotaging her own happiness.

It’s not until the final third of the book that I finally clicked with Dez and the book redeemed itself. As Dez grows comfortable with herself, O’Hara’s writing becomes more confident and solid. Without spoiling the outcome, I finally understood Dez, the decisions she made, whether good or bad, and why her destiny was meant for more than Cascade, Asa, and Jacob. I was satisfied with the conclusion and was pleased that Dez could reflect on the events of her life without remorse.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.
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Mar 01, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book however I realized how old fashioned I am after beginning to dislike Dez after she ventured into adulteress territory. this book was part of our book club and the author sent me hand written book plates for each member and postcards with the picture of the cover of the book on them to send out (great media attention); she also will appear at your book club by skype if she is available! awesome!

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Dec 26, 2012 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Desdemona Hart is the daughter of the owner of a Shakespearean Playhouse. He is facing bankruptcy so Dez leaves the freedom of the art world she loves to come home and marry staid, solid Asa Spaulding who takes her father in just as he falls ill. Dez is expected to be a model housewife and produce little Asas and Desdemonas as soon as possible but she feels constricted by small town life and by marriage. Her father passes a mere two months after she weds and she finds that he signed the playhous...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-and-early-reviews

CASCADE by Maryanne O'Hara is a gorgeously written novel about a young artist in the 1930s who married a man because he had money at a time when she and her father didn't, when they needed a home. Soon after the marriage, her father dies, and soon after that she befriends another man, a fellow artist. Then their small town, Cascade, becomes Massachusetts' choice city to flood, to become a reservoir for Boston.

This book would be perfect for the reader who likes well-written romances that are far...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Devour this book and savor it at once. You will not be disappointed.

Cascade is the culmination of the artistic viewpoint of the world triumphing over as many obstacles as an artist can endure. Faced with a rushed marriage, encountering a soulmate of a stranger, and possible elimination of the town she grew up in, Desdemona Spaulding becomes embroiled in the attempts to save Cascade from total destruction.

What makes this novel stand out is the way O'Hara treats artistic enterprise as of primary c...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Lisa Creane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: america-historical-fiction

The writing is beautiful and the story is interesting. I live in New England and the building of the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts interested me, as I knew it would. I also thought the Depression-era setting great, especially as it allows for people to make decisions that are the "least bad" of what's available at the time.

What bothered me, and why I couldn't really enjoy or appreciate the book, was that we know from the first that the main character, Desdemona (Dez), married for no other...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Dewitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Maryanne O’Hara’s CASCADE kept me from TV, the chimney corner and my own writing. O’Hara remarkably captures the period texture of the 1930’s and 40’s. There is no showing off or simplistic nostalgia in remembering that phone calls were a nickel, for instance. She moves as naturally in the eras (and places: small town Massachusetts and Manhattan) of her story as a 30’s novelist might. I also love her authority about painting, and the actual art that she describes. And then at the heart of it, th...more

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May 17, 2013 Barb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: flls-has-copy, new-in-2012, stls-has-copy, read-in-2013, secrets, strong-female-protagonist, women

The small town of Cascade, Massachusetts is going to be flooded when a reservoir is created to meet the demands of Boston's water needs. Desdemona Hart's father has owned the Shakespeare Theater in town since she was a child, the idea that it will be sacrificed with the town is upsetting. So too is the idea that Jacob Solomon had something to do with the dead body that's been discovered.

The story kept my interest and I liked many of the elements the author incorporated. I think it's a good book...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

Desdemona (Dez) Hart Spaulding, is an independent woman, a gifted young artist who has studied in Boston and even Paris. Her dreams of living in the big city and making it big in the art world are set aside because of a promise she made to father, John Hart, a former actor, who lost his fortune and was even forced to close his Cascade Shakespearean Theater when the Depression hit.

Following her father's advice Dez marries the older, but sensible Asa Spaulding, a pharmacist who is anxious to star...more Desdemona (Dez) Hart Spaulding, is an independent woman, a gifted young artist who has studied in Boston and even Paris. Her dreams of living in the big city and making it big in the art world are set aside because of a promise she made to father, John Hart, a former actor, who lost his fortune and was even forced to close his Cascade Shakespearean Theater when the Depression hit.

Following her father's advice Dez marries the older, but sensible Asa Spaulding, a pharmacist who is anxious to start of family, something Dez is not ready for. When her father dies just two months after their marriage, she learns that he has left his theater to her husband, but wants Dez to see that it opens once again.

At the same time, something else is going on that has the potential of affecting the town of Cascade. Her father's dream of his theater reopen in Cascade, MA may not happen if plans by the state to build a new reservoir by flooding several small towns goes through. Dez begins throwing her energy into her painting and art by capturing Cascade as it is (pre-flood) in the form of postcards. When a Jewish artist from New York, now traveling salesman, breezes into town, he and Dez feel a bond because of their love of art, but townspeople with anti-Semitic views see him as a suspicious outsider. For Dez, when a New York magazine seems interested in her art, she must decide what to do. Stay with Asa or pursue her dreams.

This was an wonderful debut novel which appealed to me for several reasons. The author beautifully detailed life in New England in the 1930s as well as what Greenwich Village in New York must have been like at that time as well. The author really creates a realistic dilemma -- doing what's right or following one's heart. The characters as well as the impending doom surrounding the flooding of the towns seemed believable as well. Oh, and I almost forgot, a surprise ending as well.

Another reason I found the story so interesting was that, although this was a work of fiction, the story, at least in part, was based on a similar event that occurred about 20 miles from where I grew up in Western Massachusetts around the same time (1936). The Quabbin Reservoir resulted when larger cities like Boston were in need of a larger drinking water supply. The Quabbin is one of the largest suppliers of drinking water in the United States. It's a beautiful place to visit and spend time with nature and family.

4.5/5 stars

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Oct 04, 2012 Anne Broyles rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 1934 Massachusetts, Dez Hart feels torn between her duties to father and husband, and the pull of her art. Having won art prizes and lived abroad, she chafes at the expectations (or lack thereof) of her small New England town. When she connects with Jacob Solomon, a Jewish artist, Dez comes alive artistically again. Then, just as her town faces being literally inundated to form a reservoir, Dez must decide if her current life might drown her as an artist and woman.

This is not a romance novel...more

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About Maryanne O'Hara

As I wrote CASCADE, I had a line by the great Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney running through my head: You lose more of yourself than you redeem/Doing the decent thing
I wanted CASCADE to explore "what is a right choice?" and "who decides what is right?"

I hope CASCADE provides readers with plenty to think about, discuss, and maybe even argue about. Thank you for reading.

Please contact me if you'...more

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“Life is full of tough choices between less-than-perfect alternatives.” — 7 people liked it

“She gave in to a hankering for a cup of tea even though she knew that the idea of a cup of tea-sitting still, calmly sipping-was more appealing than actually sitting still and trying to calmly sip.” — 3 people liked it

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