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Geographies of the Heart
From the author of the award-winning short story collection, To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts.
Sarah Macmillan always puts family first, but she can’t quite stretch her arms wide enough to hold on to everyone as they all her career-minded, inattentive younger sister, Glennie; their grandparents, who are slowly fading; or a pregnancy Sarah desperately wanted. But it’s her tumultuous relationship with Glennie that makes Sarah feel the loneliest. She’d always believed that their relationship was foundational, even unbreakable. Though blessed with a happy marriage to Al, whose compassion and humor she admires, Sarah grows increasingly bitter about Glennie’s absences, until one decision forces them all to decide what family means—and who is family. Narrated by the chorus of their three voices, this elegantly told and deeply moving novel examines the pull of tradition, the power of legacies, and the fertile but fragile ground that is family, the first geography to shape our hearts.
Sarah Macmillan always puts family first, but she can’t quite stretch her arms wide enough to hold on to everyone as they all her career-minded, inattentive younger sister, Glennie; their grandparents, who are slowly fading; or a pregnancy Sarah desperately wanted. But it’s her tumultuous relationship with Glennie that makes Sarah feel the loneliest. She’d always believed that their relationship was foundational, even unbreakable. Though blessed with a happy marriage to Al, whose compassion and humor she admires, Sarah grows increasingly bitter about Glennie’s absences, until one decision forces them all to decide what family means—and who is family. Narrated by the chorus of their three voices, this elegantly told and deeply moving novel examines the pull of tradition, the power of legacies, and the fertile but fragile ground that is family, the first geography to shape our hearts.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 6, 2021
The highest praise I can give to a writer is to say they have the gift to make seemingly ordinary characters and the circumstances of their lives feel extraordinary. It’s extraordinary because Caitlin Hamilton Summie doesn’t just take us to the “geographies” of her character’s hearts, but to similar places in our own hearts. She takes us to places where we know grief, loss, fear of loss, love. She takes you to that special place in your heart reserved for family, that certain place where we feel the memories, the beautiful ones like how much we loved our grandparents , or how close we used to be with our sister, and the hard ones when we drift apart because we don’t understand each other.
One of the most poignant lines for me in the novel is “He was my brother, Daddy, in my heart. “ Rather than talk about what happens in this story, I’ll just say that I loved these characters because they were my family in my heart. Highly recommended to those who enjoyed the author’s award winning story collection, To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts as you’ll meet familiar characters here. I also recommend it anyone who wants to read a beautifully written and relatable story that will take them to the “geographies” of their own heart .
I received an advanced copy of this book from Fomite Press through NetGalley.
One of the most poignant lines for me in the novel is “He was my brother, Daddy, in my heart. “ Rather than talk about what happens in this story, I’ll just say that I loved these characters because they were my family in my heart. Highly recommended to those who enjoyed the author’s award winning story collection, To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts as you’ll meet familiar characters here. I also recommend it anyone who wants to read a beautifully written and relatable story that will take them to the “geographies” of their own heart .
I received an advanced copy of this book from Fomite Press through NetGalley.
April 17, 2022
A quiet story that has left an impression on my heart. It’s about family - the good, the bad & the ugly.
It’s about recognizing the shortcomings of some; the redemption of others. It’s about life, loss and remembering.
It’s a story of community and friends. Grief that is shared; and grief that is carried alone.
It’s also a story of sisters. Those who become distant and at times strained. It’s about acceptance and forgiveness.
It’s the fringes of time as we age as traditions and memories begin to change. Life and death. Joy and sadness.
Beautiful prose 5⭐️
It’s about recognizing the shortcomings of some; the redemption of others. It’s about life, loss and remembering.
It’s a story of community and friends. Grief that is shared; and grief that is carried alone.
It’s also a story of sisters. Those who become distant and at times strained. It’s about acceptance and forgiveness.
It’s the fringes of time as we age as traditions and memories begin to change. Life and death. Joy and sadness.
Beautiful prose 5⭐️
January 9, 2022
Whenever I’m asked for a short story collection recommendation, with no hesitation I offer up Caitlin Hamilton Summie’s, To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts, which is without question the best I’ve ever read. Part of its magic is the gentle thread joining the stories together. The other is the way Summie pulls you into each story and the hearts of her characters. The same was true here with her first novel, Geographies of the Heart.
I was telling a friend the other day that quiet stories are my absolute favorite. There’s no outlandish drama, no giant climax to the story; just simple, straight forward, relatable, endearing characters living their day-to-day lives like we all do. I cared immensely about their daily lives. I was invested in their trials and outcomes. All because they felt so real and became a part of my life as they lived theirs.
Something else I love to discover while reading, and it doesn’t always happen, is when I feel the author’s love for her characters. The writing feels so personal I often thought it must be so. That’s how authentic it feels- when you question whether a really great story is fiction. You simply have to meet Sarah and Al to understand. Geographies of the Heart is a multi-layered story of family. I especially enjoyed Sarah’s journey.
Sometimes when I love a book the words flow, and other times I feel like I’m dancing around what to say because all I really want to say is: read this book. It’s brilliant.
I received a gifted copy from the author.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I was telling a friend the other day that quiet stories are my absolute favorite. There’s no outlandish drama, no giant climax to the story; just simple, straight forward, relatable, endearing characters living their day-to-day lives like we all do. I cared immensely about their daily lives. I was invested in their trials and outcomes. All because they felt so real and became a part of my life as they lived theirs.
Something else I love to discover while reading, and it doesn’t always happen, is when I feel the author’s love for her characters. The writing feels so personal I often thought it must be so. That’s how authentic it feels- when you question whether a really great story is fiction. You simply have to meet Sarah and Al to understand. Geographies of the Heart is a multi-layered story of family. I especially enjoyed Sarah’s journey.
Sometimes when I love a book the words flow, and other times I feel like I’m dancing around what to say because all I really want to say is: read this book. It’s brilliant.
I received a gifted copy from the author.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
January 21, 2022
4.5~5★
“‘You cannot write what you want,’ she yelled. ‘It’s not just your story.’ Her voice had a strength then that I had not heard for weeks, a power that made it rise and crack. Who could lay claim to the past? That was what we were arguing about, who would control the way we were remembered.
. . . [ much later]
‘How dare you quote the Bible to me.’ She sat up slowly. ‘I raised you to have opinions,’ she said, ‘but I did not raise you to disagree with me.’ I laughed.”
Sarah and her grandmother, Catherine, are strong-minded women, the kind of women who are often at loggerheads and kind of relish the conflict. But both are also sensitive to hurt, which makes it tricky for the rest of the family. Sarah is always at odds with her younger sister, Glennie, first a medical student and then a OB/GYN doctor.
Summie’s characters are the sort of people that if you met them, you’d feel you know them. In fact, you’d be embarrassed if you met them because you would know them so intimately. She pulls no punches about their shortcomings, but she recognises their strengths and their soft spots, the things that matter most to them.
Sarah is the collector of the family’s stories, not just the happy ones, but the ones people may have been uncomfortable sharing. In spite of her arguments with her grandmother, she adores her and her grandfather. When there was finally an incident which made it obvious they needed more care, she helped her father with the decision.
“Sometimes, Dr. Kline said, life straightens out the wrinkles on its own. He knew a nursing home that had a room. He was on the board. I remember thinking that he sounded like a travel agent talking about a hotel, something small and clean and temporary, and then I realized that was exactly what he was talking about.
. . .
We filled in the nursing home application. Question fifteen. Please list a funeral home.”
The harsh reality. Most chapters are told by or about Sarah, with a handful told by Al and a couple of later ones by her sister Glennie, the doctor. The relationships are tender to the point of rawness, but there is never any doubt about the love. The most difficult connection is between the sisters, although other characters have their own stories.
Al tells the story of Ed, Sarah’s grandpa, and his war veteran buddies who meet for coffee at Larch’s Donut Shop, Larch being another vet. Because Al was the one to tell Ed it was time to stop driving, Al drove him everywhere and became an honorary member of an exclusive club, one where men never talk about the war, but about everything else.
After getting to know these men and gradually learning something of their burdens and the limited time they have left, he now recognises the responsibility Sarah has taken on.
“I understand how Sarah must feel, with each relative passing. It’s hard to be the last one, the keeper of the stories, the memory. But my lord, what a gift.”
Although this is a novel, many chapters could stand on their own as vignettes or slices of life. In fact some have appeared (often in somewhat different forms) as short stories. They are stitched together here much as the treasured family quilt is that Sarah is working on, with squares added by successive generations of women.
I could have done without the last chapter and some of that whole storyline, but I suspect others may disagree. I loved the author’s first book of short stories and I’m very fond of this one. I have to say that when I have to go, I think I’d like it to be something like this.
“[The] doctor had told us that . . . systems would slow and then stop one by one, as if someone were systematically going through a house and shutting off all the lights. I still haven’t gotten over that image.”
Lights out. Thank you and good night.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fomite Press and the author for the preview copy of this wonderful book.
“‘You cannot write what you want,’ she yelled. ‘It’s not just your story.’ Her voice had a strength then that I had not heard for weeks, a power that made it rise and crack. Who could lay claim to the past? That was what we were arguing about, who would control the way we were remembered.
. . . [ much later]
‘How dare you quote the Bible to me.’ She sat up slowly. ‘I raised you to have opinions,’ she said, ‘but I did not raise you to disagree with me.’ I laughed.”
Sarah and her grandmother, Catherine, are strong-minded women, the kind of women who are often at loggerheads and kind of relish the conflict. But both are also sensitive to hurt, which makes it tricky for the rest of the family. Sarah is always at odds with her younger sister, Glennie, first a medical student and then a OB/GYN doctor.
Summie’s characters are the sort of people that if you met them, you’d feel you know them. In fact, you’d be embarrassed if you met them because you would know them so intimately. She pulls no punches about their shortcomings, but she recognises their strengths and their soft spots, the things that matter most to them.
Sarah is the collector of the family’s stories, not just the happy ones, but the ones people may have been uncomfortable sharing. In spite of her arguments with her grandmother, she adores her and her grandfather. When there was finally an incident which made it obvious they needed more care, she helped her father with the decision.
“Sometimes, Dr. Kline said, life straightens out the wrinkles on its own. He knew a nursing home that had a room. He was on the board. I remember thinking that he sounded like a travel agent talking about a hotel, something small and clean and temporary, and then I realized that was exactly what he was talking about.
. . .
We filled in the nursing home application. Question fifteen. Please list a funeral home.”
The harsh reality. Most chapters are told by or about Sarah, with a handful told by Al and a couple of later ones by her sister Glennie, the doctor. The relationships are tender to the point of rawness, but there is never any doubt about the love. The most difficult connection is between the sisters, although other characters have their own stories.
Al tells the story of Ed, Sarah’s grandpa, and his war veteran buddies who meet for coffee at Larch’s Donut Shop, Larch being another vet. Because Al was the one to tell Ed it was time to stop driving, Al drove him everywhere and became an honorary member of an exclusive club, one where men never talk about the war, but about everything else.
After getting to know these men and gradually learning something of their burdens and the limited time they have left, he now recognises the responsibility Sarah has taken on.
“I understand how Sarah must feel, with each relative passing. It’s hard to be the last one, the keeper of the stories, the memory. But my lord, what a gift.”
Although this is a novel, many chapters could stand on their own as vignettes or slices of life. In fact some have appeared (often in somewhat different forms) as short stories. They are stitched together here much as the treasured family quilt is that Sarah is working on, with squares added by successive generations of women.
I could have done without the last chapter and some of that whole storyline, but I suspect others may disagree. I loved the author’s first book of short stories and I’m very fond of this one. I have to say that when I have to go, I think I’d like it to be something like this.
“[The] doctor had told us that . . . systems would slow and then stop one by one, as if someone were systematically going through a house and shutting off all the lights. I still haven’t gotten over that image.”
Lights out. Thank you and good night.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fomite Press and the author for the preview copy of this wonderful book.
November 28, 2021
A little over four years ago, I read Caitlin Hamilton Summie’s To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts, which I loved. In the years since, I’ve read several of her short stories that I’ve hunted down online. There’s something about the way she writes, the stories she shares that pulls me in completely, so much so that it fully comes alive for me. I can feel it all, see it all, and even after I’ve read the last word of the last sentence, I know these are people who I will remember, and not as characters in a story, but as people I know and feel invested in.
Vignettes of a family that changes over the years, and the memories gathered over those years shared by them. At the heart of this is Sarah MacMillan, who considers the traditions of her family, her parents, her grandparents, as sacred. Growing up along with her sister, Glennie, who becomes a doctor, Sarah feels the distance increasing as they begin their own lives. Sarah marries, and their grandparents begin to need more assistance, Sarah’s husband Al steps in to help, even as Glennie steps even further away.
’Time changes things slowly at first, like the seasons. The leaves turn yellow, the color deepens, and then suddenly some are red, and fall arrives, as if overnight. I’ve decided that’s how age works. First, there is a gray hair, a wrinkle, a dull ache in one’s joints, but the changes are small and easy to accommodate.’
There’s nothing extraordinary that happens, moments we can all relate to in one way or another, people in our families or our lives that we can recognize similar quirks or traits. Holding on to ancient grievances, memories of unfairness, or of feeling marginalized. Love, family, friends, the bond of family, the fractious nature of siblings, children, change, loss, regrets, and more - the things that are part of life. What is extraordinary is the way this story wove its way into my heart that felt so relatable, so real and yet so remarkably lovely even when my heart was breaking.
The gifts we inherit from family - the tangible gifts, along with traits, love, as well as the pain inflicted along with the love and memories over the years - are the legacy we pass on to others. And so it goes...and so it goes.
Pub Date: 18 Jan 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Fomite Press
#GeographiesoftheHeart #NetGalley
March 5, 2022
As I started Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Summie Hamilton I was a little afraid of being disappointed. Afterall I'd been waiting for this book since July 2017 when I'd read and loved To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, her collection of short stories. In my review of that book I wrote "....I'd be hard pressed to select a favourite from among the ten stories......although I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a flicker of recognition and excitement each time Sarah and her family made a reappearance." Perhaps other readers must have felt that special bond with Sarah and her family too as Geographies of the Heart is centred around them.
So was I disappointed? Not in the least! I was a fool to be concerned. Caitlin created these characters so well initially I'm sure they became like family to her. She's nurtured and shaped them these past years so I should have known they'd be safe in her hands.
Sarah and Glennie are sisters with an uneasy relationship. As younsters they'd been close, more like friends, but they grew apart allowing a frostiness to settle and harden between them. Though Sarah was the central character, readers of this novel also get to know Al, her husband, and Glennie. We are reacquainted with her parents and grandparents, and we're introduced to her daughters Amelia and Beth.
This author has an amazing talent for writing and this beautiful character driven novel had me highlighting passage after passage. Her characters are far from perfect. They are flawed but in the most natural and normal way, and in a way that makes them so very real. They are everyday people dealing with the bonds of family but also the ways in which family ties can come loose. Her characters were touched by grief in various guises and her words depicted how insidious it can be, how hard to move through and get beyond. Her charcters were all too aware of their own insecurities and failings but it wasn't all gloom and doom. There was an appreciation of the little things in life. The joy of simply living, treating each day as a gift. And above all there was love. Despite their differences the sisters loved each other deeply, marriages were strong, and the relationships across the generations were based on love. So many aspects resonated with me and I found it to be a moving tribute to family.
Thank you Caitlin for working tirelessly to bring these characters alive on the page and in my mind. Thank you also to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.
4.5 stars rounded up.
So was I disappointed? Not in the least! I was a fool to be concerned. Caitlin created these characters so well initially I'm sure they became like family to her. She's nurtured and shaped them these past years so I should have known they'd be safe in her hands.
Sarah and Glennie are sisters with an uneasy relationship. As younsters they'd been close, more like friends, but they grew apart allowing a frostiness to settle and harden between them. Though Sarah was the central character, readers of this novel also get to know Al, her husband, and Glennie. We are reacquainted with her parents and grandparents, and we're introduced to her daughters Amelia and Beth.
This author has an amazing talent for writing and this beautiful character driven novel had me highlighting passage after passage. Her characters are far from perfect. They are flawed but in the most natural and normal way, and in a way that makes them so very real. They are everyday people dealing with the bonds of family but also the ways in which family ties can come loose. Her characters were touched by grief in various guises and her words depicted how insidious it can be, how hard to move through and get beyond. Her charcters were all too aware of their own insecurities and failings but it wasn't all gloom and doom. There was an appreciation of the little things in life. The joy of simply living, treating each day as a gift. And above all there was love. Despite their differences the sisters loved each other deeply, marriages were strong, and the relationships across the generations were based on love. So many aspects resonated with me and I found it to be a moving tribute to family.
Thank you Caitlin for working tirelessly to bring these characters alive on the page and in my mind. Thank you also to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.
4.5 stars rounded up.
February 6, 2022
A retrospective on the dynamics of this particular family’s evolution.
The tapestry of the Macmillan family, as told through the musings or perceived recollections of different family members….and an Heirloom Patchwork Quilt.
This is by no means a light and easy read, it documents [mostly painful] recollections of some of the more difficult times that shaped the evolving lives of this family and their acquaintances. Times that caused them to question their own, often fragile, feelings, or their true motives.
There is Sarah and her sister Glennie, the two main characters who are the essence of this story.
Then there are their parents who play prominently dominant roles as they orchestrate much of the background script throughout, as do the grandparents, Catherine and Ed…and then there is Al, stalwart husband of Sarah.
There are also the extended family members which include some influential lifelong friends (Larch & his wartime Vets), longtime neighbours, and even beloved dogs.
All of the characters, including pets, are vital to the story as a whole.
The Macmillans are a very tight knit family…or are they?
Who is the real keeper of the secrets?
Although a work of fiction, this reads, and feels like a memoir, a speculation on individual accountability within the “writing” [in stone] of the Macmillan family history.
Or maybe it’s an openly honest examination/critique, of some of the more defining chapters of their lives…moments in time which were indelibly shaped because of the overtly active presence…or absence…of individual members.
It is a deeply descriptive observation of the different character traits of individual family members, traits which shape, colour, and alter the perception for each one…how each perceives their reactions to a crisis involving them all. The justified absence of one may be perceived as a betrayal by another.
Each one creating, in their mind, their own shape of the thing that will form another chapter in the family history.
It sounds convoluted, but then human nature is. It definitely inspires deep reflection on certain issues.
At first I was confused as most of the chapters are spoken from the perspective of a different family member, however once I realized my error I settled into the feeling of being there…in their shoes as it were.
It wasn’t always comfortable, more like reliving an experience rather than listening to someone else’s version of the same experience…kudos to the author for her skillful knack of making it feel that real.
It was at times disconcerting in its raw depiction of the relationship dynamics within the family, (especially between Sarah and her sister Glennie) because it delves so deeply and intimately into the psyche of each individual…exposing the mechanics of their true hearts….or, The Geographies of their Hearts.
In writing this review I was unsure where to begin, and then I didn’t know where to stop! Such is the way of analysis, especially in matters of human emotions.
Suffice to say that this book will give you pause for thought.
I gave it 4⭐️s, only because I stumbled a bit on areas where some closer attention to detailed editing might have made for a smoother transit through such an evocative story.
*My favourite quote: ‘You cannot write what you want,’ she yelled. ‘It’s not just your story.’
The tapestry of the Macmillan family, as told through the musings or perceived recollections of different family members….and an Heirloom Patchwork Quilt.
This is by no means a light and easy read, it documents [mostly painful] recollections of some of the more difficult times that shaped the evolving lives of this family and their acquaintances. Times that caused them to question their own, often fragile, feelings, or their true motives.
There is Sarah and her sister Glennie, the two main characters who are the essence of this story.
Then there are their parents who play prominently dominant roles as they orchestrate much of the background script throughout, as do the grandparents, Catherine and Ed…and then there is Al, stalwart husband of Sarah.
There are also the extended family members which include some influential lifelong friends (Larch & his wartime Vets), longtime neighbours, and even beloved dogs.
All of the characters, including pets, are vital to the story as a whole.
The Macmillans are a very tight knit family…or are they?
Who is the real keeper of the secrets?
Although a work of fiction, this reads, and feels like a memoir, a speculation on individual accountability within the “writing” [in stone] of the Macmillan family history.
Or maybe it’s an openly honest examination/critique, of some of the more defining chapters of their lives…moments in time which were indelibly shaped because of the overtly active presence…or absence…of individual members.
It is a deeply descriptive observation of the different character traits of individual family members, traits which shape, colour, and alter the perception for each one…how each perceives their reactions to a crisis involving them all. The justified absence of one may be perceived as a betrayal by another.
Each one creating, in their mind, their own shape of the thing that will form another chapter in the family history.
It sounds convoluted, but then human nature is. It definitely inspires deep reflection on certain issues.
At first I was confused as most of the chapters are spoken from the perspective of a different family member, however once I realized my error I settled into the feeling of being there…in their shoes as it were.
It wasn’t always comfortable, more like reliving an experience rather than listening to someone else’s version of the same experience…kudos to the author for her skillful knack of making it feel that real.
It was at times disconcerting in its raw depiction of the relationship dynamics within the family, (especially between Sarah and her sister Glennie) because it delves so deeply and intimately into the psyche of each individual…exposing the mechanics of their true hearts….or, The Geographies of their Hearts.
In writing this review I was unsure where to begin, and then I didn’t know where to stop! Such is the way of analysis, especially in matters of human emotions.
Suffice to say that this book will give you pause for thought.
I gave it 4⭐️s, only because I stumbled a bit on areas where some closer attention to detailed editing might have made for a smoother transit through such an evocative story.
*My favourite quote: ‘You cannot write what you want,’ she yelled. ‘It’s not just your story.’
October 19, 2021
The relationships forged between family members creates the foundation for our adulthood. We carry forward the confidence and love and the pain and insecurities forged in family. The relationship between sisters is usually the closest, most enduring bond that lasts into adulthood. What happens when that bond is broken, when one sister withdraws?
Geographies of the Heart is the story of sisters whose early closeness is broken.
As girls, Sarah and Glennie were close. When Glennie went off to school, she became estranged from the family, staying apart and out of communication. Sarah ends up carrying the burden of caring for ailing and dying family members, resentful that Glennie isn’t there to support her. That anger and resentment builds over the years.
Glennie was a dedicated student and has a career as a doctor. She appears to be apathetic towards her family. When their grandfather was hospitalized and dying, Sarah was angry that Glennie did not join the family in support.
I loved the character of Al, who Sarah meets while a senior in college. He is a Ph.D. student teacher in the Religion Department with a desire to figure himself out and a deep interest in people. He carrys a hope that redemption can change lives. Through the novel, this large, loving, teddy bear of a man forges friendships, supports his wife, and cares for his children.
Throughout the novel, we view twenty-five years through the eyes of Sarah and Al, the strength of their marriage that is especially based on Al’s compassion.
After decades, Sarah and Glennie confront their relationship, Glennie finally telling her side of the story. Communicating their feelings, recognizing what they do share, begins the healing.
We started out differently, Sarah and me. We started out carrying light inside us, not needing to gather it. We were two halves of a heart, our Grandma would say…I wonder if she knew we would split apart. from Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
The next generation of sisters, Sarah and Al’s only daughter and their adopted daughter, have been carefully raised with a family endeavoring to be whole, a positive model. They carry on the tradition of MacMillian women building upon the strength of generations, symbolized by a quilt each woman adds to.
This universal story of family alliances and losses is vividly rooted in time and space. Sarah’s story arc is relatable and real, embracing the many roles women are called upon to take, and the emotions that often accompany those roles.
I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Geographies of the Heart is the story of sisters whose early closeness is broken.
As girls, Sarah and Glennie were close. When Glennie went off to school, she became estranged from the family, staying apart and out of communication. Sarah ends up carrying the burden of caring for ailing and dying family members, resentful that Glennie isn’t there to support her. That anger and resentment builds over the years.
Glennie was a dedicated student and has a career as a doctor. She appears to be apathetic towards her family. When their grandfather was hospitalized and dying, Sarah was angry that Glennie did not join the family in support.
I loved the character of Al, who Sarah meets while a senior in college. He is a Ph.D. student teacher in the Religion Department with a desire to figure himself out and a deep interest in people. He carrys a hope that redemption can change lives. Through the novel, this large, loving, teddy bear of a man forges friendships, supports his wife, and cares for his children.
Throughout the novel, we view twenty-five years through the eyes of Sarah and Al, the strength of their marriage that is especially based on Al’s compassion.
After decades, Sarah and Glennie confront their relationship, Glennie finally telling her side of the story. Communicating their feelings, recognizing what they do share, begins the healing.
We started out differently, Sarah and me. We started out carrying light inside us, not needing to gather it. We were two halves of a heart, our Grandma would say…I wonder if she knew we would split apart. from Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
The next generation of sisters, Sarah and Al’s only daughter and their adopted daughter, have been carefully raised with a family endeavoring to be whole, a positive model. They carry on the tradition of MacMillian women building upon the strength of generations, symbolized by a quilt each woman adds to.
This universal story of family alliances and losses is vividly rooted in time and space. Sarah’s story arc is relatable and real, embracing the many roles women are called upon to take, and the emotions that often accompany those roles.
I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
November 27, 2021
It isn't often that you can pick up a book and feel like you know the characters - that they are your family and you care deeply about them. I was pulled into the lives of Sarah and Al from the first chapter and they never let me go.
This novel begins in1994 when Sarah first meant Al in college and continues until the present day with all of the ups and downs of a normal marriage. It's told by Sarah , Al and Glennie about their lives over the years. We get more of Sarah's story than we do Al's because she adds a lot about her life growing up. She and her sister Glennie had been close when they grew up but in high school they became almost strangers and Sarah had no idea why Glennie turned away from her and their family. Sarah had to help take care of her grandparents and parents and over the years and she began to resent how Glennie had turned her back on her family and refused to help. Glennie became a doctor and used her studying and her busy schedule as her excuse for not helping Sarah with the family. But no matter what happened with Sarah, she always had Al there, loving her and taking care of the family. He helped the neighbors and made friends with them. He was compassionate and caring and loving no matter what crisis was going on. When they had a daughter, he handled much of the child care. As time passes, Sarah grows bitter about her sister and her lack of help. It isn't until a family crisis that they begin to talk and to bettter understand each other.
This book made me smile and it made me cry. I knew these characters and understood the geographies of their hearts as they touched my heart. This is one of a few books that I wish I could give more than five stars. The writing is exquisite and the characters are very real. When I finished this book, I couldn't pick up another book for a few days. Sarah and Al stayed in my heart and I wasn't ready to let them go. This book will definitely go to my 'keepers' shelf where I keep the books that meant the most to me over the years.
This author has written well reviewed short stories but this is her first novel. I predict success for her in the future and can't wait to read what she writes next.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This novel begins in1994 when Sarah first meant Al in college and continues until the present day with all of the ups and downs of a normal marriage. It's told by Sarah , Al and Glennie about their lives over the years. We get more of Sarah's story than we do Al's because she adds a lot about her life growing up. She and her sister Glennie had been close when they grew up but in high school they became almost strangers and Sarah had no idea why Glennie turned away from her and their family. Sarah had to help take care of her grandparents and parents and over the years and she began to resent how Glennie had turned her back on her family and refused to help. Glennie became a doctor and used her studying and her busy schedule as her excuse for not helping Sarah with the family. But no matter what happened with Sarah, she always had Al there, loving her and taking care of the family. He helped the neighbors and made friends with them. He was compassionate and caring and loving no matter what crisis was going on. When they had a daughter, he handled much of the child care. As time passes, Sarah grows bitter about her sister and her lack of help. It isn't until a family crisis that they begin to talk and to bettter understand each other.
This book made me smile and it made me cry. I knew these characters and understood the geographies of their hearts as they touched my heart. This is one of a few books that I wish I could give more than five stars. The writing is exquisite and the characters are very real. When I finished this book, I couldn't pick up another book for a few days. Sarah and Al stayed in my heart and I wasn't ready to let them go. This book will definitely go to my 'keepers' shelf where I keep the books that meant the most to me over the years.
This author has written well reviewed short stories but this is her first novel. I predict success for her in the future and can't wait to read what she writes next.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
January 27, 2022
As I read this book, so many passages reminded me of the fragility of life and how we take for granted those we love.
In 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, Sarah Macmillan and her younger sister Glennie have drifted apart. Maybe it’s because Sarah feels like Glennie doesn’t show up enough for the family. Perhaps it’s because Glennie, a doctor, who uses work as an excuse for her absences, feels like she has trouble with everyone.
The story ebbs and flows with the passage of time. Sarah cares for her aging grandparents and eventually must watch them pass. She is angry because Glennie is not present. Sarah holds on to this, causing bitterness to take root. Sarah has many expectations and hopes for herself and her family; some come to fruition, while some are never fulfilled.
What struck me so deeply is, like Sarah, I think many of us project our expectations onto others, not knowing their circumstances or feelings. This only causes misunderstandings to occur and divides to be created. This book has a subtle complexity, showing the tangled vines that bind a family, the uncertain terrain to be navigated, and the beauty of forgiveness.
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @chsummie for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
In 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, Sarah Macmillan and her younger sister Glennie have drifted apart. Maybe it’s because Sarah feels like Glennie doesn’t show up enough for the family. Perhaps it’s because Glennie, a doctor, who uses work as an excuse for her absences, feels like she has trouble with everyone.
The story ebbs and flows with the passage of time. Sarah cares for her aging grandparents and eventually must watch them pass. She is angry because Glennie is not present. Sarah holds on to this, causing bitterness to take root. Sarah has many expectations and hopes for herself and her family; some come to fruition, while some are never fulfilled.
What struck me so deeply is, like Sarah, I think many of us project our expectations onto others, not knowing their circumstances or feelings. This only causes misunderstandings to occur and divides to be created. This book has a subtle complexity, showing the tangled vines that bind a family, the uncertain terrain to be navigated, and the beauty of forgiveness.
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @chsummie for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
February 11, 2022
I enjoyed getting to know Sarah and Al. This was a good story all the way around. the writing was so easy to get into. Like the author was talking to me. I have to say this is one I will be recommending to friends looking for a new author to try.
4 stars from this reader.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
4 stars from this reader.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
March 5, 2022
This novel goes deep into the marrow of what it means to be family, what it takes, the chasms that arise, the loves and the losses, the surprising ways that, over time, family includes neighbors and neighborhoods and even the hazards of weather. We begin in the decline of grandparents, their later years, the difficulties and heart-break of lost vision, lost capacity. Yet the saga centers around two very different sisters, who are the grandchildren of these elders. In some ways they fit the trope of the dutiful daughter, Sarah, and the ambitious or absent (drawn to the world more than family) daughter, Glennie. At the same time, a marriage is central to our view of the extended family, that between Sarah and her husband, Al. A crucial aspect of Summie’s story-telling is that we get the points of view of all three of these characters. Among them we are allowed to see how tensions arise, how love can fracture but also be mended. Children come and bring their own energy and power into the mix. This is a novel of deep satisfactions for the reader. For better and for worse, we live in families. We lose the people we love, sometimes while they are still alive. Ultimately, family ties sustain us.
The novel is beautifully written. There were moments when I had to reread and reread to relive the beauty of a passage. Most of all, this novel is FELT. It’s real. Yet it is also cathartic.
The novel is beautifully written. There were moments when I had to reread and reread to relive the beauty of a passage. Most of all, this novel is FELT. It’s real. Yet it is also cathartic.
February 9, 2022
Caitlin Hamilton Summie’s Geographies of the Heart is a compelling, complex novel about an ordinary family told in three voices that will capture your heart. It’s one of the best novels I’ve read in years.
December 22, 2021
Geographies of the Heart by author, Caitlin Hamilton Summie
ARC (January 18, 2022)
From beginnings, to taking root, 'Geographies of the Heart' touched mine.
The author has created a narrative in which leaves the reader with a look into who, and what family truly is and means while turning the tables on our thoughts, as to our place within the very personal geographies of our own hearts.
Whether it be an anchor during rough times, accepting that which can't be changed, or the crippling effects of needing to belong, the author shows us through the eyes of her characters that the importance of family is everything~ a compass that guides us through the patchwork of similarities and differences in us all.
The characters portrayed are very real with goals, plans and wishes of their own, along with their doubts and fears, whether it be from loneliness, guilt, or broken promises and how it shapes them into who they become.
What wins the reader over is the hope and healing in moving past that which holds them back in order to live a life of understanding, gratitude and respect for not only those that surround them, but for themselves.
Geographies of the Heart is told through three unique voices that held me close as those voices spun the tale, and guided me through the complex yet fragile elements of love and pain.
A most satisfying story that you will surely become invested in as you get to know these personalities, inside and out. A journey which is significant of the authors talent in her caring for the very characters she has so carefully, mindfully, and lovingly created. One that even in the quietest of moments speaks volumes...
I thank the author for my personal advanced copy of her first full-length novel, Geographies of the Heart~ a story, in my opinion, any reader will enjoy and benefit from.
As these characters remain in a special place within my own heart, I believe they will in yours as well as they prove that although families may not have it all together, together they have it all.
5 Stars
#GeographiesOfTheHeart
#CaitlinHamiltonSummie
#Fomite
Wild Sage Book Blog
ARC (January 18, 2022)
From beginnings, to taking root, 'Geographies of the Heart' touched mine.
The author has created a narrative in which leaves the reader with a look into who, and what family truly is and means while turning the tables on our thoughts, as to our place within the very personal geographies of our own hearts.
Whether it be an anchor during rough times, accepting that which can't be changed, or the crippling effects of needing to belong, the author shows us through the eyes of her characters that the importance of family is everything~ a compass that guides us through the patchwork of similarities and differences in us all.
The characters portrayed are very real with goals, plans and wishes of their own, along with their doubts and fears, whether it be from loneliness, guilt, or broken promises and how it shapes them into who they become.
What wins the reader over is the hope and healing in moving past that which holds them back in order to live a life of understanding, gratitude and respect for not only those that surround them, but for themselves.
Geographies of the Heart is told through three unique voices that held me close as those voices spun the tale, and guided me through the complex yet fragile elements of love and pain.
A most satisfying story that you will surely become invested in as you get to know these personalities, inside and out. A journey which is significant of the authors talent in her caring for the very characters she has so carefully, mindfully, and lovingly created. One that even in the quietest of moments speaks volumes...
I thank the author for my personal advanced copy of her first full-length novel, Geographies of the Heart~ a story, in my opinion, any reader will enjoy and benefit from.
As these characters remain in a special place within my own heart, I believe they will in yours as well as they prove that although families may not have it all together, together they have it all.
5 Stars
#GeographiesOfTheHeart
#CaitlinHamiltonSummie
#Fomite
Wild Sage Book Blog
October 26, 2022
I loved that this was all about family, the good and the bad. They were always there for each other and the way passed down family history in multiple ways. The traditions the Macmillan family had made me think of my own. I can tell that this author enjoys writing short stories. Each chapter, to me, felt like the POV was telling how they remembered a part of their family history but they were all connected in unique ways. If you enjoy character driven novels focused on family traditions, legacies, and struggles you would probably enjoy this one.
Thank you @chsummie and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
Thank you @chsummie and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
February 23, 2022
A deeply felt story of family and what it means to be family. Two sisters, Sarah and Glennie were close as children but as adults that closeness has drifted. Sarah deals with the heaviness of caring for her elderly family. Sarah is deeply rooted in family and can't understand why Glennie doesn't show support. A story of family, love and loss and how each sister deals with loss differently. Touching and very relatable story you can't help but place yourself in. I felt every bit of this. Beautifully written.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
January 19, 2022
Geographies of the Heart is a poignant and moving portrayal of a family. In this finely-crafted novel, the author explores all aspects of family—the complicated relationships, the memories, the things that bring a family together, as well as the things that pull them apart. Everyone who reads this book will see a little bit of themselves in these complex but relatable characters. And everyone who reads this book will be immersed in the lives of Sarah, Glennie and Al.
May 26, 2022
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
Who could lay claim to the past? That was what we were arguing about, who could control the way we were remembered?
What is beautiful and easy to relate to is how we feel about our own family history and stories. Summie shines a light the roles we play in our families, how put upon those that step into caretaker/leader roles often feel but then she takes it further and allows the seemingly feckless sibling to express why she isn’t as hands on. Not everyone has the stability, emotionally, to ‘stretch their arms’ around their needy loved ones. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are shirking duty, does it? How can we hold people up if we ourselves would fall apart? Glennie is more fragile when it comes to personal relationships, and the sisters bond seems to be breaking with disappoint as Sarah faces serious grief. Sometimes, as in Sarah’s case, she puts her family first so much that she isn’t investing enough in self-care, and I feel her. It’s a delicate balance and in times of strife, struggle, loss and illness, it feels impossible to make room for your own sanity. Luckily Sarah has Al, her beloved husband, who also struggles with something outside his control. Which also begs the question, am I my brother’s keeper?
There is a line in the book that sums up the novel, “There is more to the heart than what you can name; there is more in the blood than you can label.” I can’t speak for every reader, but for me personally, it hit me in the heart. Not because of what Sarah intends for it to mean, but that she is missing the revelation herself, throughout the novel. We tend to weigh other’s actions, especially in our family, on our own personal choices and it causes no end to misunderstanding. We often assume our way is the only way, the righteous path, proof of loyalty and love. Just like her own strong but often stubborn grandmother, Sarah, for all her good intentions, gets things wrong. When Sarah is cleaning out her grandmother’s cedar chest, trying to locate a bundle of old newspapers so her grandmother can relay a story about their family, she instead finds a lock of hair. It is Cecily’s, her grandmothers ‘wayward’ sister, long dead and never to be spoken about. Naturally Sarah is hungry for explanation and wants to write about her. The answer is a resounding, NO. Sarah’s sister Glennie and Cecily are a knot in the thread of the family tale. Who controls that tale? There are behavioral similarities between the two, as much as Sarah is like her grandmother. How can you understand any family if you strike anyone’s story from the balance? Sarah feels it is the stories that connect us, it is the one inheritance we have, rich or not. As she unravels the history, her beliefs about how strong her family is begins to be chipped away. Like the rest of humanity, in the end, her family is just as fallible.
Sarah cannot wrap her mind around her sister’s habit of shutting herself off from others, focused on her career. Sure that studying isn’t all there is to life, that a boyfriend is important, she struggles accepting how little interaction Glennie seems to need. Certainly it isn’t healthy? Is Glennie as disconnected as Sarah assumes? Why is it up to Sarah to hold the family together? Why is Glennie able to always absent herself, particularly when Sarah reaches out in need, like after the birth of her baby? This time she imagined Glennie would come in the hour of the death of a family member. Obviously she is resentful, let down while also worrying about Glennie’s health and well being, as there are issues since youth there. Sarah tends to the family, keeping track of medications and the needs of her ailing grandparents, standing vigil for illness and death, the bent ear for all the stories, while juggling her own husband and child and where is Glennie? Who is the better one? Can you measure such a thing? How can Glennie, a Doctor herself, not be at Sarah’s side, so they can hold one another up?
Narrated by Sarah, her husband Al and sister Glennie, there are three perspectives to digest. It is all about the geography of the heart in relation to family. What moved me is that there is no right or wrong, there are many factors in the choices all the characters make, much like real life. It’d be so much easier and clean cut if we could label one the villain, and another a savior, wouldn’t it? But that’s not reality. We are a soup of strange ingredients, almost alien to each other at times, in a family. We hurt and frustrate one another often and then factor in life outside our extended family, there is a lot we confront, but here, they try to connect, to make sense of their family bonds. Their vision isn’t always clear, but they get there in the end.
Published January 18, 2022
Fomite Press
Who could lay claim to the past? That was what we were arguing about, who could control the way we were remembered?
What is beautiful and easy to relate to is how we feel about our own family history and stories. Summie shines a light the roles we play in our families, how put upon those that step into caretaker/leader roles often feel but then she takes it further and allows the seemingly feckless sibling to express why she isn’t as hands on. Not everyone has the stability, emotionally, to ‘stretch their arms’ around their needy loved ones. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are shirking duty, does it? How can we hold people up if we ourselves would fall apart? Glennie is more fragile when it comes to personal relationships, and the sisters bond seems to be breaking with disappoint as Sarah faces serious grief. Sometimes, as in Sarah’s case, she puts her family first so much that she isn’t investing enough in self-care, and I feel her. It’s a delicate balance and in times of strife, struggle, loss and illness, it feels impossible to make room for your own sanity. Luckily Sarah has Al, her beloved husband, who also struggles with something outside his control. Which also begs the question, am I my brother’s keeper?
There is a line in the book that sums up the novel, “There is more to the heart than what you can name; there is more in the blood than you can label.” I can’t speak for every reader, but for me personally, it hit me in the heart. Not because of what Sarah intends for it to mean, but that she is missing the revelation herself, throughout the novel. We tend to weigh other’s actions, especially in our family, on our own personal choices and it causes no end to misunderstanding. We often assume our way is the only way, the righteous path, proof of loyalty and love. Just like her own strong but often stubborn grandmother, Sarah, for all her good intentions, gets things wrong. When Sarah is cleaning out her grandmother’s cedar chest, trying to locate a bundle of old newspapers so her grandmother can relay a story about their family, she instead finds a lock of hair. It is Cecily’s, her grandmothers ‘wayward’ sister, long dead and never to be spoken about. Naturally Sarah is hungry for explanation and wants to write about her. The answer is a resounding, NO. Sarah’s sister Glennie and Cecily are a knot in the thread of the family tale. Who controls that tale? There are behavioral similarities between the two, as much as Sarah is like her grandmother. How can you understand any family if you strike anyone’s story from the balance? Sarah feels it is the stories that connect us, it is the one inheritance we have, rich or not. As she unravels the history, her beliefs about how strong her family is begins to be chipped away. Like the rest of humanity, in the end, her family is just as fallible.
Sarah cannot wrap her mind around her sister’s habit of shutting herself off from others, focused on her career. Sure that studying isn’t all there is to life, that a boyfriend is important, she struggles accepting how little interaction Glennie seems to need. Certainly it isn’t healthy? Is Glennie as disconnected as Sarah assumes? Why is it up to Sarah to hold the family together? Why is Glennie able to always absent herself, particularly when Sarah reaches out in need, like after the birth of her baby? This time she imagined Glennie would come in the hour of the death of a family member. Obviously she is resentful, let down while also worrying about Glennie’s health and well being, as there are issues since youth there. Sarah tends to the family, keeping track of medications and the needs of her ailing grandparents, standing vigil for illness and death, the bent ear for all the stories, while juggling her own husband and child and where is Glennie? Who is the better one? Can you measure such a thing? How can Glennie, a Doctor herself, not be at Sarah’s side, so they can hold one another up?
Narrated by Sarah, her husband Al and sister Glennie, there are three perspectives to digest. It is all about the geography of the heart in relation to family. What moved me is that there is no right or wrong, there are many factors in the choices all the characters make, much like real life. It’d be so much easier and clean cut if we could label one the villain, and another a savior, wouldn’t it? But that’s not reality. We are a soup of strange ingredients, almost alien to each other at times, in a family. We hurt and frustrate one another often and then factor in life outside our extended family, there is a lot we confront, but here, they try to connect, to make sense of their family bonds. Their vision isn’t always clear, but they get there in the end.
Published January 18, 2022
Fomite Press
October 7, 2022
This is an interesting look at the powerful dynamics that make up a family. It's told in 3 different points of view and sometimes first person, sometimes third person. I found this a little disconcerting, but it worked and I found myself deep into the emotions of the characters. There are many relatable scenes in the story and I enjoyed getting to see the familial bonds, the growth as individuals, and life coming full circle.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2022
Sarah Macmillian is the anchor of her family. She is the one who always has time for each member, giving everyone time and attention. She is married to Al, a religion professor at the local college. They have a daughter whom both adore. Sarah has a sister, Glennie, whose career as a doctor is all consuming. Her parents live close by and so do her grandparents. Sarah is the caretaker for everyone, the person who gives time and attention to each person's needs. But who takes care of Sarah?
This novel explores the foundation of our lives, the families that nurture and sustain us but also can serve as the biggest frustration in our lives. Sarah always thought she and Glennie could never be separated, but time and careers and outside obligations have pushed them apart and soon Sarah's main thought when she thinks about Glennie is anger that Glennie doesn't spend the same amount of time with the family that she does. Al is a genial man but as time goes on, life starts to grind him down; his touchstone is Sarah for whom his love is steadfast. As time moves on, the family has to change as the grandparents continue their aging process until they take the next step, death. Sarah must redefine herself to accommodate the changing family dynamics.
This is one of the best novels I've read. The author gets it all, love, resentment, family loyalty, connections, marriages and the work they take, sibling and parental relationships. I was captured from the first pages and could barely tear myself away from the story of Sarah's family. The story feels warm and loving but authentic, showing the weaknesses that can tear at family relationships when the load is unevenly distributed. I read the author's first book, an anthology. Several of those stories find their way into this novel but here the voice is so much stronger, the lessons and power of the family story so much more clearly defined. I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves as it is definitely one of my favorite novels I've read recently. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those who want to understand more about the family relationships that sustain us and tear us apart.
This novel explores the foundation of our lives, the families that nurture and sustain us but also can serve as the biggest frustration in our lives. Sarah always thought she and Glennie could never be separated, but time and careers and outside obligations have pushed them apart and soon Sarah's main thought when she thinks about Glennie is anger that Glennie doesn't spend the same amount of time with the family that she does. Al is a genial man but as time goes on, life starts to grind him down; his touchstone is Sarah for whom his love is steadfast. As time moves on, the family has to change as the grandparents continue their aging process until they take the next step, death. Sarah must redefine herself to accommodate the changing family dynamics.
This is one of the best novels I've read. The author gets it all, love, resentment, family loyalty, connections, marriages and the work they take, sibling and parental relationships. I was captured from the first pages and could barely tear myself away from the story of Sarah's family. The story feels warm and loving but authentic, showing the weaknesses that can tear at family relationships when the load is unevenly distributed. I read the author's first book, an anthology. Several of those stories find their way into this novel but here the voice is so much stronger, the lessons and power of the family story so much more clearly defined. I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves as it is definitely one of my favorite novels I've read recently. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those who want to understand more about the family relationships that sustain us and tear us apart.
January 24, 2022
“It's about where you came from, she thought. It's about what you know. And you either love that landscape you were born into or hate it and move elsewhere. But it never leaves you, that first geography. That early terrain becomes the rough view of your heart. That place, the weather, the amount of space. It enters your blood."
- Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
As a lifelong Midwesterner, my ears perk up when I hear about a novel set in the Midwest or written by an author with Midwest connections. That's how this novel, told in interconnected short stories, got on my reading radar. It's the emotional story of a three-generation Minneapolis family who share a household and deep relationships. It’s told by three narrations, Sarah, the firstborn daughter, her husband Al, and Glennie, Sarah's younger sister.
Readers get intense glimpses into Sarah and Al's lives: their courtship, their strong and unique bonds with her grandparents in their final stage of life, the ups and downs of their marriage, the joys and sorrows of being parents, their connections to their neighbors, and their struggle to build a relationship with Glennie who is consumed by her career as an OB-GYN to the exclusions of everything and everyone else.
It's a powerful experience when a book comes into your life at the perfect time. I read Geographies of the Heart very early on mornings when anxiety over care options for my elderly father caused insomnia. Reading about Sarah going through similar experiences with her grandparents and then her parents was cathartic, even though this is fiction.
There's much to discuss in these stories, beginning with the quote at the top of my post. If you've read this, please reach out so we can chat.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Fomite Press for the review copy.
- Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
As a lifelong Midwesterner, my ears perk up when I hear about a novel set in the Midwest or written by an author with Midwest connections. That's how this novel, told in interconnected short stories, got on my reading radar. It's the emotional story of a three-generation Minneapolis family who share a household and deep relationships. It’s told by three narrations, Sarah, the firstborn daughter, her husband Al, and Glennie, Sarah's younger sister.
Readers get intense glimpses into Sarah and Al's lives: their courtship, their strong and unique bonds with her grandparents in their final stage of life, the ups and downs of their marriage, the joys and sorrows of being parents, their connections to their neighbors, and their struggle to build a relationship with Glennie who is consumed by her career as an OB-GYN to the exclusions of everything and everyone else.
It's a powerful experience when a book comes into your life at the perfect time. I read Geographies of the Heart very early on mornings when anxiety over care options for my elderly father caused insomnia. Reading about Sarah going through similar experiences with her grandparents and then her parents was cathartic, even though this is fiction.
There's much to discuss in these stories, beginning with the quote at the top of my post. If you've read this, please reach out so we can chat.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Fomite Press for the review copy.
March 22, 2022
This is my second book by Ms. Summie, the first was short stories which is a whole other ball of wax when it comes to reading if you ask me. Geographies of the Heart is the kind of book you pick up, start to read and suddenly you find it’s the end of the day and you haven’t eaten anything because you got so lost in the story you just never left it.
That doesn’t happen to me very often and when it does I save the book for a second reading ’cause I know I was reading and missing things because I was so enthralled. It’s the second reading that really brings out the beauty inside. I love books like that. They are few and far between and I have a special shelf (well I will if my stupid bookshelves EVER arrive) for these books.
This book is a book about family, both the insular and the generational and the ways that all of these different relationships install their locations on us or their geographies of the heart. None can be removed once placed but oh can boundaries be altered.
Any of us of a certain age could find ourselves in a situation where we are dealing with children and parents/grandparents needing care. It’s a difficult stage of life when there are compete pulls on time and heart. The way this story is told expresses that in a lyrical way that you won’t soon forget.
This is not a light, easy book but it is a book that will stay with you and make you think about your own family relationships for the good or the bad. We all have them and they are sometimes … complicated.
That doesn’t happen to me very often and when it does I save the book for a second reading ’cause I know I was reading and missing things because I was so enthralled. It’s the second reading that really brings out the beauty inside. I love books like that. They are few and far between and I have a special shelf (well I will if my stupid bookshelves EVER arrive) for these books.
This book is a book about family, both the insular and the generational and the ways that all of these different relationships install their locations on us or their geographies of the heart. None can be removed once placed but oh can boundaries be altered.
Any of us of a certain age could find ourselves in a situation where we are dealing with children and parents/grandparents needing care. It’s a difficult stage of life when there are compete pulls on time and heart. The way this story is told expresses that in a lyrical way that you won’t soon forget.
This is not a light, easy book but it is a book that will stay with you and make you think about your own family relationships for the good or the bad. We all have them and they are sometimes … complicated.
January 25, 2022
This book is very lyrically and poetically written. If I didn’t know it was fiction, I really would think this book was a memoir; it just feels that personal when I read it. This book is very subtle (meaning that you need to immerse yourself in the nuances of the writing) but has a strong overall presence. I’m still thinking about some of these family stories in this read.
This is a people story. It’s a book about family and perspective and expectations. It’s about regular people living their life and handling aging and what life throws at you in a loving and cohesive way.
This book I feel will mean different things to different people and I for one could picture myself as a character in this book.
The book is told in a timeline going between 1994 and 2019. It does have multiple points of view. Even though the book flows as one, each chapter almost feels like it’s own story.
The main character, Sarah Macmillan, is at the center of the story and the book tells about her bond and responsibility to family. We also get mixed in the course of the book other perspectives such as Sarah’s husband, Al and Sarah’s sister, Glennie.
Surrounded by these family stories is a bitterness that Sarah feels for her sister Glennie. Because on the surface, Glennie doesn’t feel the same way about family as Sarah does.
This is a book that no matter your perceived roll in your family will strike a cord and make you reflect.
This is a people story. It’s a book about family and perspective and expectations. It’s about regular people living their life and handling aging and what life throws at you in a loving and cohesive way.
This book I feel will mean different things to different people and I for one could picture myself as a character in this book.
The book is told in a timeline going between 1994 and 2019. It does have multiple points of view. Even though the book flows as one, each chapter almost feels like it’s own story.
The main character, Sarah Macmillan, is at the center of the story and the book tells about her bond and responsibility to family. We also get mixed in the course of the book other perspectives such as Sarah’s husband, Al and Sarah’s sister, Glennie.
Surrounded by these family stories is a bitterness that Sarah feels for her sister Glennie. Because on the surface, Glennie doesn’t feel the same way about family as Sarah does.
This is a book that no matter your perceived roll in your family will strike a cord and make you reflect.
January 26, 2022
Caitlin Hamilton Summie is a beautiful writer. This novel is, in simple terms, about a family, across generations. It explores love and loss and the way those we're closest to shape our lives forever, even when our bonds are broken or when we don't understand each other.
Summie creates characters we come to care for as friends, despite their flaws or unclear motivations. There's no melodrama or hyped-up dysfunction here; Summie paints authentic scenes, bursting with such true emotion it can sometimes be difficult to see the words through our tears.
In a world that understandably and rightly calls for diversity in our reading, Summie cuts to the core and focuses on universal themes and feelings. The relationships between spouses and between siblings and between grandchild and grandparent explored in Geographies of the Heart underscore some of the basic human commonalities, reminding us of all we share with our neighbors, friends, and community.
This is a book I'll return to more than once. It also has a guaranteed spot on my top-ten of 2022 reads.
Note: I know Caitlin personally but my thoughts here are honest and are not the result of my relationship with her. Thanks to Rick Summie for the review copy.
Summie creates characters we come to care for as friends, despite their flaws or unclear motivations. There's no melodrama or hyped-up dysfunction here; Summie paints authentic scenes, bursting with such true emotion it can sometimes be difficult to see the words through our tears.
In a world that understandably and rightly calls for diversity in our reading, Summie cuts to the core and focuses on universal themes and feelings. The relationships between spouses and between siblings and between grandchild and grandparent explored in Geographies of the Heart underscore some of the basic human commonalities, reminding us of all we share with our neighbors, friends, and community.
This is a book I'll return to more than once. It also has a guaranteed spot on my top-ten of 2022 reads.
Note: I know Caitlin personally but my thoughts here are honest and are not the result of my relationship with her. Thanks to Rick Summie for the review copy.
February 9, 2022
Geographies of the Heart
Author, Caitlin Hamilton Summie
Pub date: 1.17.22
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @chsummie for my #gifted copy!
Geographies of the Heart is a profound and insightful exploration into what it means to be a family, the legacies and stories we share and leave behind, the depth of grief and loss, the question of faith, and the power of forgiveness.
With complex characters that are so real and flawed, Summie's fragile and intimate story was deeply moving. The family dynamics were so perfectly defined that I found myself very much attached to these remarkable characters and the details that exposed the geographies of each of their hearts. An absolutely beautiful debut novel to inspire reflection and ask yourself about the geographies of your own heart.
There are so many exceptional quotes that I have to share a few...
~ "Letting go is impossible, I have decided. You never really let go, you just accept that what you had is gone."
~ "You cannot write what you want," she yelled. "It's not just your story."
Author, Caitlin Hamilton Summie
Pub date: 1.17.22
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @chsummie for my #gifted copy!
Geographies of the Heart is a profound and insightful exploration into what it means to be a family, the legacies and stories we share and leave behind, the depth of grief and loss, the question of faith, and the power of forgiveness.
With complex characters that are so real and flawed, Summie's fragile and intimate story was deeply moving. The family dynamics were so perfectly defined that I found myself very much attached to these remarkable characters and the details that exposed the geographies of each of their hearts. An absolutely beautiful debut novel to inspire reflection and ask yourself about the geographies of your own heart.
There are so many exceptional quotes that I have to share a few...
~ "Letting go is impossible, I have decided. You never really let go, you just accept that what you had is gone."
~ "You cannot write what you want," she yelled. "It's not just your story."
March 21, 2022
This books deserves a STANDING OVATION!
This one was a stunner. I was so taken with the Macmillan family and their history. The author has an innate sense for crafting story world, and her prose are down right lyrical. Many passages leapt right off the page for me! I highlighted several.
"Time changes things slowly, at first like seasons. The leaves turn yellow, the color deepens, and then suddenly some are red, and fall arrives, as if overnight. I've decided that's how age works. First, there is a gray hair, a wrinkle, a dull ache in one's joints, but the changes are small and easy to accommodate."
Just glorious. And this:
"I understand how Sarah must feel, with each relative passing. It's hard to be the last one, the keeper of the stories, the memory. But my lord, what a gift."
There are moments and scenes in the book that pierced straight through my heart. Prepare to be astonished and moved deeply!
"Maybe not here, not now, not for a long time, but death will come, silently, and spirit away what I love, turn my world into a new world. This isn't acceptance. It is recognition, it is resignation. Because I could never accept the loss, to forgive it really."
This novel and characters are going to stay with me for a long, long time.
This one was a stunner. I was so taken with the Macmillan family and their history. The author has an innate sense for crafting story world, and her prose are down right lyrical. Many passages leapt right off the page for me! I highlighted several.
"Time changes things slowly, at first like seasons. The leaves turn yellow, the color deepens, and then suddenly some are red, and fall arrives, as if overnight. I've decided that's how age works. First, there is a gray hair, a wrinkle, a dull ache in one's joints, but the changes are small and easy to accommodate."
Just glorious. And this:
"I understand how Sarah must feel, with each relative passing. It's hard to be the last one, the keeper of the stories, the memory. But my lord, what a gift."
There are moments and scenes in the book that pierced straight through my heart. Prepare to be astonished and moved deeply!
"Maybe not here, not now, not for a long time, but death will come, silently, and spirit away what I love, turn my world into a new world. This isn't acceptance. It is recognition, it is resignation. Because I could never accept the loss, to forgive it really."
This novel and characters are going to stay with me for a long, long time.
October 12, 2022
What an interesting book. It’s the story of family and aging, which is quite ordinary, but told in a unique way. I’m not sure if it is meant to be, but this almost reads like interconnected short stories about two sisters, their parents and children. I am an only child and love reading about different takes on adult siblings. This shows the good, bad and ugly of family. Those you choose for yourself and those that you are given. How the dynamics of family shape you and how you pass that along.
At times you want to look away and at other times I could definitely relate. I smiled and shed a tear as the family grew and changed and struggled to stay a family. It made me miss my grandma. I loved that there was a family quilt passed down and added to by the women inthe family. Such a rich tradition.
This book will stay with me for a while.
At times you want to look away and at other times I could definitely relate. I smiled and shed a tear as the family grew and changed and struggled to stay a family. It made me miss my grandma. I loved that there was a family quilt passed down and added to by the women inthe family. Such a rich tradition.
This book will stay with me for a while.
October 13, 2022
This is a quietly written (no big drawn out dramas) and beautiful story about family, loss, love, kindness and more.
I love when at the heart of a story it's about sisters. I have many of my own and we are close but different as night and day.
Sarah and Glennie are that way. They love each other but grow apart at some point and struggle to maintain a close relationship.
I cried when the sisters grandparents passed as each of my Grandpa's deaths are brought back to the surface of my mind and how much I miss them.
I love the family quilt that is passed down. I love that at one point, Sarah wants to write down family history in stories and her Grandma doesn't want to have her sister written in. I think it's very important for all family history, no matter how messy, to be passed down.
I love when at the heart of a story it's about sisters. I have many of my own and we are close but different as night and day.
Sarah and Glennie are that way. They love each other but grow apart at some point and struggle to maintain a close relationship.
I cried when the sisters grandparents passed as each of my Grandpa's deaths are brought back to the surface of my mind and how much I miss them.
I love the family quilt that is passed down. I love that at one point, Sarah wants to write down family history in stories and her Grandma doesn't want to have her sister written in. I think it's very important for all family history, no matter how messy, to be passed down.
March 28, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed Geographies of the Heart. It is a character driven story in the best sense of the term -- I felt that I knew each of the main characters as well as the minor ones. The characters were very human, with relatable flaws and a palpable yearning to connect with each other. My favorite character was Al, a religion professor who thinks he is a non-believer but actually is deeply faithful. Although it is a novel, the book has the feel of linked short stories, and each chapter stands on its own as well as part of the greater whole. This is a quiet but complex story, and those with sisters will particularly relate.
October 30, 2022
I had a feeling I would love this book but I had no idea just how much I would love it. This book has heart and soul. I love that it centers around family stories and I love the characters. My parents divorced when I was 15 which was life changing. Our family was divided and I stopped collecting family stories. Many years have passed and thankfully I am at peace with that painful chapter but it gave me an appreciation for family traditions and stories.
This book was such a wonderful read and will stay with me for a long time. Whether you have collected family stories or not, there is something in this beautiful book for everyone.
This book was such a wonderful read and will stay with me for a long time. Whether you have collected family stories or not, there is something in this beautiful book for everyone.
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