About the book
A multi-generational saga set in the fictional town of Bonhomie, Ohio, following two intertwined couples/families from World War II into the late 20th century. Sparked by a charged moment on V-E Day, their lives unfold through decades of love, desire, secrets, and the lingering psychological toll of war.
Published 2025
Historical Fiction
464 pages
All the right ingredients, but I didn’t love it
February 12, 2026
This had all the right ingredients to be a great novel: a sweeping portrayal of 20th century America, a cast of detailed and complex characters, and plenty of moral ambiguity to ponder upon.
Unfortunately, for some reason, I just really didn’t start caring about any of it until maybe 250 pages in. And that’s a lot of pages to get through. Even after I did eventually start to feel a little more invested, I still wasn’t quite enjoying myself and I’m not sure why. Maybe because the writing lacked any kind of humor? Maybe it was because of the minimal dialogue, making the characters feel flat? Maybe it was because the tone felt monotonous the whole way through whether I was reading about a casual conversation or about a marital affair or a death? The whole thing just had me dwelling unpleasantly on the pointlessness of life.
I give credit for the ambition of the book and its important themes, and there’s not anything I can say that’s objectively bad about it. I just didn’t love it.
kelsi’s reading diary 