This was definitely a quirky read, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it. It was difficult at the beginning of most chapters trying to figure out which narrator was talking and what decade it was. I find books like this too scattered for my taste and was not able to finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Quirky and unexpected. A sweeping story with multiple narrators, spanning multiple generations, but remains domestic and cosy. You may start off unsure but you're sure to get sucked in! This book deserves a spot on your summer reading list.

The writing style is interesting and quirky. It took some time to get into it, but by the end of the book I was thoroughly engaged and I found the story moving. There were genuine laugh out loud moments, and it was an easy book to read and enjoy.

Interesting. Kept reading to see if I could figure out who was who. I think it could be an interesting movie. I felt it read a bit like a screenplay which would be in both color for present day and black/white for historical. Some of the odd writing style was hard for me to enjoy so I had to skim through. I rarely reread a book but I might reread this book with pen and paper to do a family tree as another reviewer mentioned. But all together, I was glad I read.

While I possibly wouldn't call it "The most uplifting and unmissable feel good novel of the year!," The Map of Us is indeed a humourous and easy read; something one might enjoy reading on the beach or after getting home from a long and tiring day at work. Thanks to the short chapters, it is also a perfect book for those who don't have much time per day to read, as it could also be read while travelling to and from work.

It was interesting to see Violet's story unfold, and I was greatly amused by the fact that Matilda was writing a report about her failed marriage. Many of us may know how our work can infiltrate our pivate life, and seeing how it influenced Matilda's way of handling her personal affairs was truly hilarious.

Once I got used to the technique of many points of view, The Map of Us is a really entertaining read. There is no better word to describe the complex characters Jules Preston brings to life, other than quirky. I rounded up to 4 stars based on the layering of the character portraits. The settings are wonderfully detailed and the pacing is fairly even and fast. The Map of Us keeps the promise of its premise well. I would definitely read more from Jules Preston.

This is a quirky gem of a story, where we learn about seveal different stories of love, imperfections and finding yourself - and each other.

Violet North is a fantastic character who is an 'inconvenience' to her family being disabled. She writes a fictional travel series and meets a wonderful man in the real world.

Decades later her granddaughter, Tilly's marriage falls apart due to her infidelity and so she creates a detailed report called the Compatability Index which proves to be more popular than she thought!

We also learn about Daniel, a reluctant owner of a multi-million pound business passed down from his father as he tries to find himself.

This story is funny and unique - unlike anything else you are likely to have read.

The description on Net Galley was interesting, and what convinced me to choose this book was the tagline: “One of the most original and charming books you will ever read, this is a must read for all those who love Eleanor Oliphant and The Keeper of Lost Things”

While I haven’t read “Eleanor Oliphant” I have read “The Keeper…” and I did enjoy it, so I thought I would give this a try. I was glad I did, although I do have a few reservations.

It is written in very short chapters, with slightly bizarre titles, such as “More Sofa” (it makes sense within the story) or “64.726%” – some chapters are written in almost free-form poetry, others from different points of view, and with a definite style, depending on the subject/narrator. Each character’s story is woven together neatly, and the whole book is a pleasure to read. However, other reviewers found the writing style quite difficult to get along with, and even gave up reading the book.

In my opinion, the characters were engaging, and well delinated, and the story moved along briskly. While the writing was “different”, I didn’t find it put me off too much. I particularly enjoyed the chapters telling Violet’s story, and the characters described therein; Dog appealed most of all. My reservations are two-fold – although the first is not so much about the book as the publicity. Billing anything as “The most uplifting and unmissable feel good novel of the year!” is possibly dangerous, as it sets the reader’s expectations almost unattainably high. I have read other books equally (or more) uplifting this year, although I’m not denying that this was a satisfying (although partially very predictable) read.

My second reservation is that at times I felt that the author was almost trying too hard to be quirky. There were times when I felt he was raising his eyebrow archly and saying “Aren’t I clever?” I guess that more and more novels have to have something to make them stand out from the crowd, but with this I just felt slightly put on edge by the knowing eccentricity of the way the story was told.

Don’t let this put you off: if you enjoy stories with “something different” about them, then I would recommend it. It’s not as good as the equally quirky “A Year of Marvellous Ways” which I loved but it is still a very enjoyable book. I have given it three-and-a-half stars (losing half a star for being “arch”) but for Net Galley, who don’t give half stars, I’m rounding it UP to 4 stars.

3,5 stars

I've read many very good reviews about this book that I wanted to read it for myself. I had been warned that it is a very unusual book, and that it would take a while to get into it. So I was prepared.
But after I was about one third through the book I seriously thought about giving up. Not because it was so hard to follow the individual storylines. But because there was nothing really holding my interest.

Thankfully I told myself to continue at least until I've reached half of the book. And that's where Violets story really started for me. And suddenly I was hooked. Also the other characters got more interesting: Jack, Katherine, Tilly, Mr. Juniper, even Matt & Grace. At the end I even cared for Daniel and Abby.
All of them are special (read: strange) in their own way. Reminded me of the protagonists of "Hotel New Hampshire", which is a book about a family full of odd characters. Here we have Violet, who had polio as a child and was tortured by her sadistic brother and subsequently simply abandoned by her parents. Tilly is her granddaughter, and obsessed with statistic (nothing wrong with that, I LOVE my excel spreadsheets on my personal library and with all kinds of statistical data). Tillys sister is a compulsive handbag buyer, and her brother is the world authority on the color blue. How do you obtain this profession, I wonder... Their father makes his living (does he really earn something with that??) with building sand castles.

If this book ever gets made into a movie, Wes Anderson should definitely be making it! Bill Murray as the father, and the 3 Wilson brothers plus Jason Schwartzman get to play Owen, Matt, Daniel and Clive. Adrien Brody could be Jack. Gwynth Paltrow could play Tilly and Tilda Swinton Katherine. Unfortunately Anjelica Huston would be too tall to play a convincing Violet. Maybe she could be Tillys mean co-worker Helen, or their boss.

I appreciate the ability of the author to create a book that tells so many different stories in such an unusual way. Yes, many stories could have been or even should have been more detailed. But the important stuff was all there. And even though it was composed of many short individual passages, it felt like a real story as well! Big compliment for that.
But I also have to admit that I for myself can probably handle the conventional way of telling a story a bit better. And I would totally watch the movie, Wes!

At first I was a bit confused by this novel. There are multiple points of view and it was difficult to decipher who was narrating at times. I like the idea of multiple generations, but it was a bit hard to navigate the novel. A map of all the characters and how they are intertwined would have been helpful! I think it was slow to connect the characters, but by the second half I was more invested. I think the author has a great sense of humor and is able to throw quirky comments and jokes throughout the novel. As an analyst I did connect with one of the leads in wanting statistical evidence; however, I had never thought of a compatibility analysis of my own current relationship ;)

I was hoping to enjoy this book more, but it was a difficult start.

A sweet story with likable characters, a well defined storyline and a charming, complete ending. I recommend this book to romances readers who likeheart warming stories.

It was probably the mention of and a picture of a typewriter that drew me to this book - but I am so glad it did. Such a quirky and unexpected gem of a read which I enjoyed immensely. I feel the world would be missing something without this book!

I read the whole thing in one day. There aren't chapters as such and some are only a page long. So when you tell yourself - one more chapter......... I just could not put it down, it made me laugh out loud and also in places a tiny bit sad, but not for long.

Violet is unable to travel anywhere, even outside her own house so she begin to write imaginary travel books. Only problem is the typewriter she has borrowed - the "e" sticks, so she avoids words like nose, eyes, and kissed. But still she writes.

Years later Violet's granddaughter Tilly writes a detailed statistical report on her failed marriage. Her mother sends her letters about the latest washing machine, there have been over 70 of them as her father is a sand sculpture and as you can imagine it plays havoc with the machines. Tilly's brother Jack is the world authority on the colour blue.

This may sound pretty random - and it is but in a really, really good way. So many of the office scenes with Tilly's co-workers rang true with me. "She was the bridesmaid at Trish's wedding, so it was moved." Just one line, but it says so much. Such fantastic eloquent writing that makes the words just float past you in a way you don't want to end. I can't wait to read more from Jules Preston.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of the book which is out on 12 July.

Review of The Map of Us. Written by Jules Preston. Published by Harper Collins/Impulse 2018.
I was first attracted to this book by the beautiful turquoise typewriter on the cover. The typewriter has become my image of the year. I have simply fallen in love with the shape and design of this iconic machine. The outline of it delights my eye and calls to mind the lovely feeling of pushing the keys down and hearing the clickety clack as the letters hit the paper. The fun feeling of flicking the lever at the end to return the carriage and start another row – with a crisp ting of the bell to boot. I remember having to press and hold another button that lifted the carriage so that you could change the spacing between the rows. Best of all I remember the letters sometimes bunching up in a cluster and the take your life literally in your hands moment, when trying to unpeel and unhook them all one, from the other and retrieve your fingers intact. All of this springs to mind and conjures up a fondness for simpler times, happy times. Add to that the colour. This year, I assigned each month a signature colour. Every turn of the calendar page I deliberately look out for the new colour, spotting it in different places and savouring the moment and the beauty of colour in the world. Turquoise is my colour for June. It is also my favourite colour this year.
So, imagine my delight at finding a book that had both these elements smiling out at me from its front cover.
The story is simply a delight. The resonance of peace, tranquillity and safety that shimmied out at me from the image of the typewriter carries forward into the novel. We are treated to a kaleidoscope of characters and the author cleverly denotes each individual voice. Each member of the family has interesting facets that the writer holds up to the light so that they catch and reflect the unique beauty of each individual. With poignant turn of phrase and the ability to suspend the narrative so that it literally pauses in mid-air, the prose allows the prism of the person within to shine out from the page.
As we turn the page we are twisting the tube of colours and tip into another person’s life. It takes a moment to understand where we have landed and to survey the landscape around us, but each time as the feeling of disorientation wears off, we are pleasantly surprised and reassured. The colours settle about us and form distinct images and shapes. Some sights are scarier than others, but we find ourselves in a position of strength, with a protected vantage point. Somehow, we know that it is going to be ok in the end, and if it is not ok, then it is not the end.
We meet the incredible North family and trace their stories from Grandmother Violet to Granddaughter’s Tilly and Katharine. Violet North is a naturally talented writer and illustrator, Tilly North has devised a Compatibility Index for relationships, her father sculpts sand, her brother is an expert on the colour blue and her sister Katharine is searching for a way to nurture and articulate her own desire for colour and self-expression in her life. None of the family are strangers to sadness, cruelty or loss, yet all of them are attuned to the compass inside seeking out their true ‘north’ – all of them persist in their will to survive and to thrive.
We see them all up close, warts and all, no holds barred. We see their triumphs and their frailties, and it is this that gives us comfort. Through their idiosyncrasies we learn to value creativity and uniqueness. We learn to value wonder, awe, magic and uncertainty and the making and breaking of routines. The book takes us by the hand and leads us along chartered and unchartered territories, real and imaginary until we find acceptance. We can reach out as readers to find shelter in the storms of our own lives as the North family touchingly show us they have found them in theirs. The unwinding of the winding roads of this family’s lives brings us forward on a journey through creativity to a place of heart peace. We witness cycles of life as the Kaleidoscope changes the scene again and again, the short, fast flowing chapters wrapping us up in wave upon wave of the dynamics of this family’s life. The story reminded me a little of pilgrim’s progress with valleys and mountains, forests and pastures on all sides. We are never sure what will turn up on the map next. It is in this way that the story encourages us to accept our own narrative threads, however knotted or threadbare they may be at times.
We are encouraged to seek a truer, natural, more personal and characteristically authentic way of living, of following the path of life. The saying that ‘time and tide waits for no man’ is put to one side. However true this may be, the author consoles and urges us to entertain the idea that taking our time is better for us, better for our happiness in the long term than being robbed by pushing time to its limits. In the novel we see that given time, talents can rise to the surface, relationships can pass from bad times to good, and spring up where once there was once barren land. We learn to see the dust and weeds that can accumulate when time drifts, and that there is always time to choose, to begin again and that in time all can be reversed and renewed.
We see that tracing the time lines of other people’s lives and realising our place within these gives an important perspective and that spending time with dear ones simply enriches our lives. In the end our time is now. This new appreciation of life will surely attract and attribute better company for the journey, will lighten the load along the road better than anything else. The writer ultimately gently assures us that if we are prepared to live in this way unfettered by compromise, and making time for the things that matter, then the universe has got our back, love is patient; it can and will wait it’s turn. If we can relax enough to greet the world with an ‘unintentional smile and a welcoming nod’ we won’t have to understand everything, but we will be open enough to embrace all that is gentler, kinder and more satisfying, come what may along the way.
Coffee Cup Conversations and Teapot Talking Points:
If you and I dear reader were sitting down together today, having both read the book, here are a few of the points we could mull over together:
Has anyone ever brought you flowers?
In the story Violet receives posies of roses – what a romantic and tender gesture. Do you like to to receive flowers? Have you ever rescued some blooms from your own garden and popped them on the kitchen table? I know that picking flowers whilst out on a walk is not the done thing, but I do stop and “smell the roses” whilst walking. I love to let a flower catch my eye and spend a few minutes talking to it or drinking in its natural beauty. It’s amazing what you can spot when you do this, and equally interesting what you start to notice about your emotions, memories or even your physical comfort or discomfort when you do. We can always take a snap on our phones for later viewing too.
Do you like maps in books?
As a child I was always drawn to books that created worlds. If there was a map in the front of the book that drew and plotted them out, it was even better. I really loved reading a story and following the map at the same time. It was always helpful to locate oneself and made me as a reader feel as though I was really participating in the narrative. It still makes me giddy with happiness if I find a book that has done this. I don’t really read fantasy or sci-fi, but I imagine that it is the same sort of sensation for those readers. I love the idea of a mural map as depicted in the story. Murals on walls are fascinating. I once worked in a school that had a 1920s art deco mural of peacocks on the wall – and it seemed such a free and unique way of decorating one’s house – truly personalised art. Recently I have volunteered at Chawton House in Hampshire and they have a very old map of London printed onto a 6ft high screen – it is truly a thing of beauty. Maps always get my imaginative juices flowing. They are fun to follow and are works of art in themselves.
Do you love handbags?
I thought that the use of the handbags as a collector’s item in the story was an inspired choice by the writer. I could really relate. I don’t give in to the same extent as Katherine, but I have had moderate splurges. It is a rabbit hole that would definitely be easy for me to fall down. I do have my favourite designers and a handbag doesn’t have to fit you does it? You just have to like the colour and style.

I just loved this quirky read with endearing characters. It follows the story of the North family and in particular Violet. She was abandoned by her family for being a cripple and lives in a beautiful house with a rambling garden. She writes and sells books about an explorer. Tilly, her granddaughter is a statistician and compiles a compatibility test about her soon to be ex-husband. There are other eccentric characters like her dad and her sister who collects designer handbags....and her brother who is the world expert on the colour blue (what the hell is that about!) Really enjoyable, funny, and quirky. I loved it.

The Map Of Us sounded like one of those stories you either hate or love, especially since the connection to the characters seems all important in this story. Quirky and unusual characters can go both ways, and while I love my characters that way, they often are not for everyone. One of the reasons I ended up enjoying The Map Of Us better than I thought I would was exactly that: my ability to appreciate and embrace the quirkiness of Tilly and Violet. And I think this story has a lot of potential, although I had my doubts about the execution in certain areas. The first thing I struggled with was the writing style, which I somehow didn't manage to get used to. Short phrases can mess up the pace and make the story feel haltered... But more than that, I especially struggled with the chapters in Dad's POV. I'm sad to say I had to skimread those since I couldn't get used to them. And talking about POVs, I felt there were too many different POVs in the story, making it harder to connect with at least one of them. I think I would have enjoyed the story that much better if it would have been told from just Violet's or Tilly's POV, or just the two of them at least. I never got a proper feel for any characters due to the many switches and it made the story feel quite messy and for me it lacked cohesion. That is, until the final stage when everything is rushed to be connected together. I did like the quirkiness of The Map Of Us and both Violet and Tilly have so much potential! I just wish they would have gotten their chance in the spotlight rather than being squeezed in between the other POVs.

I loved this book! It had a very magical quality to it. The characters were lovable and interesting. And the story was entertaining. It was a great summer read and you can't help but feel good reading about these characters who overcome huge obstacles to find their way in the world. The style reminded me of Alice Hoffman and if you enjoy her, you'll love this. You'll love it regardless.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2418857335

I also reviewed on Amazon, but have not received confirmation it has been processed.

Thanks!

One of the most unusual novels I have ever read. Very short disjointed chapters that move between characters and places and time until it all starts to join up and make sense. It is Matilda's obsession with numbers, graphs and statistics and her brother's obsession with the colour blue that provide the main threads running through the story. Such different lives they lead to the simple one that their grandparents led. But the blue typewriter passes from mother to daughter to granddaughter as they also pass on the task of writing a series of walking books based on a lie. Complex but strangely compelling.

THE MAP OF US by Jules Preston is subtitled "The Most Uplifting and Unmissable Feel Good Novel of the Year!" That's a big promise and I do not think this book really delivered, although it is a light and enjoyable read if one sticks with it. Other reviews indicate that it takes some time to get into this book and perhaps I was not patient enough? There were some humorous moments, but I am not sure which readers would most enjoy it.

Looking for "quirky" and "charming"? As always, we can let the readers decide for themselves, especially since this title is available at relatively low cost. As a librarian, I am intrigued that it is available digitally for only a dollar through Follett for 26 checkouts. The Kindle price – for anyone - is a similar $0.99.

A nice lighthearted read, perfect for the holiday season. A must read for fans of Eleanor oliphant is completely fine.

This is a copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to them!

Jules Preston turns this book into an amazing journey when I was reading. The story talks about a family, North´s family, and the relationship between them, and how every single one is so different but at same time they complement each other. Matilda has the main character of these book as she discovers the past of her family and, suddenly, everything comes to fit in on everyone life´s as a map, a map of us!

Smartly writing by the author, the book is composed with small chapters that allows the reading to flow so nicely and that way you can understand the plot and all density of characters as well. Anyway, as I was reading the first chapters I felt a little bit lost, but slowly I catch the line of story and everything went perfectly fine.

The characters are a dimension that I really like to be involved with them to be able to feel their emotions and psychological deepness through the lines. In this book the author does this with objectivity through the variety of smallest chapters, that brings deepness to every one of them.

In this story the author shares to us a deep message of values like bonds in family, enjoying the little things, true love, compassion and life! When I finished this book, I realised that the begin of story comes to a purposeful and unexpected end, like in real life. And that was what I liked the most: the relatable to real life trough lines of this story and the construction and evolution of all characters together.

In another side, I wished that the story ends with more details about other characters, it seems like they vanish for a little while in the plot. I feel like I need a second book to continue this story and end it for good.

Finally, this book teaches me that everything around us has something to give us, to teach us and to learn at the same time, like a map

Happy readings!