Suzanne is a wife and mother who has lost herself while taking care of her family. As she is driving one day, she finds Iris along the side of the road. She is sick and been living all alone for a long time. Suzanne brings Iris home with her. Her family is not happy about Iris living with them as it disrupts the normal. I loved the characters in this book. Suzanne could be any one of us or our friends. It is so easy to lose yourself as you give everything for your family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

I have been long impressed with Yoerg’s novels and when she has a new one come up, I am always happy to review it! One of the things that I love about Yoerg’s books is that they are standalone novels and the character arcs are wrapped up in the book rather than stretching it out to multiple novels.

She writes strong and impactful stories that leave readers satisfied with a resolved story that will stand out in the readers minds. This latest book is no different—a strong and memorable plot the left me wanting more yet left me feeling satisfied by the resolution.

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs.

Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilization, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.

But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for—qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her? (summary from Goodreads).

This novel addresses a lot of important and themes that I think women readers will relate to…..difficult families, marriages, and children, as well as finding yourself and finding your place in your world. Many of her book dwell on the same subject but in different and unique ways—-and they never get old.

Yoerg’s ability to write realistic and honest characters is mesmerizing. That to me is one of the hallmarks of her writing style. Suzanne was very much at the center of her family, but who is she really? So many people in her life have projected their issues on to her that in the process she has lost herself and who she really is. Her losses and insecurities felt so real and haunting to me. This book, though serious and heart wrenching in content, left me feeling satisfied with its ending. I won’t give it away to anyone, but let’s just say I thought about this book long after I finished it.

I loved how much the landscape factored into the plot as well. The Blue Ridge Mountains is an area that I am not very familiar with so the have is described so elegantly and with such knowledge was unforgettable. The landscape kind of took on it’s own role in the story and I loved that about this book. It was a great tool to foreshadow the novel when it needed it.

Also the Blue Ridge Mountains are front and center with the cover and I thought the cover art captured how important the landscape was to the narrative. This is an enchanting cover and the artist who designed it did a fantastic job capturing the heart of this novel.

I have read all of Yoerg’s books and its so hard to pick a favorite, but I must admit that this one is at the top of my list. If you haven’t discovered Yoerg, you need to add her books to your TBR list and I would say start with this one, it really shows off her ability to create memorable, relatable, and haunting characters.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: True Places by Sonja Yoerg

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: January 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing
ASIN B07C227DVB
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own
Recommendation: 5 out of 5
Genre: women fiction, contempo lit
Memorable lines/quotes:

Every once in awhile a book comes along that wakes me up and makes me look at my life and question my path and begs me for change. This book did that for me. As Suzanne, the mother in the story, finds a reason to look at her life more closely because of the arrival of Iris in her life, I found a reason to look at my life more closely because of the arrival of this book in my life.

And just as Suzanne saw some reasons for change, I also found some things within myself that I could do differently, things that would make my life more fulfilling. And I loved that about his book. It was definitely a book that brought about deep thoughts, and made me question some things about my life. And made me want to be braver and not hide away so much. I love when a book of fiction can touch my heart as this one did and become so personal, I found I had so much in common with Suzanne.

And then, as always with this authors writing, I found myself immersed in the earth, her descriptions of the flora and fauna of the setting were gorgeous and I could see myself walking in the woods surrounded by the plants and wildlife there. The place where Iris grew up was a beautiful one and I can see why it was so hard for her to not be there anymore.

This is such a beautiful family drama, a book about change and why it’s so important to do so sometimes, and about relationships and how they change as well. And I highly recommend this one. It will be staying around in my head and my heart for a long time to come and I will remember it with fondness for the things I learned as well as the beautiful story.

This story captivates you from the first paragraph. I HAD to know what the story was behind the girl in the woods and that need to know kept me turning the pages, but the honest, almost painful portrayal of the Blakemore family made this a multidimensional pageturner. I finished the book in about two days. I really liked the way the author used the vulnerability of both Iris, the girl in the woods and Suzanne, the mother who finds her as a connection. It created a much needed bond between the two of them and helped them both become stronger. The story reminded me of Yoerg's book House Broken. It was the first of hers I read and I really found it to be powerful in the way she did not portray the family as perfect. Most families are messy, there are things that are done and said that ultimately hurt, but that is real life. Yoerg has done a phenomenal job of peeling back that pleasant exterior and showing us the real life that most of us lead. Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sonja Yoerg does an amazing job with her latest novel, True Places.

The characters are so real and you immediately "feel" them. The descriptions are wonderfully done and made Iris's woods and cabin feel like I'd been there.

There is so much to unpack in this book. There's family drama, love, concern for others, a helicopter mom who doesn't know how to stop, a pretty disconnected dad and so many things and issues that are now a part of our everyday lives that we could easily do without or with less.

This story will pull you in and not want to let you go, even on the last page. This is one of a few that I've read this year that I consider must reads. I'm already recommending it to everyone.

I requested an ARC on Netgalley and was thrilled to get a chance to read this book early! All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book, opinion is mine alone. 4.5 stars.

I read the first chapter at least twice, not wanting to miss a word of the beautifully and heartfelt emotions of the outdoors and the situation evolving.

Iris, a waif is left on her own, for some time. Suzanne, is an affluent wife and mother, escaping a day of demands, by going on a long drive...very out of character. She sees something in the side of the road and finds Iris, alone and very ill. This starts a story that will change so many lives. Iris is put into foster care with Suzanne, much to the dismay of Whit, the Husband; Brynn, the spoiled brat; and Reid, the son who follows his beat. Suzanne is caught up in the rat race of being a mom and doing for everyone else, until she meets this waif, who opens her eyes in a way no one could have expected, especially her family.

This book is so well titled, and the cover art is perfect. The character development is excellent, you get a true look into each and every character, as you watch them all search for their True Place.

Will post review on BookBub today, and Amazon on pub date.

"Sometimes it takes a stranger to show you what should be obvious, how far you've drifted from who you want to be, from what's right for you, your true place."
A beautiful, insightful story of a young girl named Iris who is lost and then found by Suzanne. Suzanne a busy mother of two teens and a husband who is always looking to get ahead, is looking to save herself from her "perfectly imperfect" world and find her "true place" in life.
The beautiful details are exquisitely shown while you walk the path with Suzanne and Iris throughout each chapter of the book.
Truly a must read for people who "want" it all.
"To be free of the needs and expectations of others; to enjoy self-determination; to take a course of action-or even a single step- without weighing the impact on those around her."

I loved True Places, from start to finish. Incredible story. Wonderful storytelling and insightful exploration of important issues of modern living. At every turn, it has the reader reflecting on why we live the way we live, and why we do what we do. This book will particularly appeal to those searching for their own True Places and those remembering their own true selves.

A taste of what I loved:

~ Beautiful writing and themes dear to my heart.

"The cabin stood in a small clearing, and the trees surrounding it had strained toward the heavens for a long time, long enough for the trunks to have become too thick for the girl to enclose them in the circle of her arms, long enough for anyone with decency to fall silent in reverence."

~ Fresh looks at life which will particularly resonate with mothers.

"That was, in fact, what time was: a narrow container for relentless succession of tasks."

"Her life seemed ludicrous to her at times. She didn't dwell on it--it was futile--but she did occasionally entertain the notion that her activities and duties did not add up to a satisfying or even useful existence."

~ And, a non-spoiler peek at the line behind the title.

"Sometimes it takes a stranger to show you what should be obvious, how far you've drifted from who you want to be, from what's right for you, your true place."

In True Places, Sonja Yoerg weaves an exquisitely detailed story that juxtaposes the life and experiences of Iris, a girl raised off-grid who emerges from the wild after losing her family, and Suzanne, the affluent suburban mother who finds Iris and brings her home. Iris's arrival shakes the foundations of Suzanne's perfectly ordered life, and Suzanne recognizes that Iris isn't the only one who's lost her way.

As usual, Sonja's writing is lyrical, descriptive, and engaging. I was completely lost in the landscape of this story. Highly recommend!

I have a huge stack of books to read but when I received a copy of True Places, it went right to the top. I have read all of Sonja's books and knew that it needed to be read NOW. WOW - what a fantastic book - I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. It will definitely be one of my top books of the year. The writing is so beautiful that I had to stop several times to re-read and became part of the story instead of just the reader.

Suzanne is a wife and mother who has over scheduled her life to take care of her family and lost her own dreams in the harried life that she lives. Not only is she busy taking care of everyone else but her kids are teenagers now - the son kind of a strange quiet boy and the daughter who at 15 takes out all of her problems with life on her mother. She is just nasty to her mother and has no appreciation for her mother as anything but a mother - not as a woman who is trying hard to make life pleasant for her family. Her husband is little to no help - he is too busy making money to get involved in much at home. So here we have a family that looks perfect from the outside but is in the process of imploding. When Suzanne brings a homeless girl who has been living on her own in the mountains into their lives, things take a turn for the worse within the family.

All of the characters were so well written that I felt like I knew them. Suzanne was such a fantastic person, realizing that she had lost herself in her busy life but having no idea how to make changes that would make her the person that she used to be who had dreams and plans for her future. It's only when Iris is brought into the home that Suzanne begins to see her life for what it is -- a hamster wheel where she spends all of her time taking care of other people and no one takes care of her or even acknowledges what she does to make their lives easier. Through Iris, she realizes that she has lost touch with nature and solitude and taking care of herself. Will she be able to step out of the whirlwind of her life to find the peace and dreams that she needs to be happy?

Along with the wonderful characters, this novel has the beautiful scenery of the Blue Ridge mountains. Sonja describes the mountains so beautifully that I felt like I was in the woods with peace and quietness around me.

This is an exquisitely written wonderful novel about family and love and following your dreams. It really is a must read for everyone! It's a book that I won't soon forget.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Sonja Yoerg is one of those authors that let you sink into the beauty of nature as if you were there inside her book, listening to the plaintive cry of the doves, imaging how the dabbled sunlight sifts through the leaves landing deep on the forest floor, and flowers bending with beautiful butterflies. Here and there you breathe in the serenity she describes. Iris is a young girl who lived in these woods, and her story is haunting tearing at your heart. Suzanne a perfect wife, finds Iris along the side of the highway, hurt, bruised, and dazed and she rushes her to the hospital. When Iris is better she brings her into her home with her teen aged children Brynn and Reid who are not happy with this outcome. Whit who is Suzanne's husband is also reticent but loves his wife and agrees to the arrangement. Whit is very successful in his career but clueless about all the dysfunction within his family that this drama will create. A poignant reality is played out with the finding of ones true self, learning life is unmanageable, things that mattered change, events cause one to return to passions of the past and then hope for a different future. I was totally captivated by this book and just the beautiful way this author writes is brilliant. I highly recommend this book to those who love nature, and finding new pathways to life.

One thing I love about many of Sonya's books is how she brings nature alive. I can hear the birdsong and the streams or rivers babbling along, see the trees and the trails and feel the breeze of the mountains. This story is about a family falling apart. The mother find a young girl on the edge of the woods and through her she begins to gain prespective on things going on in her life and finding her dreams again. Wonderful book, great characters, and beautiful location. All around a very good read.

This is a beautifully written story about the complexities of life and finding your true place in the world. This is the story of Suzanne, her family and Iris, whom Suzanne found by the side of the road. It is about losing yourself, but then finding what makes you happy. The characters are riveting and vividly portrayed. I was there. I could feel the anxiety, the fear and the joy. The landscape is rich in imagery. You can feel the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. We all lose ourselves in this whirlwind called life. It is only when we find our true place in the world that we can feel whole. I have yet to find mine, but this book gave me hope. I was captured into the pages of this book and I lived there. Written with exquisite prose, this book will touch your soul. It touched mine. "Iris knew that being strong wasn't enough, because life could weigh more than you ever imagined. You had to bend, like a branch laden with snow, arcing toward the earth." This is my favorite quote from this book. We are all like trees, bending in the wind, reaching for the sun, but what is hidden is the strength of our roots. Thank you Sonja Yoerg and NetGalley for a book that I will always hold close to my heart.

Book Review
True Places, Sonja Yoerg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an advance copy of the latest book by Sonja Yoerg and promptly dropped everything and read it over two days!
The premise sounded fascinating. Suzanne, an over scheduled mother and wife rescues a young girl who’s been on her own, living in the Blue Ridge mountains, completely isolated and feels compelled to take her into her family.
The repercussions of that decision and the result it has on her marriage and her children is both heartbreaking and eye-opening. Her successful husband Whit, her two children Reid and Brynn all need a wake up call.
This author is cerebral and articulate (had to look up a few words) and fantastic at character development. Each person in this book has a voice and a personality and a complete story. There is also some mystery of course. Where are the girl’s parents and how did she survive? In the course of the story, as Suzanne tries to explain the modern world, the huge homes, the waste, the excess she finds herself questioning her own goals and needs.
The best descriptive word that comes to mind as I reflect is....redemption. The ending was satisfying and the characters all got a good whack upside the head! There’s a message here and part of it has to do with making real changes and not just accepting the norm. Just because everyone you know is also busy, overwhelmed and over-scheduled doesn’t mean you have to be too.
I can’t leave out the incredible descriptions of the outdoors. The author lives in Virginia and grows most of her own food and hikes all over the world. She is good buddies with Mother Nature and her gorgeous depictions of the scenery and plants are pure Sonja. 🌱 🌸
I highly enjoyed this book and know these characters will stay with me for a long time.