I enjoyed this one, right from the start. I have a thing for interesting cemeteries and their caretakers (my grandfather was one after his retirement and he sometimes took me, age 7 or so, to run around while he did his thing) so the first chapter sucked me in.

The cemetery was only one part of the story, but it's where a mysterious headstone is found and imparts some intrigue. A work of fiction about the Bethlehem Steel company in Bethlehem PA and the families behind it, I am not sure now if the wealthy Colliers and Parrishes were real families or not. They are all close friends and then inter-marry. There isn't a lot of action; I just enjoyed reading about them and their relationship struggles. The two storylines are 1962 and 1918- 1924, with the focus being on the females who try to do more than just support their men.

Just one complaint and it annoyed the heck out of me. Several characters were called by their given names as well as their nicknames. With three families in the cast, it's hard enough to keep them all straight. But then add one or more nicknames per person and it gets boggling.

Not for everyone, but it fit my current mood. Thank you to St Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but I liked it. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros
- The book was written very well – beautiful imagery, realistic conversations, believable plot.
- The feeling of regret was palpable throughout the book from just about every character. Sometimes I just wanted to scream at the characters for things they were doing and the secrets they were keeping from each other.
- The epilogue was heartbreaking.
- Susannah was a great character and she was the most well-developed in my opinion. Her story was the most emotional.
- I loved the dual timeline narrative.

Cons
- It actually took me quite a while to get into this book. It is a character-driven novel and it starts off super slow and occasionally it got a bit boring and drawn out for me. However, the ending picks up quite a bit when all the drama starts coming to its climax. I actually like character-driven books and I think the author did a great job overall at setting up a strong foundation for the characters, but I did feel like the author was padding some of the early story in an attempt to hit 300 pages. (It took me about 7 days to get through the first 60% of the book and about 2 hours to finish the last 40% once the story really picked up.)
- Some of the segues in the book felt erratic and disconnected and it was a bit distracting.
- There was a hint of “ghosts” and “haunting” in the book that never really materialized. I was kind of hoping for a bit of a Gothic slant to the story, but, alas, I did not get it.
- The issues between Joanna and her husband Frank seemed a bit contrived and unnecessary for the story.

Summary
This is a solid, emotional, family-saga novel about a singular event and how it impacted the lives of many people. It is full of temptation, regret, secrets, and heartache… but there is also love. This isn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it I did enjoy it. I would recommend it anyone that likes a slow-burn, character-driven story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Truth be told, I requested this novel because I liked the cover! And it proved the adage, that you CAN judge a book by its cover?!

A young woman arrives at her mother-in-law's intimidating but glorious gilded home in Bethlehem, PA, happy that her husband is to assume leadership of the family steel business. But what greets her is not the happy household she expects, run by the beautiful Susannah, but hallways where whispered secrets and allusions to tragedy haunt her and speak to a past she had no idea existed. Told in alternating time frames, 1962 and the 1920's, when the true titans of Bethlehem Steel got their start, this is the story of what happens 'when youthful joys fade and heartache takes hold . . . It is about how far mothers will go to protect their families, and how far wives can be pressed before they push back. '

I really enjoyed this novel, once I got the characters straight in my head (there is a LOT of intermingling and marrying of the two main families, the Colliers and the Parrishes). The setting is well described, the characters well-rounded (although I think Frank, Joanna's husband is short-changed a bit) and the building up of tension exceptionally well done.

I have to admit that I was more involved with Susannah's story than I was with Joanna's, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment at all.

I really enjoyed reading “Bethlehem” Karen Kelly’s debut novel. A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital copy. It is a sweeping, captivating saga about two multigenerational families headed by strong women at the height of the historic steel era. The story takes place in Bethlehem Pennsylvania during the 1920’s and 1960’s. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I know quite a bit about the steel industry including Bethlehem Steel, so I immediately wanted to add this novel to my reading list. The storyline was a bit slow at first, but became more intriguing as it went along. A historical, engaging tell filled with love, romance, mystery, hidden secrets, tragedy and regret.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: A young woman arrives at the grand ancestral home of her husband’s family, hoping to fortify her cracking marriage. But what she finds is not what she expected: tragedy haunts the hallways, whispering of heartache and a past she never knew existed.

Inspired by the true titans of the steel-boom era, Bethlehem is a story of temptation and regret, a story of secrets and the cost of keeping them, a story of forgiveness. It is the story of two complex women—thrown together in the name of family—who, in coming to understand each other, come finally to understand themselves.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this wonderful novel.
BETHLEHEM centers around connected families and Bethlehem Steel. The chapters alternate between 1924 and 1962.
Susannah was beautiful and popular in 1924. She makes choices that have ripple effects during that time and into the future. Joanna is dealing with her own problems and secrets in 1962. She and her mother-in-law, Susannah, form bounds that allow them to move on.
Author Karen Kelley has written and emotionally appealing historical novel that is bound to resonate with readers on many levels. Her research into the two eras is evident and makes the tale quite authentic.
This is my first time to read a Karen Kelly novel, but it won't be my last.

Super emotional and heartbreaking story. There are a lot of characters in the book and the first half really focused on their development. I would give it 3 1/2 stars. Well written novel.

Bethlehem by Karen Kelly is the story of two families and a secret that could tear them apart. The story opens in 1962, Joanna Collier moved with her husband, Frank, and their two children, Charlie and Daisy, to Frank’s childhood home. His father, Wyatt, died suddenly and they moved into the family estate to help care for his mother, Susannah and his grandmother, Helen. While visiting a neighbor, Joanna sees a grave with a simple inscription, “Baby Hayes.” Rewind to the summer of 1918 where a young Susannah Parrish is fishing with family friends, Wyatt and Chap Collier. The two families are close it is no surprise when Susannah and Wyatt become romantically linked with the possibility of a proposal in the future. As the timeline switches between 1962 and the 1920s, a family history is unveiled which hides a deep family secret. Joanna must deal with feelings of abandonment as Frank tries to fill his father’s shoes and Susannah reveals her deepest secret. Will Joanna be able to tell Frank how she feels? What is the connection to Baby Hayes to the family?
Bethlehem was a fast read in that it held my attention from the opening page to the final reveal. From the Roaring Twenties to the early 60s, one family deals with life, tragedy and secrets. There isn’t much I can discuss about the book as it will give too much away but it was a great story with characters that were relatable. The story could be placed in anytime and place and it would be a story that would captivate as all families have secrets. I recommend Bethlehem.

Bethlehem
is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Bethlehem by Karen Kelly is a generational story. While the story covers three generations of women the story revolves around the two youngest of the generations. The story is developed into two distinct time lines. Each chapter alternates time between the 1920's and the 1960's. We are introduced to the President’s and his Chief Engineer’s families. The Parrish’s and the Colliers respectively. These families introduce the reader to the upper echelon of Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania.

The stories of these two generations of women and their families are intertwined well. The women characters are extremely well developed. They have a depth to them as you feel like you know them and are hoping for their success. The setting was enjoyable and well described. The feeling of each time and place was well done.

The dramatic ending keep me in rapt attention to the end. It is one of those books ‘where you didn’t see that coming. While some reviewers commented that the first half of the book slow I did not find that to be the case. I truly appreciate historical fiction because the author has to lay the intricacies and ground work for the story.

This is a book about women who are born into, married to or married into Bethlehem Steel. For this reason while the male characters are present there are only a few that we get to know and the rest hover in the background and are less developed than the female ones.

I enjoyed Ms. Kelly’s writing style. My only disappointment was that there was not enough information about Bethlehem Steel. I was looking forward to learning more about this majestic corporation, as I grew up in the Northeast, but it did not happen. I was originally going to rate this three stars from the beginning, as I found it a very enjoyable read, but the last few chapters raised it to a solid four stars. I will be looking for more books by this author.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bethlehem is a carefully written, touching and moving family saga that takes a different approach here to those buried family secrets. The story explores temptation, regret, cost of carrying those secrets and how it changes the people who do.

Things start off slow here or better described as quietly as we see the relationships between the characters develop and get a strong sense of how they care for each other. It takes some patience here and comes at risk here with reviewers as we are often rushed to get to the long list of titles we have. However, my Traveling Sisters warned me and I waited to start this one when I could give it the focus it needs.

What seems as a simple story develops into a complex story and there is a lot of depth to this one. Once the layers are placed the pace starts to pick up and the story becomes quite interesting. There are two timelines and stories going on here with our main characters and I found one to be much stronger than the other and at times the weaker one added some weight to the story. However, I really enjoyed how it all came together and thought it was brilliantly done. There is a lot to think about and discuss with this one and it really lead to a great discussion among the Traveling Sisters who read this one. I highly recommend for group reads especially when they are read over a longer period of time and some focus can be given to it.

Karen Kelly has crafted a moving story about mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, brothers...families, secrets, lies and choices.

While Joanna is focus, the true story is about Susanna. It's been mentioned in many reviews that there are multiple characters and nicknames, and somewhat of a slow start - but it's worth it. It's worth it to read the entire book and see how our past affects our future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4 solid stars! This one starts out oh so slow, but it is very satisfying as the story unfolds. I admit to being pleasantly surprised that I liked it so much. There are a lot of characters to place and who fits into whose family, who is in love with who, who are sisters, and who are brothers. I had to take notes to keep up with everyone. The second half was much easier and I really began to enjoy the plot and where it was going; or the guessing of where it was going.

The story is about an affluent family who works in the steel business in Bethlehem. There are a lot of well-kept family secrets. Joanna and her husband have to move back to his family home to help out with family matters. Susannah, Joanna's mother in law, is not all that welcoming and Joanna doesn't feel like she fits in or wants to be there at all.

As Joanna gets to learn more about the history of the family...finding old photo albums, talking to ppl in the community, becoming friends with Daniel, who is the grandson of the cemetery keeper, she becomes more and more interested learning the true story behind one of the best-kept secrets of all.

I admit it was not an easy read. It took a long time to get to the "ah-ha" moment when my questions were answered. But it was beautiful when all was revealed. And I would read it again with new understanding about some of the sacrifices some of the characters made and how that changed them (and others). I don't re-read books often. This gives me a lot to think about. I enjoyed the discussion we had in the Traveling Sisters Group and it did enhance my pleasure of this book.

Many thanks go to the publisher via NetGalley for an ARC to read for review. I highly recommend this. Beautifully written.

I was offered this widget many months ago from one of my favorite publishers, St. Martin's Press. Otherwise, it wouldn't have caught my eye to procure for a read. Still, I accepted the option to read it, and it languished on my "Want to Read" shelf waiting for its turn (in publishing date order). In the meantime, I'd read lukewarm to failing reviews, already building up a resistance in my mind to reading it. However, as I delved into it with trepidation, the pages gently turned in a quiet fashion, and I exhaled in relief knowing I was in for a decent read.

The story is told in dueling timelines of the early 1920's and 1960's, weaving together the history and secrets of a wealthy family. The locale is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at a grand and imposing mansion called Brynmor. It borders a cemetery where a mysterious tiny gravestone marked "Baby Hayes" provides a poignant distraction throughout the book. The family's wealth derived from the Bethlehem Steel Company.

It's 1962, and in the wake of his father's passing, Frank Collier has taken the reigns of the Bethlehem Steel Company. His new work responsibilities have taken him away on business trips, leaving his wife Joanna and young children Daisy and Charlie by themselves. Frank resolves that his young family should move into the massive edifice Brynmor, since his mother Susannah and grandmother Helen are now by themselves in the mansion. It makes sense for his loved ones to live together in the mansion, but Joanna feels adrift and marginalized in a space that's not her own. It's not her chosen decorations like she had in their own modest home, and she's certainly not used to servants. On Joanna's first day exploring the property she happened upon an old, eccentric woman called Doe who spoke of grandmother Helen as if she was a dear sister, and not an employer. Doe and her husband Nico handled the maintenance of the cemetery that adjoined the Brynmor property, and now her grandson Daniel had taken over the brunt of the hard work. On that first day when Joanna's children noticed the "Baby Hayes" grave, Doe immediately changed the subject.

As often is the case with lovers of historical fiction, I preferred the chapters from the 1920's where the groundwork of the story was built. The glamour and privilege of debutante / coming of age balls, delicious details of luxurious gowns, hairstyles, etc. was a pleasure to read. The recounting of the lives from childhood to the present with their lovers angst and inconvenient loyalties provided the tension leading up to the mystery of the unidentified baby. It wasn't difficult figuring out the identity of this baby about halfway through the book, but this didn't take anything away from my interest in having the story deliciously unfold. This isn't a story that scooped me up on an exciting ride, but is more of what I call a "gentle read" that was neither a frenetic page-turner nor a worthless bore... but simply a good read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Karen Kelly has produced a haunting story of three generations of two families which, in the end, is truly heart-warming. I was invited to read and review the pre-publication galley of Bethlehem by her publisher, St. Martin’s Press. This is the first book by Ms. Kelly’s I have read, and I’ll be sure to read more of her work.
Joanna Rafferty Collier moves with her husband, Frank, into his family’s mansion in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is immediately struck by how standoffish his enigmatic mother and grandmother seem toward her. She has no idea of the painful secrets held by this family very wealthy high-society family.
The saga of the Colliers, and their closest friends, the Parrishes, is set the 1960s. The tragedies and secrets are revealed in flashbacks to the 1920s, when Frank’s parents were children and teenagers. The Colliers had immigrated from Germany during World War I. Hollins Parrish, then at the helm of Bethlehem Steel made sure his newly hired chief engineer, Charles Collier, was made welcome. Soon, the two families, adults and children alike, became inseparable.
There are endearing characters, and those who seem not to be, but actually are grief-stricken, as well as a sweet, almost dream-like caretaker of the local cemetery who makes occasional allusions to the presence of ghosts.
This is a beautiful story that reminds us of the misunderstandings caused to one generation by secrets held by previous generations. Family secrets are usually kept with the best of intentions, but almost always cause pain and confusion.
What Makes This Reviewer Grumpy?
It is extremely rare for me to need a dictionary when reading a novel, but Bethlehem had 18 words I highlighted to look up later. I often use a thesaurus when I want more then the usual, over-used words, but this was a bit much. Was the author trying to show off an above average vocabulary? Who knows? Trying to make her readers feel somehow less than? Not likely. What I do know is this: books are more enjoyable when the reader does not need to keep a dictionary handy while reading. Aside from that, the usual annoying mistakes:
• Incorrect verb usage: saying “brought” in place of “took” and “bringing” in place of “taking”;
• consistently beginning sentences with conjunctions such as “and” and “but”;
• multiple split infinitives;
• multiple misplacement of the word “only” within sentences;
• a few missing commas.
Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

Joanna agrees to move to Bethlehem, PA with her husband and two young children. The real kicker is that she also agree to move into her husband's family home and live with her husband's mother Susannah and grandmother Helen. Joanna struggles to find her footing. Her husband works a lot of hours, her in laws are a bit old school and standoffish and her children do not really need much attention. With many lonely hours to fill, she makes friends with a male neighbor. She also starts to uncover some family secrets.

This is told in alternating chapters of Helen's growing up years and Joanna's current life in Bethlehem. I found both stories to be intriguing. I started off liking Joanna but not Susannah. By the end of the story, my attitude changed towards Susannah. I found both woman's story to be sad, but also a testimony to perseverance. I thought this was a well thought out debut and look forward to future books from Ms. Kelly.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

This book wasn’t for me. I was expecting historical fiction about the gilded age but this book isn’t that at all. It’s women’s fiction and I didn’t detect any period atmosphere. The blurb also didn’t say anything about this being a dual time period book. I rarely enjoy either women’s fiction or the dual time period trope, and this book was no exception. I knew I was in for trouble after the first two chapters introduced what felt like 100 characters, due to all the nicknames. Abandoned at 25%. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Bethlehem
A Novel

by Karen Kelly

St. Martin’s Press

Historical Fiction

Pub Date 09 Jul 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Bethlehem through St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley:

She arrives at the Grand Ancestral Home of her husband’s family, she was hoping to strengthen her already falling apart marriage. What she finds though is not expected, tragedy haunts the hallways, whispering of heartache and a past she never knew existed.

Bethlehem is a multigenerational saga that weaves together the lives of two prominent families during the historic steel boom era of Bethlehem, Bethlehem is a mystery, a love story, and a tragedy. It is a story of temptation and regret; a story of secrets and the cost of keeping them; a story of forgiveness.

This book is a powerfully written sags of two families, a love story, and a tragedy that will captivate you from the first page to the last.

I give Bethlehem five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

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<p><em>It's 1962</em>, and Joanna Collier doesn't know what to do with her time. She's a nurse, raised blue-collar, who ended up marrying a former patient---one Frank Collier, heir to a fortune made from steel during the world wars at the beginning of the century. When his father died unexpectedly, Frank moved his young family back to Brynmor, his ancestral home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Joanna is learning to deal with having servants and she's worried about her children growing up spoiled and lacking perspective. She also has a hard time living in a home where none of her surroundings reflect her own choices or personality and she's frustrated with her mother-in-law, Susannah Collier, who seems closed-off, impenetrable, and judgmental. </p>
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<p>On this day, however, she and her two young ones are exploring the town, and they've come upon the graveyard and its kindly caretaker Doe, who's regaling them with tales of ghostly children swinging or playing hide and seek amongst the headstones. Joanna's not quite sure what to make of it, but she's drawn to the obvious history between Doe and Joanna's mother- and grandmother-in-law, as well as to Doe's quiet and handsome grandson. Joanna also wiles away the time flipping through old photo albums, puzzling over changes that have happened to Brynmor and its inhabitants in the decades since the 20s. </p>
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<p><em>It's the early 1920s</em> and a group of kids are out on a raft. There's brothers Chap (Charles) and Wyatt Collier, and their closest friends the Parrish kids, Kit and India and Susannah, known as Sassy. Wyatt is already smitten with Sassy, and when she dives off the raft to chase a fish she's snagged, he follows her in. The raft catches the current and Wyatt can't make it back to the raft, but they all see him strike out for the distant shore and make their own way home, certain he'll be there. Later, Susannah is getting ready for her debut ball and wondering who will escort her onto the dance floor. She's the princess of the steel town, seeing as her father owns the biggest steel factory and her beau is the son of the chief engineer.</p>
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<p><a href="https://amzn.to/2JYaUDp">Bethlehem</a> moves back and forth between Joanna's story and Susannah's, building tension and adding in a few surprises. It's beautifully written and lush in characterization, adept at taking us behind the facades to the depths of character beyond. Each woman has burdens to bear and secrets to hide, and it's to author Karen Kelly's credit that the revelations, teased slowly out, never feel fake or melodramatic. The novel has been described as a family saga and that feels right to me. It has the depth necessary to qualify, as we see into the hidden depths of the heart and the effect of secrets on the next generation. I will warn you that the 1920s end of the story starts out slowly, but stick with it; it builds. Highly recommended. </p>
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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

An okay read starting in the 1920's and alternating to 1962. A story of two close families living in Bethlehem, PA and how they all were friends and how their lives connected. The 1960s part was of Joanna and Frank and how they lived with his family in Bethlehem and how Joanna made it a part of her life to get to know the family and their past even though sometimes she didn't feel a part of it.

A really good story about the women of Bethlehem Steel. The main focus is on Sass but you will also get a glimpse of her mother Hedy and daughter in law Joanna. It took a few chapters to understand who the characters were and to keep their names and nicknames straight but once you got that down the story took off. Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bethlehem by Karen Kelly is a quiet family drama told from the perspectives of two women. The first, Joanna, is a young wife and mother who is transplanted to her husband's family home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the 1960's The second storyline is about her mother-in-law, Susannah, and takes place in the 1920's. There are a lot of characters, but I felt Ms. Kelly did a stellar job of bringing the major characters to life.

I think the story was beautifully told. It is a quiet, but emotional novel. I personally loved it.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with a digital ARC.