I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. It is an incredible story that every woman should read. It follows a family through generations of sorrow and heartbreak and strength and resilience. The women in this story and what they endure will break your heart, make you angry and most of all make you think. I wish I could give it 10 stars.

Wish I could give this one more than 5 stars! Really loved it! Set in the 50's and 70's for the most part, I really enjoyed all the references to events in those decades, which are ones I grew up in and remember well. The story focuses on women's roles as mothers, wives, and society and what was expected then and the changes that came over time. Also a good love story but so much more! Racial and gender equality, family, and the working class all blend into a story I couldn't stop reading until I was finished! I will follow this author hoping she will write more novels like this one!

Having grown up in western Pennsylvania in the 50's/60's/70's, I was excited to have the opportunity to read this novel by Connie Schulz, whose newspaper columns I enjoy. This book chronicles people with difficult lives and relationships that are troubled at best. From the start I found the story to be depressing and disturbing. The violence and evil in some characters, while probably accurate, did not motivate me to want to see how the good people overcame their unfortunate circumstances. The book is well written, but the approach to the subject matter and the way it was presented from a dire beginning, were not appealing to me.

The Daughters of Erietown is a very well written book. It is a family saga about the changing world in the 60s. I really liked the characters even when I was slightly angry with them, which is a sign of a well developed cast of characters. I recommend this book.

4.5 stars

_The Daughters of Erietown_ follows four generations (to varying degrees) of the McGinty family and the complications, ups and downs, and growth that they experience. It is an emotional family drama that effectively portrays its time, place, and characters. Though it is not an uplifting novel, and it is easy to find points of sometimes extreme frustration with some of the characters, it is a powerful read.

One of my favorite elements of this work is that we get so much insight into the main characters that even when they behave in ways that sicken us, it is impossible to be too angry with them; we know how they got there and why they made these decisions. For me, the realistic portrayal of bad decisions, cycles of entrapment, life-long struggles with self-doubt, and deep-seated desires to escape some of these patterns reflect the strengths of the novel. These characters feel real: not overdone, not appropriately reactionary, not witty. They make painful sacrifices based on motives that appear much clearer to readers than to them, and they do not always come out the winners in their situations.

As a reader, I wanted different kinds of (spoiler-free) closure at certain points in the novel, but I simultaneously appreciate how that closure could have seemed unrealistic and/or contrived. I also wanted some economizing around Ellie and Brick's experiences, especially in the latter third of the novel. These points are so minor in the landscape of accomplishment here, though. The narrative overall is powerful because of its realistic treatment. We don't always get what we aim for initially, and other times, we exceed our expectations. The ways in which all of these characters deal with their outcomes inspire because of their relative resilience and their reflections of the selfish and selfless natures we find in the world at large.

A great study in family dynamics, characters, and time and place -

I felt this book was well written. It brought back some memories of the way women viewed themselves in the sixties. I thought the characters were fully flushed out and the story of a working class family in the 50’s and 60’s was well written. Love, sacrifice, and women’s lib we’re all an important part of this time period. The author did a great job depicting the era of small town life in a blue collar town. I was fully engaged in the story. #TheDaughtersOfErietown #ConnieSchultz #NetGalley

I thought this book was going to be about growing up in a mill town--all the trials and tribulations of a factory town. But it wasn't. It really was a domestic drama set in a specific time, but it could have happened anywhere. Because of the span of time, there is much in this book to appeal to different age groups and some of the small town attitudes connected with me and quite possibly still could with others. The story is told with no heroes and really no villians, even Rosemary, who might be viewed as a negative character, when looking at her motives and her (spoiler alert) ending, the reader can understand why she did what she did-- which is true for all the characters.

Ellie and Brick's love was passionate and fueled their lives in small-town Ohio in the 1950s. The passion turned into a pregnancy, ruining Brick's chances to attend Kent State on a basketball scholarship and Ellie's opportunity to study nursing. Their decision to marry changed the trajectory of their lives and that of their children.

Brick managed to get a union card, and the couple settled in Erietown, trying to set up a working-class life and a family. Ellie, called Pint by Brick because of her 4ft 7in height, tries bravely to adjust to a life begun with significant disappointments. Ellie loves Brick with every fiber of her heart and soul and makes a herculean effort to live a happy life. The couple seems to succeed, but as in every family saga, life brings strains and disappointments that challenge the veracity of their bond.

At a young age, Sam becomes aware of changes in her parents. Their moods swing. Sam's mother seems detached, and she has to care more and more for her little brother, Reilly. As the family pulls apart and comes back together, Sam decides what she wants in her life. Sam will never depend on a man. Her feminism seeds early in her youth, and she keeps family secrets with her as she moves through life.

CS's ability to create strong characters made this novel a joy to read. I felt the struggle to move away from the patriarchy of marital relationships formed in US society many years ago, cemented after the return of soldiers from WWII and then Vietnam. Women continued to scale back their hopes of contributing figures in society. The female struggle will continue as a part of the woman's ability to reproduce. Society is moving at a minuscule pace to make it possible to 'have it all.' Someday women will achieve an equal share of a life they deserve.

Thank you to the author, Random House, and NetGalley for this e-ARC (June 9, 2020)

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet novel about the challenges faced by several generations in small town America.

The story of high school sweethearts Brick and Ellie who give up their dreams of college and nursing school when Ellie becomes pregnant their senior year. They elope and move to Erietown where Brick gets a job at the power plant and Ellie makes a home for him and their daughter Sam.

As Ellie tries to give Sam a better life than she had, she tells her, “ It’s one thing to remember your roots, Sam. Helps us keep our balance. But don’t let your roots become your excuse to be stuck.”

And “nobody gets the life they planned. We get what God plans, and we spend the rest of our lives trying not to hold it against him.”

This story resonated with me on many levels. The local North East Ohio setting and the events like Kennedy‘s assassination and the Kent State shootings as well as the local Cleveland stores brought back many of my own childhood memories. The genuineness of this story comes through loud and clear because, even though written as fiction, we see the real heart of Connie Schultz.

“People take one look at you and think they have you all figured out. Is that what you mean? Exactly. Like how you look tells them everything about you. About what’s going on inside you.”

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very quick read about a middle class family growing together in the 50s-70s. Took about half the book to become engrossed in the story. The characters are not very interesting and neither is the setting but the story does eventually pick up. The author teaches journalism at Kent State and is very committed to the northeastern Ohio region and those who live there. Her husband is a US senator and together they make a huge impact in the lives of Ohioans and those of our country. This is her first attempt at fiction. I hope she tries again because she has a lot of potential. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed the rich plot and timeline of this book-it was an interesting culmination of the beginning premise!

The structure of the story is a little messy and disjointed and could have used some more polish, but I love how authentic the characters and setting are. Some of the historical events are shoe-horned into the narrative and not really necessary to the plot, but otherwise, the details of the setting, both time and place, are well-done.

4 1/2 🌟. Full disclosure, I follow Pulitzer Prize winning journalist/author Connie Schultz on Facebook and Twitter. Great character development and storytelling. I was born the same year as Samantha (Sam) is in the book and in a similar small town. As the characters and story unfolds I could relate them to people from my childhood community, as well as relate to the events of the time. When Schultz writes of JFK’s assassination, especially in the classroom, I had to put the book down (though I remember Bobby Kennedy and MLK, Jr. more clearly). I highlighted several lines but the take on grief resonated with me, “Grief is that monster that bangs at your door until you let it in and sit with it for a while.” Great storytelling and writing.

A family saga and coming of age story, in a small town, for many generations experiencing heart-ache, sorrow, and disapointment. Beautiful writing, well-developed characters, that leaves you missing them when you turn the last page. A great book for book clubs and fans of Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again Yes and Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything.Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to review an advanced copy

Journalist Connie Schultz turns to fiction to tell the history of women in the 20th Century.

At the center of "The Daughters of Erietown" are Ellie and Brick. Ellie grows up with her grandparents after her mother abandons her and her father’s second wife shuns her. Brick’s mother’s love cannot protect him from his father’s physical and mental abuse.

While Ellie’s grandmother schools her in housekeeping, her spinster aunt encourages her to become a nurse. Brick’s basketball coach guides him toward a sports scholarship. Marriage can wait, until Ellie becomes pregnant in the last months of their senior year. Brick receives his diploma, but school rules prohibit pregnant girls from graduating.

The local preacher helps the two elope. The product of their union is Samantha. Ellie uses “Sam” as confidante and mother’s helper. Brick tries to teach her racial prejudice and contempt for social climbers.

Women who endured these strictures will recall the battles they fought. Younger readers might appreciate the gains made by their mothers.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy.
The writing reminded me of Anne Tyler. I felt connected to the characters and wanted to know how their stories turned out. I

If you like character driven books, this is a good choice.

What a beautiful tale of family, love, class, and sacrifice. Each character in this book is so fully realized, flawed and extraordinary all at the same time. what a wonderful debut.

I met Connie Schultz a few years ago when I was photographing a wedding she was attending and she was so kind. I didn't know who she was at first but a friend who is a big fan quickly informed me. I followed her online shortly after and have loved her writing and passion! I was elated to see she was coming out with a novel and even more so when I was selected to review it.

This story is one you want to meander down the path with and slowly take in. This is an epic family saga that mostly focuses on one family with a small part of the story from another path that branches in towards the end.

I could easily picture the women that Connie drew and they seemed as if they were real people and this was a biography. I loved how beautifully flawed everyone was!!

This is a beautifully woven tale about women, families and how there's no such thing as a perfect life and it's what you make of the hand you are dealt that matters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I love Connie Schultz)s newspaper columns this her first novel is a five star read for me.An emotional family saga a book of secrets love hurt forgiveness . A book that swept me away involved me and kept me turning the pages didn’t want to reach the last page,#netgalley #randomhouse.