“Be Someone’s Cardinal.”

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This was listed in so many people’s top five #books of 2022 and let me go ahead and tell you the high praise and rankings are merited. One of the most beautiful, poignant, bittersweet, uplifting, inspiring #books I have #read in years. Absolutely breathtaking.

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This one tells the story of three different individuals struggling with their grief: a woman in her twenties in the aftermath of the brutal shooting of her father, a mother whose child has been abducted, and an elderly man who has recently lost his wife, the love of his life.

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All of three of these individuals will find that their lives are surprisingly interwined, and as they work through their emotions and grief, from the lows to the highs, they will eventual find that the kindness of others will help them survive their loss and propel them into new beginnings and hope.

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I sobbed.

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SPOILER ALERT: When Chuck (Mr. A) goes to adopt Frederick and he’s already been taken I lost it. That really did me in. 🐖

I will read anything Ethan Joella writes. His books always make me feel all the feelings and this one was no different.
I love how he connects his characters throughout the story and I like how he can make everyday people interesting.
I felt so deeply about these characters and their experiences and I didn’t want this story to end.

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
4.25 stars

I was very excited to read A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella after having read, and loved, A Little Hope. A Quiet Life is good but I enjoyed the other more.

A Quiet Life centers around three characters: Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten, who have all recently experienced a traumatic loss of a loved one. They are all trying to figure out how to move forward n their lives.

If I were giving stars on the writing alone, this book would hands down be 5 stars, no question. Mr. Joella is a fantastic writer. This book is woven like a tapestry. Each storyline, starting on its own thread, is woven so beautifully into the others. It’s a work of craftsmanship, and for those of us who appreciate beautiful writing, Mr. Joella is a craftsman.

The storylines themselves were at times a little too quiet for me. The characters are processing grief, and loss, and sometimes that seemed a little repetitive to me.

I also was a little bit disappointed in some of the characters decisions, but not having experienced a loss of my own, perhaps I don’t have the understanding of why they made some decisions?

Overall, this is a good book. The stories are beautifully told. I cared about each of these characters and I wanted the best for them.

I look forward to reading more of Ethan Joelle’s books in the future. And if you haven’t yet tried one of his books, I encourage you to grab a blanket and a cup of hot coffee (or cocoa) and settle in for a good experience.

Thank you to #netgalley and #scribnerbooks for the advanced e-copy of #aquietlife.

This book published in November and is available where books are sold.

I loved this gorgeous tale of loss, grief, and new friendships. The story of twenty=something Kirstin, who recently lost her father, Ella, whose daughter is missing, and Chuck, and old man grieving the death of his wife, A Quiet Life is a gentle tale, rife with observations on life and loss. I was lucky enough to join the author in a Zoom book chat in January and I must say he is a must-read for me moving forward. I can't say enough great things about this book.

So glad to have a 5 star read after a lot of 3 and 4 star reads! (This is probably my favorite book since October!) This story contains 3 stories, of neighbors in an apartment building, who are all dealing with loss and how they show compassion in each other’s lives.

Chuck Ayers is mourning the loss of his wife, Cat, and stuck in a life without her.

Kirsten Bonato is mourning the loss of her father, while trying to forge a life working at an animal shelter.

Ella Burke realized one day that her daughter wasn’t on her bus, and was checked out from school by her husband, unexpectedly, and cannot be found.

Sometimes I don’t love having a bunch of characters, but I really felt like I got to know each and was invested in each life. I loved the little kindnesses and generosity of spirit in these characters.

This is a sad novel with a glimpse of hope at the end. It's good, but I think you need to be ready for the deep sadness at the heart of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed this book - so much so, that I can see myself reading it again. I felt invested in the characters - I was touched by their grief. This is one of those books that I "missed" when I wasn't reading it.

This book was very good. Well written and made me feel some pretty deep emotions. Letting go can be very hard. This story takes you there. It’s very good and to me seemed laid back. It kept me turning the pages. I’ve not read this author’s books before but will now.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a nice comfortable read. It didn't ask too much of me as a reader, it didn't make me anxious or obsessed. It was well written and it was relaxing. A good winter/cabin/fireplace with a blanket book something to take your time with and just be.

I loved this thoughtful, quiet book. Ethan Joella weaves and connects characters’ stories in a way that feels unique and hooks you in. I felt so empathetic and invested in these characters in their journeys with grief. This book manages to tackle heavy topics in a way that ultimately makes you feel hopeful. This is my second book I’ve read from him and have enjoyed them both. He will be an auto-read author for me. Thank you to Scribner and netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 4.25 stars ⭐️

A Quiet Life was actually my last official book of 2022. I don't usually enjoy split stories but I really liked this one. All three main characters were processing their individual grief throughout the book. I do wish I got to know more about each character and get an in-depth look at their lives. However, this book just provides a small glimpse in to the character's lives. I really liked that all three characters interacted in the book and were brought together. It made the ending seem more full circle. All in all, even though this book centered around grief, it was a very heart-warming read. One that I am glad to have selected for my last book of the year.

I loved this book. I have loved both of Ethan Joella's books. He gives you ordinary, every day people to get to know and love. In this book, the three main characters are all grieving different losses. As the book progresses, their lives come together as sometimes happens, especially in a small town. The writing makes the reading easy and compelling but the writing is not simple at all. The book draws you in and keeps you there. Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher, Simon and Schuster.

Joelle does it again! This book is character driven, emotional, filled with back stories, and thoughtfully told. I can’t wait to read it again!

Ethan Joella continues to be one of my favorite authors. His writing style is unmatched.
This book had me in all my feels, and I loved every second of it!
I recently went through a loss and this book helped me to sort my feelings out as well!
5 stars, as expected!

A Quiet Life was highly recommended to me by a few people whose book recs I really trust so it went to the top of my TBR.

I ended up listening to the audio and it was a very short book to listen to. It gave me a lot of vibes from previous books I’ve loved like The Reading List and All the Lonely People.

While it didn’t end up being a favorite book for me, I enjoyed my time with these characters and liked how the author weaved them all together.

Also, the subject matter at times was tough, but I felt the author wrote them all with truth and care which eased my heart while reading it.

Ethan Joella's book is one I will cherish and highly recommend.

A Quiet Life tells the story of three people living in a small town in Pennsylvania. Chuck, a recent widower, Ella, a mother missing her daughter and Kirsten, mourning the loss of her father, are all suffering from their grief and loss.

Set in a cold January winter and told in three parallel stories, the author expertly weaves them together to intersect into a moving and poignant ending. A very emotional story that emphasizes the human connection between the characters and the kindness that can link a community. A novel about living with grief while pursuing your dreams. A Quiet Life is full of gorgeous prose and heartfelt moments. Definitely a tear jerker.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.

Ethan Joella has done it again. He has such a way of taking normal, ordinary people and making them extraordinary. The way he writes about grief, kindness, love and hope is simply beautiful. I loved the way he connected Chuck, Kirsten and Ella throughout this novel. Each is dealing with so much pain but each finds a way through by reaching out and helping others. One of my favorite books of the year.

What a beautiful novel of grief and finding a way through it. It moved slow the first third, but I'm glad ad I stuck with it. Each character's story ended in such a satisfying way and I love how they all intertwined. This wasn't an edge of your seat, can't put down novel. It was one to savor.

I read A LITTLE HOPE last year and liked it but didn’t think it was anything special so I was nervous to give A QUIET LIFE a try. I am happy to report that I really enjoyed A QUIET LIFE!!!

This book is straight up sad and emotional but I loved all the characters so much. I was rooting for them to turn their grief around and have a happy ending.

I definitely recommend this to anyone interested as long as you can handle a sad book! I ALMOST cried and that’s saying something

A perfect wintry read which takes place in Pennsylvania. This author creates dynamic individual paths that converge in a gorgeous prose. With so many fragile lives dealing with complicated struggles, sometimes we forget about the person living in despair. Showing so many heartfelt moments, this becomes an emotional character driven story. Three lives who have all experienced some type of loss open their hearts to new possibilities.

"..finding a tender wisdom in their grief..."
"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." ~It's a Wonderful Life~

Chuck's wife, Catherine, has died and he doesn't know how he can fill her void. Every year they have reservations to spend the winter in Hilton Head, but he is debating whether he can make that trip without her. Not only has he lost her companionship, but he lives with regrets of words that can't be taken back, and moments he wished for that at the time he didn't choose...

Ella delivers the newspaper at early hours and works her day away in a bridal shop. Her void is her missing daughter and her husband let her for another woman. Unable to afford her home, she moves into a cramped apartment making it harder to get through it all.

Kristen has just lost her father and works at an animal shelter where sadness is all around her. She is unable to have a relationship for dealing with so much pain.

These lives are running parallel, but how the author pulls it together is a beautiful story of forgiveness, chasing dreams and moving in the best way you can. This is emotional, yet real life struggles that sometimes go unnoticed by others.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this Arc in exchange for my honest opinion and review.