Absolutely adored! I read this after reading Joella’s debut A Little Hope and loved this one just as much. He has a gift of writing characters with such heart, empathy, and life. Highly recommend- it is beautiful, raw, and just lovely.

What an emotional, character-driven read! I was immediately drawn in by the three main characters and their heart wrenching stories as they bravely dealt with grief and loss. The characters were so relatable and the pacing was perfection; I could not put it down. By the end of the book, I was left feeling comforted and hopeful. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Quiet Life takes grief and trauma and shows the beauty in both. There is always hope and optimism even in the darkest days. Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella were all whole, well-rounded characters who were subtly intertwined and dealing with all of their own problems yet had to keep going. I really loved this book and all three stories within it.

Wow! This is an incredibly special book that I managed to pick up at the perfect time for me. This was my third Thanksgiving since losing my mom. Reading about these characters and how they are dealing with their own losses really touched my heart. It reminded me that despite feeling lonely, I am not alone. This book is about grief but also about the joys of getting to the other side and beginning to move on. What a gift to anyone that has been in love, to anyone that has suffered a loss, to anyone sitting in grief or anyone in one of life’s ruts. This book is about being ok where you are and not having any regrets about where you are. Such a beautiful story told with such grace and beauty.

This book is full of good friends, kind acts and good deeds in the midst of sorrow and grieving. This book will remind you that people are good. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ethan Joella is hands down my comfort author and I need him to put out a ton more books just so that I always have one waiting for me when I need it. His books make me sigh with happiness when I finish them. And though each of them has been short, he manages to convey so much within this short bit of space. I had an advanced copy of this but as soon as I got done reading it, I ordered a hard copy for my shelves from Joella's local bookstore so that I could also get it signed by him!

This sophomore novel felt similar to his debut, A Little Hope, in that it follows a handful of people from the same town who intersect in big and small ways. But this one is really about grief, in all its forms.

In A Quiet Life, we get to know three main characters, Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten. Chuck is a recent widow who is struggling to move forward after his wife's death. Ella is a mom whose ex-husband has taken their daughter and has left no trace behind. And Kirsten is dealing with the aftermath of her father's death and trying to find comfort in her daily routine at an animal shelter.

This is a quiet novel with a powerful story at its center. It's a book about grief and loss, yes. But it's also a book filled with hope, finding yourself, and allowing those around you to help you. The book moves back and forward between these characters lives and each time I finished a chapter I was sad to leave one character, but then happy to learn more about another one.

This book is reflective, sad, and also atmospheric. I felt like I could picture this town in Pennsylvania and I wish I knew each of these characters. It's a character driven novel which isn't something I normally like, but I can't help loving these. Joella is a master at crafting ordinary characters that you can't help but fall in love with. They aren't doing anything big throughout the stories, except living. And maybe that's what he's trying to show us - how big living can be, even when it's quiet.

This book will be featured on episode 67 of the Reading Through Life podcast.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. I read and ADORED Ethan Joella's first book, A Little Hope back in March and feel similarly about this one.

The story follows three characters who are all dealing with a loss of some kind. These characters are all at a different stage of life which makes the book relatable to all ages. The author has expertly intertwined these character's stories so by the end they are a part of eachother's healing and lives which is so sweet. The beginning and middle of the book seem heavy at times as the charcaters haven't progressed very far on their healing journeys yet and are in the beginning stages of grief but by the end, I was left with a sense of hope and faith in the goodness of humanity.

This book is so cozy and comforting with sweet and loveable characters especially if you are remembering a loved one this holiday.

I found so many little quotable tidbits about love throughout but I loved the theme of "Be someone's cardinal." The thought behind this quote is that in winter all the birds leave, but the cardinals stay. And so in someone's difficult time, we can be the cardinal, the one who doesn't leave.

This book is a love letter to humanity and a beacon of hope to those struggling with loss and I cannot recommend it enough.

It's a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for me

Go ahead and consider me an Ethan Joella fan 👏🏼

This is his second book. I enjoyed his debut novel A Little Hope so much and this one is no different. He has a unique way of writing characters and the parts of life that we rarely talk about but nearly everyone can relate to.

In this story the lives of several characters merge slowly over time. I couldn’t put this book down, I wanted so badly to see how their lives mingled and how their decisions would determine the end.

This book releases today! 🎉

Thank you to @scribnerbooks and @netgalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 ⭐️ - I really liked it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘼 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙥𝙚—𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙅𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙨 𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙠—𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚-𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨.

Just like A Little Hope, this book was such a tear-jerker. Ethan Joella is such a talented author and knows exactly how to write realistic characters with which you really connect. In this one, we follow three different characters who are all connected in a Pennsylvania suburb. Grief is a major theme in Joella’s story and this one was super emotional.

Chuck Ayers - retired after working for a lifetime and raising two kids - always looks forward to his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat. Months after she passes away, Chuck still struggles with letting go of her things. He also finds it difficult to pack for a trip he would never imagine taking without her.

Ella Burke - morning newspaper deliverer & bridal shop worker - finds any sort of distraction as she waits for any sort of information about her missing daughter. Ella learns to adapt to life and moves into a new apartment. However, she still awaits and answers every call - hoping her daughter will reach out one day.

Kirsten Bonato - an animal shelter worker who recently set aside her veterinary school aspirations - has suddenly lost her father. She finds comfort in her job but struggles with dealing with the fact that her father is gone. As old dreams and new romantic interests show up, Kirsten begins to find new opportunities.

This book was so beautifully written and was such an emotional read. I felt so attached to each character and cared so much for them. Again, grief is super important in this book, and it's difficult reading about what these characters have to deal with and then adjusting to life. I loved each POV and was invested in each one.

A Quiet Life is just as emotional as Joella’s previous book. However, I would 100% recommend it if Grief is a theme you’re okay with reading about. I think all these characters and the small-town setting add so much to the emotional book.

❄️A Quiet Life❄️

A huge thank you to @joellawriting @scribnerbooks and @netgalley for this arc!

Ethan Joella is a master of slow, but beautiful stories that pull at your heartstrings! They remind you of the importance of human connection and that everyone is going through their own struggles. A little kindness can go a long way ❤️ It’s the perfect read to snuggle up with this winter and one where the characters will stick with you long after the last page.

A Quiet Life follows Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella through their own challenges and experiences with loss. Similar to A Little Hope (Joella’s first book), each chapter is a different characters perspective and they ultimately intertwine.

A Quiet Life is out tomorrow, November 29th, AND is a @bookofthemonth add on this month! (which I somehow missed 😢) I highly recommend A Quiet Life, so whether it’s BOTM or an independent bookstore, I hope you grab a copy! I will be grabbing a physical version soon to match my copy of A Little Hope on the shelf 🤗

I read a Little Hope last year and while I definitely enjoyed the book, I think this book was even better! I absolutely loved A Quiet Life. I really feel like I connected with the characters and I loved every bit of it. I especially loved reading about Chuck and his past wife Cat. I just wanted to give Chuck the world’s biggest hug. I loved how all the characters were connected and their stories came together in little ways. I am now a huge Ethan Joella fan and can’t wait to read more!

Ethan Joella's 𝗔 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗘𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 is a beautiful look at grief and loss that never manages to be depressing. Instead, it celebrates love and forgiveness and leaves the reader with hope. As the title implies, this is a quiet novel, but it packs an emotional punch with vividly drawn characters you won't soon forget. I dare you not to be touched by their stories.

4.5 stars

Thanks to Scribner for the copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley & Scribner for this advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was the first Ethan Joella book I've read and I couldn't wait to pick it up after seeing praise for A Little Hope. This was really a perfect read to get me in the mood for winter and all the Christmas vibes. I felt like he did such an amazing job of covering grief and what it takes for someone to heal. That we don't move on, but we move forward.

There are 3 main characters that start out all separate and eventually weave their way in and out of each other's lives. Joella masterfully told 3 different stories and I was never confused about who or what I was reading about. I truly felt for each and every character in this book. I enjoyed the scenic backdrop of a tiny town of Pennsylvania. I couldn't wait to cozy up with this book every night.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you have ever lost someone you loved & had to figure out how to manager life after... this book will resonate with you. Joella writes about grief in a beautiful way that makes you feel fully for every single character in it. This book is a quick, gem of a read. I can't wait to get my hands on A Little Hope.

A Quiet Life, by Ethan Joella, is a beautiful novel set in a small town in Pennsylvania. There are three stories of grief that will intersect. Chuck has lost his wife and is debating whether to take his yearly trip to Hilton Head. Ella is delivering newspapers to keep her mind off her missing daughter. Kirsten has just lost her father. Chuck was my favorite character in this book. A Quiet Life made me laugh and it also made me cry. I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Ethan Joella - 5 sparkling stars!

Three people struggling with loss in a small Pennsylvanian town in winter. Chuck's wife, Cat, died and he's filled with regret and sadness. Ella struggles to exist while awaiting news about her missing daughter. Kirsten's beloved dad was murdered and she can't move forward. These three lives intersect as each try to navigate their new lives.

I absolutely adored Joella's debut novel, A Little Hope, and this one is equally as wonderful. While each of these stories are sad, just like real life can be, you will be filled with hope and love as people come together to help each other. It's about navigating grief and making a new normal. It's also a reminder to live life as best we can so that we have as few regrets as possible and that we can, as Cat said, "Be someone's cardinal." Highly recommended!

If you enjoyed Joella’s first book, you’ll enjoy this one even more. It’s a beautiful portrayal of grief and healing. The three main characters are all dealing with their own type of loss and their lives eventually intersect to help each other heal and move on.

This one really makes you feel all the feelings and ends up being a quick read, as you just want to see what their “happy” ending is.

Thank you to netgalley and scrubber for the eARC!

A beautiful, bittersweet book about three different people who are dealing with grief, I adored this story and the characters so very much. Similar to Joella's first book, A Little Hope, this book has multiple characters and storylines that intertwine in small-town Conneticut. We follow Chuck Ayers, Ella Burke, and Kirsten Bonato who are all grappling with grief and loss. The power of Joella's writing is profound and deeply moving, and A Little Hope highlights his true talent. 5 enthusiastic stars.




Thank you to Scribner & NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This is a lovely book! A Quiet Life follows three people struggling with huge losses and massive grief. Their stories are interwoven and beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. ⁣
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⁣A Quiet Life snuck up on me- charming me quietly. The relationships are the star of the show and I loved all three main characters. ⁣
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⁣Book of the Month just announced A Quiet Life is one of their December add-ons and I expect it will get a lot of rave reviews in the next few weeks! Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. It publishes everyone on November 29! ⁣
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⁣Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After reading Joella’s first novel, A Little Hope, last year, I couldn’t wait to be absolutely torn apart by his writing again. A Quiet Life tells the tale of grief in different forms - loss of a parent, a significant other, and a child. It takes you through the lives of 3 main characters who are all struggling to live their lives after losing those who mean the most to them. He shows how important it is to lean on those around you and how sometimes it’s okay to sit in your pain for a moment as long as you eventually pick yourself back up and start living your life for those you lost. A Quiet Life expertly weaves the lives of strangers together in the simplest and most meaningful way.

Joella has a way of giving the most insignificant parts of every day life an extraordinary meaning. Showing us that our actions, no matter how big or small can drastically change someone else’s life. Every action triggers a reaction which then triggers another action. The biggest things I’ve taken from both of his incredible novels is that everyone is going through their own kind of hardship that you may know nothing about and it doesn’t take much to be kind to someone. In this novel, Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten - as well as all of their respective friends - rallied around each other during their hardest times despite being strangers. They found understanding and support in each other which then helped them find the strength to persevere through their pain. That kindness, whether it was giving a physical gift, like a car, to help their daily life or simply acknowledging that you see their struggles and they are not alone, can change the trajectory of someone’s life.

What truly makes Joella’s writing and storytelling so moving is his books aren’t flashy dramas with unrealistic twist and turns - he writes about life - the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. A Quiet Life is a tale of forgiveness, growth and acceptance. It is a beautiful depiction of real life and human kindness. Joella has done it again and I could not recommend a book or an author more.

Thank you NetGalley, Scribner, and Ethan Joella for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, what a wonderful story. Your heart can break in so many ways and Ethan Joella has found three of the most perfect, sympathetic foils to express love and loss. Everything about this book spoke to me, each of the characters, each of their losses, the ways they tried to get through each day and keep on.

Joella doesn’t exactly define love but he lets the reader know that he believes that is a necessity we all need. He thinks “maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you.” He explains that the price that you pay when you love so much and lose that love, feeling ripped asunder makes sense. When you have love consider yourself fortunate to have been able to feel so strongly for another. It appears that he ascribes to Tennyson’s affirmation; “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

People love, they suffer loss, they try to stand back up and try to move forward but it is hard, really, really hard. Each day feels like it is trying to knock you back down and you become your best friend and worst enemy. Everything that was easy become torturously difficult - tears are a half a beat from falling. Losing your other half, your strength, your “I will love you forever and always” is sometimes more than the heart and mind can bear. To all of those who have suffered that depth of loss and have tried to soldier on - may peace find you.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of this amazing book.