Pub date: 11/29/22
Genre: character-driven fiction
One sentence summary: Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten are ordinary people dealing with grief, but they'll see the power of their quiet lives as their paths intersect one Pennsylvania winter.

This is my second book by Ethan Joella, and I just love his prose! It's spare, but it packs an emotional punch. Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten felt special to me - I loved seeing their paths cross and watching them help each other through their grief. The cardinal on the cover is not just a decoration - it's integral to the plot, and I found myself getting emotional as it came up again and again.

I think this will be a lovely winter read for many people, and they may end up reading it in one sitting as I did. It's a short read at 304 pages, but the story felt complete and will stay with me. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Thank you to Scribner for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Quite Life by Ethan Joella is an emotional story about the lives of three people navigating through their grief.

I found myself caring a great deal for these characters and what they each were going through. The author's writing style is very character-driven. The book explores grief and how it shapes our choices. The story is sad and hopeful at the same time. The author brings to life each character and their story, and the reader can really empathize and understand what each person is going through in the way the story unfolds and is described.

I agree with this description that the book is "beautifully crafted and [a] profoundly moving novel." The story explores "three parallel narratives that converge in poignant and unexpected ways, as each character bravely presses onward, trying to recover something they have lost."

A heartfelt and moving book. I would recommend this book, and I would recommend this author. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

#NetGalley @ScribnerBooks @JoellaWriting

Chuck Ayers is still reeling after the death of his wife, Cat. Their yearly trip to Hilton Head is coming up, and Chuck isn't sure he can go without her. Ella Burke delivers newspapers in the morning and works in a bridal shop the rest of the day, but she's really just marking time until she can find her missing daughter. Kirsten Bonato is also lost. Since her father's death, she hasn't been able to move forward and put her future plans back in motion. These three unlikely people are each suffering silently alone until their paths begin to cross in the most unexpected ways.

Is two books too early to say that Ethan Joella is a must read author for me? I don't care if you think yes, because he is. After reading A Little Hope last year, I was excited to see this newest offering and it did not disappoint. All the characters - not just the main characters, but the secondary characters as well - are so well drawn and realistic. Their stories are real and heart-breaking. There's nothing I didn't love about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me an advance copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

Available November 29, 2022.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
That's right, I give this book 5.5 stars. My morals won't let me give it 5 stars.
Nothing else I've ever read has come close to it.

This is for you if you love:

💕Love Actually
💕Magnolia (the movie)
💕A Little Hope
💕The Family Stone (the movie)
💕Art that feels like it has an old soul
💕If you’ve lived through grief, loss, heartbreak, and want something that will remind you how beautiful and joyful the world can be

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.

✍️When I picked up A Quiet Life, I had high expectations. I had read Joella’s previous novel ‘’A Little Hope’’ and was absolutely blown away. But not even A Little Hope prepared me for this. It left me completely wrecked in a hopeful manner. I’m heartbroken that I’ve finished this book.

Set in a close-knit Pennsylvania suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.

Chuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat—that yearly taste of relaxation they’d become accustomed to in retirement, after a lifetime of working and raising two children. But when Cat dies suddenly, Chuck is left completely alone in the world. Ella Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits news—any piece of information—about her kidnapped daughter. Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter after her father was shot at a gas station.

💕💕Rarely will I ever love and relate to all main characters of a novel, but I did in this one.

💕💕A Quiet Life is a book form of the hyperlink cinema, where we have intersecting stories that come together to create a greater whole. Each character is dealing with their own pain, but they all find ways to support one another at the end in a realistic way. The bond that these characters form is truly beautiful to witness.

💕💕A Quiet Life is more than just a story about grief and loss. It's a story about healing and hope. Joella does an amazing job of showing us that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, even when things seem darkest. These characters are broken but they are also resilient; they are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to life and to find happiness again. And I relate to that.

💕💕A Quiet Life is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The prose is multilayered and evocative with just the right amount of details; it truly sucks you into the story and immerses you in the characters' lives. Joella has a gift for crafting unforgettable characters and powerful stories that stay with you long after you finish reading them. If you're looking for a moving, poignant read, then I highly recommend picking up A Quiet Life. You won't regret it.

Also, please tell me this is being turned to a movie???

I loved Ethan Joella’s other book, A Little Hope, and people in my Book of the Month Facebook group have been speculating and hoping that A Quiet Life will be one of the picks for November. This book is so relatable because almost everyone has dealt with grief and loss at some point, and it affects everyone in different ways. The book is introspective, and I absolutely love books like this where seemingly unrelated characters intersect in a way that makes a difference in each of their lives. Already looking forward to Joella’s next book!

All the feels! A Quiet Life introduces us to Chuck Ayers, 70 something widower trying to navigate moving on with the future he and his wife planned together. Ella Burke, single mom, working two jobs and desperately searching for the young daughter her ex husband has taken. & Kirsten Bonato who finds herself at a crossroad in life. Kirsten is pining after two very different men, has a trip to Italy to see family planned, but is paralyzed with fear and uncertainty stemming from her father's recent murder, and is having a hard time moving on.

Each of the three main characters are dealing with their own set of trauma in their own way. Some people tend to bond over trauma and become close. Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten instead just ever so slightly and casually weave in and out of each other's lives, almost as if their individual grief doesn't stretch far enough to affect others. In the end, their chance encounters have great effects not only on themselves but also on each other.

I absolutely loved A Little Hope & this book is just as amazing. I read a lot of romance and thrillers/mystery, but no matter what genre, a good book is a good book. & this one is greatness! Perfect book to pick up on a cold winter day and cozy up with. Heartfelt & hopeful. Thank you to Scibner & NetGalley for an egalley and ARC. 5 stars.

3,5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC of this novel.

I appreciate the complete sorrow that Ethan Joella can make me feel through his pages. The end of this novel, was of course, filled with more hope. But the large majority of it was just pure sorrow. For me, I just felt like the characters never really all "got there". Kirsten specifically. Also, I need more Ella. Far more Ella.

I adore character driven, interconnected novels and I will read anything Ethan Joella puts out in the future.

Three ordinary people experience terrible loss: 70-something Chuck loses his beloved wife to cancer; Kirsten's father is murdered in a gas station robbery gone wrong; and Ella's daughter has been taken by her estranged husband. All three are going through the motions of living while trying to come to terms with their grief. All three find themselves again when they unexpectedly come together to help each other.

This is a wonderful, heartfelt story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It's about loss, it's about grief, it's about healing, its about how to get up every morning. Loss takes many form: losing a spouse, losing a parent, a child gone missing, even the pain of having to give up a beloved pet. The story is very much character-driven with each person having to find their way. The characters are at different places in their lives; they are well-developed and you care about them. They are not celebrities or super-wealthy or rich and powerful - they are nice people who care about others and want to help. The story reminded me somewhat of Fredrik Backman's books, where the characters are written with a great deal of genuine feeling and often have hidden connections. One of the characters always tells others to be someone's cardinal - the cardinal stays through the winter when all the other birds have gone - be there when times are good but especially when they are hard. Lovely book, highly recommended.

4.5 stars. Beautifully written, relatable characters. Sad, yet hopeful. Characters living through devastating loss, while coming together to find the joy in life...

A heartwarming, cozy novel that follows the ups and downs of the lives of three strangers, each Going Through Something. One is a recent widower, one is processing the grief of losing her father, and one is a mother trying to recover her lost daughter. Their stories come together as they work to resolve through their emotional turmoil. It's slightly predictable and some of the characters are a bit two-dimensional, but still a recommendable, quick read. Would make a great holiday gift for a mom, sister, or aunt.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book.

This. Was. So. Beautiful.

I read Ethan Joella's first book and loved it, so was very excited to get my hands on this one. This one was even better than the first if that's possible. It took me a while to get going, but once I did, I couldn't stop. It's a quiet and cozy look at grief in its different forms, told through the eyes of three ordinary characters, an older man whose wife has just died, a mother whose daughter is missing, and a young woman whose father has been murdered. Through an unexpected series of events, all of their lives intersect and slowly become interwoven as they help each other heal. Emotional and beautiful.

While covering topics of grief, loss and loneliness, A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella brings together the lives of a widower, and young adult who has lost her father unexpectedly, and a mother of a missing child from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as they individually struggle with their losses and seek meaning in their new lives. Beautifully written, the searing prose exquisitely relates their journeys as they find each other and heal in order to move forward.

After reading Ethan Joella’s debut novel “A Little Hope” I couldn’t wait read this one. He writes beautiful stories about “regular” people who are trying to find beauty in life’s hardships. “A Quiet Life” features three different heartbroken people grieving and just trying to get through another day.

I love that the story takes place outside of Philadelphia, because that’s where I grew up. I was familiar with many of the places mentioned (Like Bear Creek!) and thought the author did a great job capturing a Pennsylvania winter.

The main characters Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella are each healing in this novel about…life. I really enjoyed it and loved the writing!

Quiet indeed! A slow yet tender and heartwarming read about moving on from loss—some permanent and some temporary.

This is a story about three people who are all experiencing grief and loss and the way that all their lives intersect. They each have a very different story, but are all struggling to move past their loss. There is not a lot that happens in this book, but the way the connection between the characters helps them all heal is touching. Although the book deals with grief it is a beautiful story and leaves the reader with a sense of hope for our world. This is the second book I've read and enjoyed by this author. I look forward to future books.

I really enjoyed Joella’s first book A Little Hope. This book follows a similar format with multiple characters and storylines that end up intertwined one way or another. It also is similar in that much of the story lines are sad, but in this book it seemed like it was more people dealing with the aftermath of tragedy than in it at moment. I truly enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to start but the characters did hold my interest. Once it hit the half way point it gets a little more eventful and it also made me teary eyed more than once. My main criticism is that the characters, all of them, are almost too good. If they are flawed it is very minor and they all act SO kindly it feels a little forced.

A Quiet Life is a story of dealing with pain, grief, and loss. The chapters alternate between three characters, Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten, and each is telling their own story. The book has a good storyline, just a bit slow-moving at times. Thanks to the author Ethan Joella, Scribner, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the chance to review this book.

It’s not every day that you find a book that sticks with you. These are the ones that you find yourself thinking about long after you’ve turned the last page. Despite my terrible memory, I will often think of some aspect of a particular book years after I’ve read it. Some books have that great of an impact on your life.

It’s not every day that a book sticks with you, but it’s also not uncommon. What IS uncommon, however, is when an AUTHOR sticks with you. These are the authors whose books each seem to be a mirror into your soul. After reading his debut novel, A Little Hope, a few months ago, I jumped at the chance to read Ethan Joella’s new novel A Quiet Life. Not only has each book stuck with me, but he has quickly become an author whose works I will automatically buy.

A Quiet Life follows three characters whose lives intermingle. Chuck is an older man who recently lost his wife, Catherine (Cat), to cancer. He is lost without the love of his life, but he is also too proud and broken to relay his feelings to his family. His thoughts keep on drifting to the only major fight he had with Cat, where he refused to let her invite a young waitress, Natasha, to come stay with them in an apartment on their property. The fight caused a rift between Chuck and Cat for weeks, but the hard feelings naturally dissipated without them talking about the incident. Now, Chuck is left with his regrets and his memories as he tries to decide whether to go to Hilton Head, SC for their annual winter vacation rental. Every time Chuck feels like he is taking a step forward (he even tries to adopt a pig!), his sadness creeps in and leaves him feeling like he can’t continue on without Cat.

Kirsten is a young woman in her 20s who works at a pet rescue center. Her dreams of going to veterinary school are put on hold when her father is murdered during a gas station robbery. She knows she is young and has her whole life ahead of her, but she feels unable to move on from her father’s death. She has a crush on her boss, David, a divorced father of two who is a decade older than her. After David takes her skiing one night, she wonders if there is something there. Then, she hangs out with her other co-worker, Greyson, and things change. Kirsten is standing at a fork in the road trying to decide between two good men representing very different paths. Does she want a safe, simple life with David and his kids, or does she want a life full of passion and adventure with Greyson?

Ella is recently separated from her husband, Kyle. One day, she discovers that Kyle has checked out her daughter, Riley, from school, and her nightmare begins. Kyle has kidnapped Riley, and they have disappeared without a trace. Unable to find Riley’s whereabouts, Ella is a shell of herself, barely making it through her day. To fill the long hours, she works two jobs: One as a newspaper delivery woman, and one as a bridal sale consultant. Her life changes when she begins talking to the sad-looking man on her route, Chuck. However, nothing will ever be the same without Riley by her side.

Anyone who has ever experienced the loss of someone close will be deeply touched by this book. I lost my dad back in 2019, so Kirsten’s memories made my heart swell with emotion. I could picture my dad’s quirkiness and giant personality through her description of her father. Like A Little Hope, A Quiet Life discusses the feelings of longing, pain, and sweetness that accompany grief. My favorite part of the book, however, was how Joella intermingled the storylines from the very beginning. Ella delivers Chuck’s newspaper. Kirsten’s favorite teacher in school was Chuck’s wife, which caused her family to invite them over a few times when Cat was still alive. Ella is David’s neighbor, which results in Kirsten encountering her one day and asking for a ride to Chuck’s house. Each character is harboring their grief while interacting with each other, not knowing that the other person can intimately identify with what they are going through. It serves as a reminder that we never know what the people around us are dealing with in their lives, and we share much more in common with our friends and neighbors than we realize.

This was an easy five-star rating for me. Even the cover art is a beautiful nod to the characters’ stories. Be prepared to feel tears prickle your eyes throughout the book. You’ll want to give your loved ones a hug and soak up the memories around you. In the meantime, I look forward to more books by Ethan Joella in the future.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a great book. It discusses the events of three people and how they all try to heal. I enjoyed the overall story and would read more books by this talented author.

The lives of three grieving people intersect in the midst of a Pennsylvania winter. Chuck recently lost his wife to cancer, Kirsten's father was shot in a convenience store robbery, and Ellie wonders if she will she her kidnapped daughter again. An inspiring book about the power of kindness even in the face of grief and loss.