The McLaughlin family is very tied into their Irish Catholic heritage, especially matriarch, Catherine. But as Catherine ages, she becomes less involved with her children and begins to “see” the people she has lost, especially her deceased husband, three children and her parents. She does however, become more involved with her granddaughter, Gracie who has shocked the family with an out of wedlock pregnancy and her decision to keep the baby. As Catherine’s health declines and she withdraws, her daughter, Kelly Leary and her family, including Gracie, all struggle with life changing decisions.
I have thoroughly enjoyed previous books by this author but this one was somewhat of a “dud” for me. The character development was good as in her prior novels but this story really went nowhere at all. I do enjoy literary fiction and expect the plot to take a back seat to the characters but I really wanted more from this book. The relationships were just weird and seemed meaningless (Lila and Weber, Kelly and the mayor, Gracie and Grayson, Louis and Noreen) - there just wasn’t enough development here and the story fell flat.

This is Ann Napolitano's debut, republished, and I'm glad that it was.

A complex tracing of 3-generations of women and their men, the family lines arising out of Irish tradition and storytelling. That's a family I'm familiar with! Too much, too little, hiding, oversharing, members who dominate and are aggressive (but wouldn't agree they are), members who submit and are passive (but would admit to most anything), yet who all have a tie that binds them. Wouldn't all of them call it love - it is really - but to admit that gives away too much. . .?power?

Ah. Family dynamics. Layer on layer, and the bright shiny bits are accentuated at those life markers - birth, death, marriage, and all the crises that arise therein. I enjoy the author's writing about these ordinary and extraordinary happenings in all our lives.

Bonus: Author's Note at the end of the republished edition gives readers an interesting history of her writerly beginnings and adopted later adjustments to the voiced (and unvoiced) opinions of others reading her works.

Will continue to seek out her works I haven't yet read.

*A sincere thank you to Ann Napolitano, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I have loved Ann Napolitano’s last two books Dear Edward and especially Hello Beautiful. Due to these last two books phenomenal success - her first book from 2004 written when she was 32 - Within Arms Length has been rereleased (as it had gone out of print). Like Hello Beautiful this a large family saga and of sibling conflict and miscommunication. Again like Edward and Beautiful the story is written from different characters narratives. All the elements that Napolitano would polish in her later books are there - along with a compelling story. I liked it because I loved her other books but on its own - it is less compelling - and I found the two younger female leads - sisters Lila and Phoebe - not very believable or even likable. It’s the other characters matriarch Catherine - her daughter Kelly and husband Louis - and her nurse Noreen - that I found much more touching and insightful and better written. This was an advance copy from Madison at Penguin Random House (thank you!). A touching and enjoyable family saga. I also loved reading the authors processes - about when she wrote the book she didn’t even think it would be published after a number of failures to be printed. So glad this has not been forgotten and Napolitano has gained stature as a writer. Indeed this book is a deep cut.

I was so excited when I came across this book on NetGalley because she is one of my favorite authors!! As I read this book, I was a little sad that I did not find myself Loving it as much as I have loved and enjoyed her two other published works. After further investigation, I found out this book is a re-release of her very first book that has been out of print for many years. With that aha moment, I was able to give grace to her early writing and enjoy the book as I had hoped I would. Ann Napolitano is a beautiful storyteller. Her style reminds me a lot of my favorite author Ann Patchett. Napolitano has a beautiful way with words and knows how to create imagery and feeling as she tells a story. If you do not like a lot of detail or a very descriptive writing style and character development, this story may not be for you. I do admire this author's ability to tell about family connections and emotions. She has a talent for bringing out the humanity in her characters and the family relationships in her stories that gives any reader something to relate to. It truly is a remarkable talent. Though I did not love this story or its characters that much, I did enjoy her beautiful storytelling and my time spent with this book. Thank you, McMillan audio and Galley for the ARC of this audiobook.

This was a really beautiful multi-generational tale driven by its characters. I had some trouble getting into it at first, but the diverse themes, subplots, and personalities kept me engaged. Occasionally, I found myself lost among the numerous characters. I struggled to connect with them as deeply as I did with Ann Napolitano's other novels, and the ending left me with several unanswered questions. Though it wasn't as gripping as Hello Beautiful, I enjoyed the book overall and look forward to the author's future works.

This novel follows three generations of an Irish American family thrown back together through the announcement of an unexpected pregnancy. Highly character driven, this book is perfect for readers who appreciate character analysis through the portrait of an immigrant family. Each chapter switches back and forth from different perspectives of the family members, each offering their own versions of the main plot-line. I overall enjoyed the writing style and although certain parts of the narrative did drag a little for me, I did feel really connected to the family and invested in the story. I was a little disappointed with the ending and was left wanting more, but I did figure it would end a little ambiguously! I had heard such great things about this author, and now understand why. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

It is interesting to see how much Ann Napolitano has grown as a writer since this debut 20 years ago. The story follows the McLaughlin family, with mother of 9 Catherine at the helm. Only 6 of her children survived and she is as tough as nails. We also hear from her children and grandchildren. I didn’t love Within Arm’s Reach. I felt as thou9h the characters were difficult to connect with and perhaps there were too many points of view for me to feel invested in any of them. While I loved Napolitano’s more recent work, Within Arm’s Reach just missed the mark for me. I do appreciate the opportunity to read and review Within Arm’s Reach and want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this family story. A tight knit Irish family, with issues within but knowing at the end of the day family is everything.
The ending of the book did confuse me, so I will be reading to see what others thought of it.

Within Arm's Reach
By Ann Napolitano

My rule for reading a book is that, after the first hundred pages, if I am not engaged, I go no further. Such is the case with this book.

There are too many characters and the storyline is narrated by six different members of the McLaughlin clan, each in the first person. The stories related by the multi-generational members of this Irish Catholic family all seemed to run together. I found myself confused, and quite frankly, I lost interest quickly. This is a case of too much information really is too much.

Really enjoyed this. Have really liked all her books so far. I would recommend this book if you’ve liked her previous work. It is def one I would suggest you read!

Within Arm's Reach is a layered, complex family drama centered on a large Irish Catholic family, with matriarch Catherine at the helm. The book opens with a family tree, which proves helpful as the numerous McLaughlin characters can be challenging to keep track of initially.

Each family member grapples with personal issues they choose to keep secret, inevitably affecting their relationships with one another. While the dysfunctional family dynamics are compelling, the middle section of the novel occasionally drags.

In comparison to Napolitano's Hello Beautiful- the only other work by the author I've read - Within Arm's Reach didn't captivate me as quickly. The characters in Hello Beautiful were immediately endearing, whereas this novel took more time to draw me in.

It's worth noting that Within Arm's Reach is Napolitano's debut novel, now being rereleased. While it may not have the same polished feel as her later work, it still offers an interesting exploration of family secrets and relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the rerelease.

When I first saw this book, I thought it was a new Ann Napolitano novel. I was wrong - this was written in 2004. I really enjoyed Hello Beautiful, so I was excited to read a similar style of book.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley giving me an ARC of this book. The review is based on the plot summary.

I enjoyed this - I love books that explore the intricacies of relationships and family and this explored all of that. I do wish the ending wrapped up what happened with all the characters (which.. there were many and I was confused at times!). I look forward to reading additional books by this author. Thank you for the ARC!

This was a rough one to get through. There was not much dialogue and a lot of inner thoughts which made the story drag on. I did not connect with any of the characters, they were pretty awful. I didn’t feel any closure at the end of the book, which I think was intentional, but it felt like a missed opportunity.

Ann Napolitano - you are amazing. This was the perfect book club read! I highly recommend to all. The cover is also beautiful which is always a bonus!

I went into this book not knowing much about it but expecting the same level feeling I had while reading Hello Beautiful. Unfortunately it didn't deliver in that same way for me. There were many characters and I had a hard time following/keeping track of them all. It fell all over the place to me. I appreciate the growth of Napolitano's work over the years and will certainly look forward to future publications. Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the copy of this book!

This was a good family drama story. This was told in multiple points of view and was sometimes hard to keep all the characters straight. Loved this tale of family dynamics and holding your family together despite all the things that happen in life.

WIthin Arm's Reach is a multi-generational story of an Irish Catholic family.  This is Ann Napolitano's first novel and you can see her fingerprints all over it - the controlling matriarch, multiple siblings, unplanned pregnancy and general familial dysfunction.

I still have to read Dear Edward (which I've heard great things about) but having read Hello Beautiful and it being one of my top reads of last year I was excited to read the reissue of her first novel.  I really did enjoy this one, loved most of the characters ( I think she does a wonderful job creating and developing characters - and there is always one that drives me batty) - but Hello Beautiful still holds my heart.  I think she's simply gotten better which is a good thing - some authors only have one novel in them whereas others continually improve and I think Napolitano has honed her talent.  This is a really enjoyable novel, if you love a family drama like I do, this should certainly be on your list.

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC to review

Reading Within Arms Reach felt like sitting on a porch with a neighbor who is telling me the story of their family. Napolitano’s writing is personal. The guilt, loyalty, betrayal and misunderstanding of life as a family is all here. These people keep so much inside. Catharine, their grandmother is beginning to see the things she could have done to be more open to her children when nearing the end of her life. Lila and Gracie, Louis and Kelly and the others in this Irish family have to come together to save eachother.
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this excellent book.
#WithinArmsReach #AnnNapolitano #netgalley

Well. That was unusual!

I love Ann Napolitano's voice. I love the way she pulls us into families--sharing the grief and the joy that exist there. The characters leap off the page and we care about what happens to them.

Too many characters? Maybe. Too many points of view? Possibly. But it works on one level. There are definitely characters we like and characters that we don't in this book. This family is truly a mess! That said, they love and care for one another, and eventually--it seems--they learn how to show that love.

Definitely not for everyone.
But if you're an Ann Napolitano fan, it's at least worth checking out the first few pages.