All the Acorns On the Forest Floor

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listen narrated by Hillary Huber. Loved Hillary Huber as the narrator. She did a wonderful job giving each character their own voice. What an emotional book. So many different emotions while listening/reading this story. Great character development and liked every character that was introduced in this story. Loved how all the characters were in some way connected to one another. Will read more by this author. Looking forward to her next book. The bonus chapters at the end hooked me...

This book. Unreal. I adored it. I am not a mother, but I am family planning with my husband, and I am someone who has a very maternal instinct, so reading this was wildly entertaining to me, while also being entirely heart-breaking. The beauty and horrors of motherhood and pregnancy are so intertwined, you cannot have pregnancy and motherhood without a significant risk, and this book showed those risks in full bloom. It was raw, it was real, it showed the side of motherhood we try to think we'll never have. Such a great read.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor by Kim Hooper is a very unique and special short story collection.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor is a collection of short stories that all relate to infertility in some way. Infertility, miscarriages, adoption, and egg donation are all represented. Hooper did a great job. I am usually not a huge fan of short story collections, but loved this collection.

Infertility is a difficult topic and I thought Hooper did a good job representing it in these short stories. All of the stories seemed realistic. There weren’t forced happy endings or overdramatized problems.

All The Acorns on the Forest Floor is an emotional read. I was pulled into the character’s stories right away and really was wishing for everyone to have a happy ending. The short stories were the perfect length to tell their stories.

I listened to the audiobook and Hillary Huber did a great job. I thought her voice was perfect for this story.

I recommend All the Acorns on the Forest Floor to everyone except people that are triggered by infertility.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for All the Acorns on the Forest Floor.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor was an interesting book that felt like a large collection of short stories that were somewhat entwined.

There were chapters that faced the heartbreaking parts of loosing a child, and that showed the struggles of motherhood in so many different lights. Many of those insightful chapters had pieces that were relatable to me as a women and mother, It all just felt so honest and raw.

Hillary Huber did an excellent job with the narration of the book as well. She gave each of the many characters their own 'voice' and you could really feel the pain and honesty of the chapters through her.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for my copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kim Hooper brilliantly writes of the intertwining lives of many characters. Her brutally honest descriptions of grief and loss and the many forms it takes, are flawlessly written in this novel. As someone who has experienced child loss, I feel I can say this book captures the many challenges and feelings both men and women may endure. I love the way the characters all had their own stories and were seemingly unrelated at first. Hooper gently intertwined their stories, making the reader or listener want more. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for this ARC.

I really enjoyed the audio version of All the Acorns on the Forest Floor. Also I love that saying although I had never heard it before! What a clever title!

This book weaves through the lives of many women on their life journeys and their connection to motherhood. As a current stay at home mom who experienced secondary infertility I could really relate to so much of this. My friends reminded me of so many of the characters- those who have trouble having children, those we can’t have kids, those who don’t want kids, etc. I feel like I’m hyper aware of what a sensitive topic this can be. Some stories were absolutely heartbreaking- bringing me to tears. Some parts made me laugh. Some warmed my heart. Overall the book gave me a reality check to be extra thankful for the two children I have, even thought it’s such a hard job.

I would say I think this book would really trigger some people depending on where they are in their journey. Being on the other side of deciding to be a mom & finally having two kids- this was a story I devoured.

The narrator did a great job telling this story. I loved her pacing and inflections. I almost wish I had taken notes on names because there were lots of stories and a lot of them eventually connected. I didn’t necessarily see that coming! I’d even love a follow up “where are they now” book!

All The Acorns on the Forest Floor is one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year. It is a collection of interconnected short stories which are not only captivating on their own, but also provide additional context to the other stories in the book.

The book is an honest take on the often difficult challenges of conceiving and the risks associated with the perinatal period, addressing difficult subjects such as a terminal inherited disease, infertility, perinatal loss, rape and unwanted pregnancy. The author has done so with respect and compassion resulting in an extremely moving book.

I very much enjoyed this book. Each story is just the right length and heartfelt. These memorable stories have allowed me to gain some insight into the difficulties, and tragedies, of those around me. This book is not Women’s Fiction as some might think. This is a book that creates empathy and understanding and should be read by both men and women alike. I kept notes while listening to the book which allowed me to see the interconnectedness of the stories and found this to be extremely helpful.
I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Hillary Huber who gives a strong performance. Her words are articulate and well paced and demonstrated the underlying feeling of compassion in the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor by Kim Hooper exceeded my expectations. This collection of short stories moved me, broke my heart, opened my eyes, and made me think. Each story revolves around motherhood in one form or another with varying themes. Pregnancy, infertility, adoption, miscarriage, abortion, loss of a child, and grief are discussed. Some stories were relatable and hit home, some were foreign and eye-opening for me. I don’t read short stories very often, but when I do, I always have the same complaint. They end way too quickly and I’m left wanting more information about the characters! In ATAOTFL, each woman has her own individual story, but a few of them intertwine throughout the book. How clever is that? I found this very satisfying because I was able to learn more about some of the women and how their stories progressed. This isn’t a light-hearted read, so please keep that in mind. All the Acorns on the Forest Floor is very emotional, heavy, and raw. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my gifted copy.

This book is a short story collection of infertility. It tells a series of different circumstances and experiences that women have gone through.

As a military spouse I feel woman are always comparing themselves to others and sadly fertility is one of the many things spouses struggle with.

In this book you follow the ladies as they begin to accept their circumstances and find their happiness in life. Some learn to move on after years of trying, some adopt and some end up pregnant after trying for so many years.

Wow, something happened, this book just blew me away.

All the Acorns on the Forest floor is one of those books that is totally unexpected, I read the blurb and I like it but I wasn't expecting these amazing stories that kept me so hooked at all times.

The stories of these women were like the stories of our sisters, neighbors, friends, mothers. All the acorns on the forest floor it's the story of every woman walking on the face of this earth well not literally but almost lol

I cried with so many of the stories but at the same time I felt for many of them, I felt identify with so many scenarios, and it also made me see how almost every woman in town has different views when it comes to becoming a mom.

What I love about All The Acorns On the forest was that all the stories connected somehow, even if each story had a different scenario all of them had one in common "motherhood"

This is a book of stories on how society pushes you to have kids and see us weird if we decided not to, how many of us have a hard time getting pregnant, others adopting, some renting a belly, others not by choice, and the stories keep going and going and all of them are so unique but the same time very close.

LOVE the narrations!!! this is how a good narration should be, fluid, believable, and with so much depth. amazing work..

Overall it was a great book, I really love the stories, the strength of every single woman and the hardship everyone of them went through. the author is new to me so, many good points for this book.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor was a good book filled with many stories about loss. Most of the loss was around parents losing babies or young children. It was a lot more intense than I realized but flowed really well so I didn't mind listening to it!

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor is a collection of short stories about motherhood (or lack thereof) and all the possible worries and issues a woman could have while trying to get pregnant or while having a child. A lot of these stories are heartbreaking and I would not recommend this to someone who is going through pregnancy issues.

It took me a couple chapters to realize that it was a collection of short stories and I was not a huge fan of the narrator. It was also tough to listen to and keep track of the stories because there were so many different characters. I think I would have liked the book better if I had read it, rather than listened to the audiobook version.

I also have not had any experience with trying to get pregnant or having kids so I didn't relate to this book very well. Finishing it felt like a chore to me.

Overall, the stories were good and I think if I were in a different place in my life I would have enjoyed this book far more. Also, I highly recommend reading it rather than listening to it.

This was a beautiful and intertwined set of short stories revolving around love, loss and motherhood. There were some really beautiful and uplifting stories matched with some heartbreaking ones. I love that all of the characters interacted in small but meaningful ways throughout the story. It was just a great read overall!

Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook read by Hillary Huber who is an excellent voice artist.
These stories were interconnected and I especially liked the way a later story would refer back to an earlier story and give a further explanation of what happened in the earlier story. I did not love all the stories, some were harder emotionally than others but I appreciated them all. Very well written and very well read also.

I enjoyed listening to this book but it was put forth in little vignettes that did not really connect. I do not enjoy reading short stories so it was a stretch for me.

For anyone who has lost a child, it touches on the different ways that people react to the situation. I would imagine it would be soothing to those in similar situations.

I could relate to the characters and felt empathy for each of them.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kim Hooper & Dreamscape Media for granting my netgalley wish for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review! I'd seen a few reviews saying it was incredible and I was so excited to get a copy. This book is wonderful, it's not my typical read/listen at all but WOW! This book explores all different types of family relationships from a couple hoping to get pregnant, a couple struggling with infertility, a woman discovering the truth behind her adoption and quite a few other touching stories. I loved the format where one chapter covered each story and the narration by Hillary Huber was perfect. Each chapter really dug into details with so much emotion and was heartfelt. There's a few of the stories that to me really stood out as memorable and will stick with me for a long time.

This book was something else. While I enjoyed it, it ended so abruptly that I’m still trying to find my footing on it. I hope there’s a sequel so we can find out where everyone goes from here.

This is an amazing story. I absolutely loved the characters, story, and writing style.

The characters are all lovable, even though they can be difficult at times.

I also loved how the story transitioned from one perspective to the next. The story itself felt complete, but I wish there were a few more pages.

I thought the writing style was poetic and vivid. Everything was straightforward and I was never confused.

Overall, perfect for fans of literary fiction.

This book talks about the varied experiences of women at different times in their lives. There is a young mother giving her baby up for adoption, a woman that was left on the doorstep of a shop owner, a woman who is pregnant but afraid of losing her child, a woman looking for her birth mother, a woman who doesn’t want to have children and many, many others.

I felt like the main theme of the book was about the circle of life when it comes to motherhood, love and loss. I enjoyed the fact that each character had a story that linked with someone else’s in a way that did not at all seem forced or disingenuous. Linking the stories actually added a lot of relatability and understanding to the stories, along with forming a strong sense of connection. If you are looking for emotional read, this book is for you.

All the acorns on the forest floor is a beautiful collection of interlocking stories. Kim Hooper's writing is elegant and effortless as she weaves together the powerful stories of several families sharing their tales of love, hope, heart break and loss.

From the start I was completely captivated. The story starts with one couple giving the reader a glimpse into their lives and currently predicament. Then we are introduced to another person and story, we soon see this one is connected to the first and so on. This way of giving little glimpses into their lives shows us that even when its not immediately clear at first, we are all connected.

I was in awe as each story unfolded and the connection to the others became clear. I really cannot say enough good things about this book. I thought it was beautifully written and the narrator was great too. Hearing the stories of falling in love, the loss of love, the struggles, loosing virginity, trying to conceive, getting pregnant, entering menopause, there are so many ways as a reader I connected with these stories or saw my own family and friends within a character.

Some sections are hopeful the next section will be heartbreaking. I laughed, cried, and couldn't stop listening. When this book was over, I was truly disappointed because I wanted it to keep going forever. If you are looking for a book that will surely cause you a book hangover, this is it.

Trigger warnings: pregnancy, infertility, adoption, marriage issues,

I was so excited to have the chance to check this book out. All The Acorns on the Forest Floor by Kim Hooper is a collection of connected short stories and I really enjoyed it. First of all, the cover is gorgeous and the title has so much depth that it will stay with me for some time.

The stories are connected by theme and characters. The themes of marriage, parenthood and infertility are part of each story in some way. The joy and struggles of couples, parents and children and especially couples struggling to have children. The writing is beautiful and poignant. The stories are emotional and each one has strength on its own. As I read each individual story, I anticipated how the characters would be linked and was often pleasantly surprised that Hooper didn't take the most obvious character and gave us background into characters that didn't necessarily show their best sides. Rather, it showed us their humanity, their vulnerability and rawness.

This was a powerful read and one of my favourite collections of interconnected stories. So why 4.5 bookworms and not 5? The last story for me lost some of the momentum that was consistent throughout the book. The story wasn't bad by any means, I just felt that it veered a little off the path of the rest of the book.

This is Kim Hooper's fourth novel. It stole a piece of my heart and now I need to read her backlist.

Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🐛🐛🌱

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio copy for an honest review. I thought that Hillary Huber did a fine job as a narrator.

This book is a series of vignettes about pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, and adoption. Some of the stories end up intertwining which I enjoyed. I was drawn into all of the characters' lives and really enjoyed listening to this in audio format...that is, until the last 2 chapters. They were way out of left field and didn't tie in with the theme of the story at all. This would have been a 5-star read/listen if not for that.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see the connections come full circle for the many women and mothers in the stories. There was definitely a few times that left me crying because my heart ached for the women in whatever the situation was. I have a 1.5 year old son so I tried to think of how I would feel as a mother in many of these situations and it was a terrible feeling. The book was really well written and kept me interested.

Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a rule of thumb, I don't love short stories - but this one caught my eye, and I knew I had to give it a shot. This novel, Kim Hooper's third book and second collection of short stories, was beautifully written and delicately intertwined. All of these tales were told of people who faced a struggle in their experiences with pregnancy and parenthood - from a pregnant teenager forced to give up her child, to a husband trying to hang on to his marriage through their inability to concieve, to a motherly maternity ward nurse who struggles with infertility, and many others.

I'm not going to lie, my opinions of this book had more ups and downs than the rollercoaster at your local fair. I began listening to this book with high hopes. Hooper's writing style definitely delivered, and the narrator's voice matched the content perfectly, but I found myself getting bored near the middle of the book. Closer to the end of the book, I started to enjoy it again. The characters tied together elegantly and the stories that were initially full of disappointment and sadness ended with hints of hope. At around 80% of the way through the book, I thought this was definitely going to be a four star read for me, but the ending left me confused, as if the story wasn't completely finished, dropping my rating down a star. I do think I would have enjoyed this book more as a print/e-book so that I could have flipped back to compare points-of-view and provide some clarity in regards to the connected stories.

With all of this being said, I do think some of the beauty of this novel was lost on me. I am a young woman who has not yet seriously considered motherhood or had any personal experiences with pregnancy. I can only imagine this book is much more powerful to those who can relate a little more, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in exploring the concept of infertility and the multifaceted effects it can have on a person.