The Precious Jules

I am so glad I got the opportunity to review The Precious Jules since I absolutely loved Shawn Nocher's first book, A Hand to Hold in Deep Water. And The Precious Jules didn't disappoint! It is a wonderfully crafted story about some very hard truths.

The Precious Jules is the story of the Jules family, headed by Stone and Hillary and their six children. While the story jumps between past and present, the current issue facing the Jules family is that the Beachwood Institute (a long standing home for people with mental disabilities) is closing and Ella Jules needs a new home. Even though it has been more than 30 years since she has lived with her family, her parents are requesting to bring her home. But her caregiver, Lynette, has been by Ella's side since she was 8 and has filed for guardianship. The other Jules children are not in favor of bringing Ella home, each having different reasons that unfold throughout the story.

What begins as a seemingly straightforward plot slowly unfurls to reveal how the decision to bring Ella home is less about Ella herself and more about each family member's struggle with guilt, secrecy, and misunderstanding. More and more layers are revealed which kept me reading to uncover the true story of the Jules family and how each of them remembers Ella differently. I loved the complexity surrounding this family as well as how a dark history of this country's treatment of mental disabilities contributed to a legacy of secrecy and shame. If you enjoy family narratives with different narrators taking turns telling the story, then The Precious Jules should be your next read. I know I will be thinking about this story long after having finished it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I already can't wait for Nocher's next book!

"This family, in her opinion, carried seven times, eight times the pain that should have been divided and allotted each one of them. They could, she was certain, take all they know, all they carry, and unload it amongst one another, sort through it carefully, dispose of that which held no real meaning or truth or consequence."

I had close to no expectations when starting this book, simply because I had never heard of the author or the book before picking it up, but something attracted me. And wow am I happy I picked this up. I have only just finished reading The Precious Jules and I am just sitting here thinking about all the Jules family members and those in their fold, as this is a book that will pull all your heartstrings and then some. In it, we meet Stone and Hillary Jones, who are preparing to bring back their daughter Ella, who had been institutionalized over 32 years ago. We also meet all the other Jules' siblings: Jax, Belle, Georgie, Finnley and Tess. The chapters are told from each of their perspectives, as well as occasionally through Ella's eyes or Lynetta, Ella's caregiver who'd been granted custody prior to the Jules' request to take Ella back. They are happening both in the present, as well as stories from the past.

What unfolds is the story of a family, guilt-ridden, not sure how to proceed with Ella's situation, but also facing a number of other difficult situations, be it the acceptance of a gay relationship or a loved one with an eating disorder. It is also the gripping and gut-wrenching story of institutionalization of those with mental differences, focusing on the mistreatment, yet also the dedication of individuals in the system. I would classify this book as a gritty, very real-life family drama. It is full of emotion. Full of anger. Full of guilt. Yet also full of hope and forgiveness. A wonderful read altogether.

4.5 Stars

This family drama kept my interest throughout because of it is so authentic.

Ella Jules has spent 32 years of her life, since the age of 8, in the Beechwood Institute whose clients are intellectually challenged. Lynetta, who has been her caregiver for all that time, has applied to be her guardian because the institute is closing. Then Ella’s parents, Hillary and Stone, file with the courts to have Ella live with them. On a weekend when Ella is to come for a visit and overnight stay, the five adult Jules children (Jax, Belle, George, Finney, and Tess) arrive at the family home to persuade the parents that having Ella live with them is not a good idea.

The Jules family seems perfect. They are all good looking: “All that blond hair and blue eyes, their collective athleticism . . . [Lynetta] couldn’t help but wonder if she had walked into a Ralph Lauren photoshoot.” The Jules are “a moneyed family” whose home is a large house in a wealthy Baltimore neighbourhood; as Belle drives to the house she thinks it feels “like coming home to a Norman Rockwell painting.” But Belle knows that the “picture of perfection” is deceiving: “what the world saw of the Jules family hid something deeper.” Each of the family members is flawed and has struggles and secrets.

Ella’s removal from the family has affected everyone. Guilt is a common emotion. For example, Belle, as Ella’s twin, has “the sense that she has escaped something by virtue of a tragically consequential coin toss.” Jax says that it’s his fault that Ella was sent away while George is certain “it was his own fault”. The trauma of Ella’s institutionalization affects the decisions and choices characters make. George’s wife has an eating disorder but he refuses to place her in an inpatient program, worried about how her absence would affect their daughters. Similarly, Belle hesitates to place one of her sons in a different school which will address his unique leaning needs because she doesn’t want to separate siblings. Gradually, as we learn the motivations of all the characters, we come to understand that “They all have scars from Ella, of one kind or another.”

The point of view is very effective in developing characters. The perspective of each family member is given, as is that of Lynetta. As a consequence, we understand everyone’s true feelings and motivations. And there is no difficulty differentiating among the siblings. For instance, it does not take long to understand that George is resentful and angry because of a childhood incident whereas Finney is more sympathetic because he himself feels “he didn’t fit into the world” just as Ella’s parents seem to want to wedge her “back into this family, shoved to fit in a space that no longer conforms to her.”

It is an outsider that best understands the family’s problem. Clarissa, a longtime family friend, sees that they each carry “the burden of useless guilts” and so much could be solved if they communicated: “The problem . . . was everything that had not been said, all the pain that had been privately hoarded by each one of them rather than weighed and divided equally. This family . . . carried seven times, eight times the pain that should have been allotted each one of them. They could . . . take all they know, all they carry, and unload it amongst one another, sort through it carefully, dispose of that which held no meaning or truth or consequence.”

I enjoy novels with dynamic characters, and there is an indication that the family learns that secrets can have detrimental effects and there is comfort in opening up and unburdening oneself of secrets. (I was reminded of the author’s debut novel, A Hand to Hold in Deep Water, which also examines the effects of secrets and how they lead to misunderstandings.) It is also heartwarming to see the Jules family stop seeing Ella as “disappointment and tragedy, heartache. They see imperfection, something lost.” They come to see her like Lynetta does: “a jewel of nature, a precious jewel.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is heartbreaking, heartwarming, and thought provoking.

This is quite a heartfelt book about the Jules Family, who is having to make a decision, along with the state, on where their adult daughter, Ella Jules, should live. She has been living at the Beechwood Estate, A home for the mentally handicapped, since the age 8. It's now closing it's doors and they need to find new homes for their residents. Ella's family wants her back home with them, but Lynetta, who's been Ella's caretaker since she arrived at Beechwood, doesnt think this is the best choice for her. Ella's five siblings, and her parents, are dealing with their own guilt and secrets from from the past.

This will pull at your heart strings as you read about the past and the way the mentally handicapped have been treated and dealt with. How families have felt the shame for having handicap children and would often try to hide that from others. Told through multiple POV, throughout Ella's life, this is a family story that I will not soon forget.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is a very character driven story that will tug at your heart strings. I felt for Ella as well as her siblings and Lynetta. I was able to look beyond Ella’s mental and physical disabilities and see her as a person who wanted to live her life the best way she could.

When it came to Ella's wellbeing, I was conflicted a little in who was the best fit for Ella with either Lynetta or her family. I felt that Lynetta knew Ella better and was suited to care for her the best but on the other hand, I understood where her mom was coming from. I did not blame Ella's siblings Jax, Belle, George, Finney, and Tess for their feelings as well.

After reading this book, I look forward to reading more books by author, Shawn Nocher.