Fellowship Point
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- Create Date：2022-07-09 11:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Alice Elliott Dark
- ISBN：1797135961
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Summary
This tour-de-force novel from an award-winning author is the triumphant story of a lifelong friendship between two singular women across the arc of the 20th century。
When Agnes Lee receives her third cancer diagnosis at the age of eighty， she focuses on securing her legacy。 First， as an author: though a celebrated children’s book author， she has struggled to begin what she knows will be the final volume of her popular， pseudonymously written Franklin Square series of novels。 But even more consuming is her determination to find a way to permanently protect Fellowship Point， a peninsula of majestic coast in Maine acquired by five like-minded Quaker families in the 1870s。 Agnes is determined to dissolve a generations-old partnership agreement in order to donate the land to a trust and thereby protect it from potential development after her death。 Long used to getting her way， Agnes is confident she can convince the two surviving shareholders—her lifelong best friend Polly Wister， and her favorite nephew Archie Lee—to go along with her plan。
Polly Wister has led a different kind of life than Agnes: that of a well-off married woman with children， defined by her devotion to her husband， a philosophy professor with an inflated sense of stature。 She exalts in creating beauty and harmony in her home， in her friendships， and in her family life。 When Agnes proposes her plan for Fellowship Point， Polly finds her loyalties torn between the wishes of her best friend and those of her eldest son who is in line to be the next shareholder。 But what is it that Polly herself wants？
Agnes’s designs are further muddied when an enterprising young book editor named Maud Silver sets out to convince Agnes to write her memoirs。 Agnes’s resistance cannot prevent long-buried memories and secrets from coming to light with far-reaching repercussions for all。
Fellowship Point reads like a classic 19th-century novel in its beautifully woven， multilayered narrative and it is entirely contemporary in the themes it explores: a deep and empathic interest in women’s lives， the class differences that divide us， the struggle to protect the natural world， and， above all， a reckoning with intimacy， history， and posterity。 It is a masterful achievement from Alice Elliott Dark。
When Agnes Lee receives her third cancer diagnosis at the age of eighty， she focuses on securing her legacy。 First， as an author: though a celebrated children’s book author， she has struggled to begin what she knows will be the final volume of her popular， pseudonymously written Franklin Square series of novels。 But even more consuming is her determination to find a way to permanently protect Fellowship Point， a peninsula of majestic coast in Maine acquired by five like-minded Quaker families in the 1870s。 Agnes is determined to dissolve a generations-old partnership agreement in order to donate the land to a trust and thereby protect it from potential development after her death。 Long used to getting her way， Agnes is confident she can convince the two surviving shareholders—her lifelong best friend Polly Wister， and her favorite nephew Archie Lee—to go along with her plan。
Polly Wister has led a different kind of life than Agnes: that of a well-off married woman with children， defined by her devotion to her husband， a philosophy professor with an inflated sense of stature。 She exalts in creating beauty and harmony in her home， in her friendships， and in her family life。 When Agnes proposes her plan for Fellowship Point， Polly finds her loyalties torn between the wishes of her best friend and those of her eldest son who is in line to be the next shareholder。 But what is it that Polly herself wants？
Agnes’s designs are further muddied when an enterprising young book editor named Maud Silver sets out to convince Agnes to write her memoirs。 Agnes’s resistance cannot prevent long-buried memories and secrets from coming to light with far-reaching repercussions for all。
Fellowship Point reads like a classic 19th-century novel in its beautifully woven， multilayered narrative and it is entirely contemporary in the themes it explores: a deep and empathic interest in women’s lives， the class differences that divide us， the struggle to protect the natural world， and， above all， a reckoning with intimacy， history， and posterity。 It is a masterful achievement from Alice Elliott Dark。
Reviews
Mary
，
3。5*
Elyse Walters
，
Audiobook…。read by Cassandra Campbell …。。19 hours and 33 minutes I felt as through I was sifting through sand ……occasionally I was gifted with some plastic toys。 I can’t listen to another 14 MORE HOURS of such overly descriptive and fatiguing prose。 （DNF）…。6 hours was enough！ Cassandra Campbell is usually great - a terrific audio book reader -but she couldn’t save me from feeling drained from the yawnsome monochromatic sentences。 The writing lacks variety in rhythm。 With no adventure and little Audiobook…。read by Cassandra Campbell …。。19 hours and 33 minutes I felt as through I was sifting through sand ……occasionally I was gifted with some plastic toys。 I can’t listen to another 14 MORE HOURS of such overly descriptive and fatiguing prose。 （DNF）…。6 hours was enough！ Cassandra Campbell is usually great - a terrific audio book reader -but she couldn’t save me from feeling drained from the yawnsome monochromatic sentences。 The writing lacks variety in rhythm。 With no adventure and little excitement—I started to scratch my head with writing like this: “Each family would bring their own chair， set it down， of and sit in a circle”。 Or…。 “The first summer in 1987 was warm and dry…Or…。 “They all liked walking in the woods。 Or…。 “The ducks were sitting ducks”。 Or…。 “The gulls aren’t bad — but I want them gone”。 The ‘start’ of this book was promising。 It established the friendship of a couple of old geezer-ladies…。，both 80…。lifetime friends…。but soon I was feeling annoyed from how often meaningfulness the writing was。 The message about land ownership in America is valid — but being talked to — to death — was nails-on-a-chalkboard maddening slow and dull。 I’m soooo sorry — I seriously was interested in reading this book —but it was too colorless — and flat for me to honestly enjoy。 。。。more
Arlene S
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On my "maybe" list On my "maybe" list 。。。more
Linda Hutchinson
，
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark is a whopper of a book at almost 600 pages but is so well-written that you get hooked， and it moves fast。 Part literary fiction， part historical fiction， part dysfunctional family， and almost eight decades of ownership of an ecologically extraordinary land developed by early Puritans and Quakers。 That sounds like a mouthful of information， but this book is fantastic。 Our lead protagonists are best friends and related to historic Quaker families wh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark is a whopper of a book at almost 600 pages but is so well-written that you get hooked， and it moves fast。 Part literary fiction， part historical fiction， part dysfunctional family， and almost eight decades of ownership of an ecologically extraordinary land developed by early Puritans and Quakers。 That sounds like a mouthful of information， but this book is fantastic。 Our lead protagonists are best friends and related to historic Quaker families who are the trustees of this unique acreage called Fellowship Point。 As you can imagine， these two ladies are formidable， primarily when they work together to save the land from greedy developers。 The two sisters， Agnes and Polly， could not be more different。 Polly chooses a life of tradition with a husband， kids， and wealth。 The other， Agnes， remained single as a prolific writer with great wealth。 They both own adjacent homes on the Point but lived in Philly off-season。 Like some families， we have greed， envy， love， loss， faith， and purpose with a foundation centered on the Quaker faith。 I found this story beautifully written， and the differences between the two sisters made them remarkably fun to know and grow to love。 This book was published July 5th， and I believe this may be one of the year's best books。 Don’t let the size of this tome scare you。 It’s a great story and is especially relevant in our current times。 Bravo to Ms。 Dark， who has spent many years putting this book together…it was well worth the wait。 #family #preservation #landtrust #indians #Puritans #Quakers #faith #loss #love #discord #children #aging🦅I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 Thank you to NetGalley， and Scribner Publishing for the opportunity to read this book。 Pub Date: July 5， 2022。 #fellowshippoint #aliceelliottdark @netgalley #netgalley #scribner 🦅#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader 。。。more
Sidney
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Finally done with this 576 page tome。 I know I’m going to be in the minority with this one （published today） when I say……。slow， slow， slow。 Beautiful writing but the story goes nowhere; two close women’s friendship through the years。 It actually picked up the pace after the first 300 pages but was predictable and…。。slow。
Darla
，
I loved someone。Who have you loved in your life？ Agnes and Polly are best friends for decades。 They also are part owners of a land trust for Fellowship Point。 As the two draw nearer to the end of their lives， they are determined to keep the point from greedy developers。 But will the other owners support them？ And what about Agnes and her latest novel -- will the words ever come？ Polly and her husband Dick are facing some health and neighborhood issues。 Life is busy。 Maud， one of Agnes's editors I loved someone。Who have you loved in your life？ Agnes and Polly are best friends for decades。 They also are part owners of a land trust for Fellowship Point。 As the two draw nearer to the end of their lives， they are determined to keep the point from greedy developers。 But will the other owners support them？ And what about Agnes and her latest novel -- will the words ever come？ Polly and her husband Dick are facing some health and neighborhood issues。 Life is busy。 Maud， one of Agnes's editors is pushing for a memoir。 Agnes would prefer to keep her secrets。 One of my favorite part of this book was reading the recollections of her life that Agnes had put down in notebooks。 This is a book you sip slowly。 It is full of beauty in nature and in relationships。 The cover speaks volumes。Thank you to Scribner and NetGally for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 This is my 500th NetGalley Review！ 。。。more
Vicki
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“Fellowship Point，” by Alice Elliott Dark， Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books， 592 pages， July 5， 2022。Celebrated children’s book author Agnes Lee is now 80 and has been diagnosed with cancer for the third time。 She lives in Philadelphia and spends summers in Maine。She has written six novels and more than 30 children’s books， which she also illustrated。 Agnes wants to complete the final volume of her Franklin Square novels written under the name Pauline Schulz， but has writer’s block。She also wants “Fellowship Point，” by Alice Elliott Dark， Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books， 592 pages， July 5， 2022。Celebrated children’s book author Agnes Lee is now 80 and has been diagnosed with cancer for the third time。 She lives in Philadelphia and spends summers in Maine。She has written six novels and more than 30 children’s books， which she also illustrated。 Agnes wants to complete the final volume of her Franklin Square novels written under the name Pauline Schulz， but has writer’s block。She also wants to permanently protect the peninsula of majestic coast in Maine known as Fellowship Point， which is a bird sanctuary。 Loose Properties， owned by Hamm Loose and his sons， is buying land for development。 The Point is owned in shares by three families。Her lifelong best friend， Polly Wister， has led a different kind of life。 Polly is devoted to her husband， Dick， a philosophy professor and noted pacifist。 They have three adult sons。 Polly， much to Agnes’s frustration， invariably defers to her husband。 Polly soon finds her loyalties torn between the wishes of her best friend and the wishes of her family， but what is it that Polly wants herself？Meanwhile， Maud Silver， a single mother who is a book editorial assistant， sets out to convince Agnes to write her memoirs， not realizing Agnes is also Pauline Schulz。 Maud’s mother， Heidi， who has a mental illness， lives with Maud and Maud’s daughter， Clemmie， 3。 The novel goes back to the 1870s， when Agnes’s family went to Maine。“Fellowship Point” is a contemplative book。 It is good， but long and slow-moving。 It is the character-driven story of women who are lifelong friends and how their lives were so different。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Kathleen
，
Beautifully written and deliciously slow moving， Fellowship Point is the story of a lifelong friendship， the people who weave in and out of it， the problems， successes， sadness and laughter。 Agnes: a feisty， intelligent， independent woman who has never married。 She’s the successful author of a children’s series about the adventures of Nan， a feisty， intelligent， independent （sound familiar？） girl。 Agnes has also， under a pseudonym， written novels about the lives of a group of women at different Beautifully written and deliciously slow moving， Fellowship Point is the story of a lifelong friendship， the people who weave in and out of it， the problems， successes， sadness and laughter。 Agnes: a feisty， intelligent， independent woman who has never married。 She’s the successful author of a children’s series about the adventures of Nan， a feisty， intelligent， independent （sound familiar？） girl。 Agnes has also， under a pseudonym， written novels about the lives of a group of women at different times in those lives。 She’s based these， somewhat unflatteringly， on her friends。 Now at 80， with recently diagnosed breast cancer， she wants to leave the five houses on Fellowship Point， Maine to a land trust so its remote beauty can be preserved。 Polly: married to the pedantic overbearing Dick， mother of three sons， she’s intelligent and sensitive but has been submissive to the men in her family。 Agnes has been her best friend as long as she can remember and as she has aged， she’s learned to assert herself。 Now her sons are pressuring her to refuse the land trust so they can inherit， and possibly sell， the property。Maud: an ambitious young book editor， single mother of a three year old daughter and caregiver to a mentally ill mother。 Maud wants Agnes to write a memoir revealing the inspiration behind Nan。 She will use it to publicize a reissue of the series and to use the expected success to be promoted。 Agnes has other ideas。Fellowship Point is the perfect book to start on a lazy summer day。 The story is told in the voices of the three woman， in flashbacks and in letters。 Agnes and Polly have lived very different lives but their friendship has stayed constant。 This is family drama at its best。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Simon & Schuster and Alice Elliot Dark for this ARC。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
This is a gorgeous immersive story of the friendship between two women over their very long lives。 Agnes and Polly grew up together in Philadelphia and in Maine， on Fellowship Point and now， in their 80s， everyone is at an inflection point， including the land they love。 Agnes， who never married， is the author of children's books and of a series of novels about women which she writes under a pseudonym。 Polly is wife to Dick and mother to three boys。 Agnes wants to protect the bird sanctuary on th This is a gorgeous immersive story of the friendship between two women over their very long lives。 Agnes and Polly grew up together in Philadelphia and in Maine， on Fellowship Point and now， in their 80s， everyone is at an inflection point， including the land they love。 Agnes， who never married， is the author of children's books and of a series of novels about women which she writes under a pseudonym。 Polly is wife to Dick and mother to three boys。 Agnes wants to protect the bird sanctuary on their jointly owned land from developers but this is more of a challenge than she anticipated。 And then Maud， who works for her publisher， writes to her asking that she expand on her memoir， setting off something I won't spoil for other readers。 This moves back and forth in time and between Polly and Agnes to tell the story of their lives and their friendship。 Critical elements of Agnes' story is conveyed in letters she writes to her deceased sister Elspeth， letters Maud finds and reads。 There's a subplot involving Robert， who works for them as a landscaper and who proves to be key to unraveling a long standing mystery。 These are privileged women but they are both conscious of that fact。 They felt very real to me- leapt off the page。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 This is a terrific read that unspools slowly and magnificently to a well crafted conclusion。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Mary
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This is the type of adult fiction I enjoy: strong characters and a wonderful story。 With deeper messages disguised within。
L。A。
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Never mind that it took me a few days to read this one， but in the book's defense it was in between deadlines of others。 It is a long book nonetheless， but well worth a glimpse into the lives of three women in their Golden Years。 Lives well-lived on the coast of Maine， with an intricate history behind its inhabitants。 It is woven into a mirage of women's lives from different classes。 Their endless wit and full of life wisdom helps to forget the secrets and scattered memories revealed。 Agnes is i Never mind that it took me a few days to read this one， but in the book's defense it was in between deadlines of others。 It is a long book nonetheless， but well worth a glimpse into the lives of three women in their Golden Years。 Lives well-lived on the coast of Maine， with an intricate history behind its inhabitants。 It is woven into a mirage of women's lives from different classes。 Their endless wit and full of life wisdom helps to forget the secrets and scattered memories revealed。 Agnes is in her 80's， single and a children's author under a pseudonym。 Her Great-grandfather bought the land she lives on in 1870 and had 5 houses built for family members。 It is under an association with the hopes to preserve the natural beauty and sanctuary。 When a developer sweeps in to make an offer for the 145 acres， Agnes is dissolved to live out her cancer ridden body in hopes to get the families to agree to leave the land in a trust so it can't be developed。 Agnes's life long friend， Polly， has lived a life of luxury and devotes her time to her professor husband and their 4 children。 She adores her friend， but she is skeptical of Agnes proposal and not convinced of her plot。 Repercussions are ensued if the land divides their Fellowship Point。 Maud， a single mother and coping with her aging mother， asked Agnes to write her memoir and reveal long buried secrets。 Her relationship with the other two ladies is just an additive to this complicated thing we call life。 Together they are unlimited unless the division of the land divides their unique bond。 Beautifully written， perfectly paced， an unforgettable statement to those who hold dear their land ownership and devotion to nature and friendships。 This is a keeper and a much needed break from the turmoil around us。 Well-done， Alice Elliott Dark。 You are a gifted writer！ Thank you， NetGalley and Scribner， for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Elyssa
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A wonderfully complex read with layered stories。
Kerrin
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Agnes Lee， a never-married author， and Polly Wister， a devoted wife and mother， have known each other since birth。 They both were born into affluent Philadelphia Quaker families。 In the 1870s， Agnes’ great-grandfather purchased 145 acres on the Maine coast and named the area Fellowship Point。 He eventually built five houses for his family， his brother’s family， and three friends。 There was also a home for the servants。 The homes were individually owned， but the majority of the land was owned by Agnes Lee， a never-married author， and Polly Wister， a devoted wife and mother， have known each other since birth。 They both were born into affluent Philadelphia Quaker families。 In the 1870s， Agnes’ great-grandfather purchased 145 acres on the Maine coast and named the area Fellowship Point。 He eventually built five houses for his family， his brother’s family， and three friends。 There was also a home for the servants。 The homes were individually owned， but the majority of the land was owned by an association with very specific rules on membership and dissolution。 In the year 2000， a local developer set his sites on the land。 Agnes， who is in her 80s， wants nothing more than to protect it from commercial exploitation。 Unfortunately， Polly’s oldest son who will inherit her association voting rights， is very friendly with the developer。 Polly is torn between her friendship with Agnes and her love for her son。 Agnes’ cousin who is the third association voting member is also at odds with the two women after he accuses one of their friends of a crime。Agnes is well-known for a children’s book series called “When Nan” based on the various adventures of a ten-year-old girl。 A young book editor， Maud Silver， tries to convince Agnes to write her memoirs to coincide with an upcoming repackaging of the When Nan series。 Unbeknown to anyone， including， Polly， Agnes has been keeping a secret that she had planned on taking to her grave。 Maud is a single mother to a daughter named Clemence and is also caring for her mentally ill mother。 Over the next two years， Maud’s tenacity convinces Agnes to write the memoir， setting the stage for the author’s secret to be discovered。 And through Maud and Agnes’ friendship， another secret is revealed that surprises all of the women。If I had realized that Fellowship Point is 592 pages long， I probably would not have requested an Advanced Reader copy。 I typically find long books to have too much fluff。 In this case， I found Polly’s storyline to be mundane at times。 I would have made her a minor character and focused on Agnes。 That being said， Alice Elliott Dark is a gifted writer。 I look forward to reading more of her works。4-stars。 Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy。 This book will be published on July 5， 2022。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Alice Elliott Dark gives us a beautifully written novel about friendship， legacies left behind， and the struggle we all face to decide what is the best option to take。 The book was very long but I did enjoy it。 I could so vividly picture Fellowship Point and it's inhabitants。 It has the feel of a modern classic。 Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Alice Elliott Dark gives us a beautifully written novel about friendship， legacies left behind， and the struggle we all face to decide what is the best option to take。 The book was very long but I did enjoy it。 I could so vividly picture Fellowship Point and it's inhabitants。 It has the feel of a modern classic。 。。。more
Ashly Shroyer
，
I had a difficult time getting into this book。 I received a free copy and felt compelled to read it and write an appropriate review; however， after 130 pages， I can no longer continue to spend my time reading this book。 The characters did not speak to me， too many clichés and not enough character development。 Thus far， each scene more drawn out than needed and did not dig deep into why the character's are who they are。 This book may be for people who enjoy a more lighthearted， easy read， but it I had a difficult time getting into this book。 I received a free copy and felt compelled to read it and write an appropriate review; however， after 130 pages， I can no longer continue to spend my time reading this book。 The characters did not speak to me， too many clichés and not enough character development。 Thus far， each scene more drawn out than needed and did not dig deep into why the character's are who they are。 This book may be for people who enjoy a more lighthearted， easy read， but it is not for me。 。。。more
Candace
，
The first half of 2022 has been a great one for quality literary fiction， and this novel may be my favorite yet。 You will tumble headfirst into "Fellowship Point，" a sweeping story of friends， family， and stewardship of a piece of land in Maine。 It is so elegantly structured， carefully revealed and surprising， that you will fall in love--and occasionally exasperation--with the Agnes， Polly， Maud， Robert and the rest。 Do not deny yourself the pleasure of this wonderful experience。 The first half of 2022 has been a great one for quality literary fiction， and this novel may be my favorite yet。 You will tumble headfirst into "Fellowship Point，" a sweeping story of friends， family， and stewardship of a piece of land in Maine。 It is so elegantly structured， carefully revealed and surprising， that you will fall in love--and occasionally exasperation--with the Agnes， Polly， Maud， Robert and the rest。 Do not deny yourself the pleasure of this wonderful experience。 。。。more
Sara
，
Disappointed。 Very slow， too much descriptive text， & not enough dialogue for my taste。 Gave it 75 pages but didn’t finish。
Suzanne
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This is above all， the story of a lifelong friendship between two women who lived and chose very different paths from the same starting point。 Fellowship Point is an extraordinary peninsula off the coast of Maine that their grandfathers purchased and built homes on， carefully preserving large undeveloped areas of wilderness。 Agnes and Polly are nearing the end of their lives and looking to protect the land in the best way they can， but running up against other descendants interests。 This is the This is above all， the story of a lifelong friendship between two women who lived and chose very different paths from the same starting point。 Fellowship Point is an extraordinary peninsula off the coast of Maine that their grandfathers purchased and built homes on， carefully preserving large undeveloped areas of wilderness。 Agnes and Polly are nearing the end of their lives and looking to protect the land in the best way they can， but running up against other descendants interests。 This is the sweeping story of their lives and work and the magical place they live。 There is love and heartbreak and the mess of real life and it's attendant problems that can shape a future。 Fellowship Point was reminiscent of the best nineteenth century classic novels: immersive， absorbing and a glimpse into a full life well lived。 。。。more
Rasheed Newson
，
"Fellowship Point" is a rich， layered feast of a book。 Spanning decades and generations， it is immersive and full of life。 Like many of its characters， you will feel as if you are standing in the heart of the woods， surrounded by natural beauty and awed by the sweep of history。 Anchoring the narrative is the lifelong friendship between Agnes and Polly， two women in their 80s with one last mission: keep developers from ruining an area of sacred land。 It's a straightforward plan， but life -- a dec "Fellowship Point" is a rich， layered feast of a book。 Spanning decades and generations， it is immersive and full of life。 Like many of its characters， you will feel as if you are standing in the heart of the woods， surrounded by natural beauty and awed by the sweep of history。 Anchoring the narrative is the lifelong friendship between Agnes and Polly， two women in their 80s with one last mission: keep developers from ruining an area of sacred land。 It's a straightforward plan， but life -- a declining spouse （Polly is married）， struggles with ending a book series （Agnes is a writer）， and local injustices （both ladies are pillars in a small community） -- keeps interfering。 And time is not on Agnes and Polly's side。 Alice Elliott Dark writes masterly throughout this grand novel， breathing full life into every character and catching the smallest of details to support the story's themes。 I loved "Fellowship Point" and will certainly revisit it again。（Received an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Mary Lins
，
How ironic， that this beautifully written， compelling， layered novel， “Fellowship Point”， by Alice Elliott Dark， begins with the character of Agnes Lee in the throes of Writers Block！ For I was immediately engrossed in this perfectly paced story of two life-long friends， Agnes and Polly， as their past and present unfolds in the fashion of the familiar “Interconnected Families in Summer Houses with Generational Secrets” genre。Just because it’s been done before， doesn’t make it any less fun！ Curl How ironic， that this beautifully written， compelling， layered novel， “Fellowship Point”， by Alice Elliott Dark， begins with the character of Agnes Lee in the throes of Writers Block！ For I was immediately engrossed in this perfectly paced story of two life-long friends， Agnes and Polly， as their past and present unfolds in the fashion of the familiar “Interconnected Families in Summer Houses with Generational Secrets” genre。Just because it’s been done before， doesn’t make it any less fun！ Curl up on the porch swing and enjoy！Agnes is a writer， never married。 She has published a set of very popular children’s books that feature a plucky nine-year-old girl， and under a pseudonym she has published a set of novels about five women across six decades of friendship。Polly is wife to Dick， mother to three sons and a daughter。 She is pretty much the opposite of Agnes; she is self-effacing， ever helpful， often subjugating her will to the comfort （or delusions） of those she loves， especially to Dick （whose name is no accident）。Enter Maud， a young single-mother/book editor who wants Agnes to write a memoir。 Maud represents the new wave feminists who celebrate both equality and differences。 She is also dealing with her mother who has significant mental health issues。（So the archetypes are that Agnes has led a life centered around her career， Polly has led a life centered around her family， and Maud is trying to balance the two。）Both Polly and Agnes grew up in summer homes on a peninsula in Maine where， now in their Golden Years， they seek to protect the natural beauty and sanctuary of a place called Fellowship Point。 In the year 2000， an old nemesis seeks to develop the Point thus spoiling its natural beauty and significantly perturbing the wildlife there。 The dilemma: they need all five families who have homes there to agree to leave the land to a Trust。I especially enjoyed Agnes’ musings on writing as she contemplates her writer’s block。 As a life-long reader， I have always been fascinated （and continually impressed） by what writers do。 They use words – simple marks on a page – to communicate ideas， descriptions， emotions， life itself – with strangers， who look at these “marks on paper” and enter entirely new universes/times/places/lives/points of view。 Sometimes it feels like magic！I have very little in common with the lives Agnes and Polly have lived， yet Alice Elliott Dark has opened them up and let me peek in。 It would be easy to dismiss most of the cast of characters in “Fellowship Point” as privileged， elitist， snobs， but that would only be scratching the surface and Dark deftly goes beyond that to reveal lives lived with joys and sorrows， secrets and accomplishments， acts of both cruelty and grace， all of which are uniquely human。 。。。more
Beverlee
，
This was such a beautiful book in so many ways！！ I loved the friendship over the years between Polly and Agnes。 I loved that we got to know even the minor characters in detail！ Each person in the book had a reason for being and they all linked back to Polly and Agnes and their 80 plus years at Fellowship Point。 I want to go to Fellowship Point and walk among the trees， see the eagles and hear the ocean。 Some will say it's too long of a book at the plus 500 pages。 I say - take your time， enjoy th This was such a beautiful book in so many ways！！ I loved the friendship over the years between Polly and Agnes。 I loved that we got to know even the minor characters in detail！ Each person in the book had a reason for being and they all linked back to Polly and Agnes and their 80 plus years at Fellowship Point。 I want to go to Fellowship Point and walk among the trees， see the eagles and hear the ocean。 Some will say it's too long of a book at the plus 500 pages。 I say - take your time， enjoy the detail and the journey。 There is much to digest and appreciate！！Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the free copy for a review！ 。。。more
Bethea
，
I liked this book， but didn’t love it。 There were storylines that I didn’t really care for and others that I really enjoyed。 It was just a slow book for me。 I would recommend it to others though who enjoy historical fiction and/or women’s fiction。
Cheryl Cloud
，
Good story， but a bit too much book for the amount of plot， and too much sad for the amount of happy。
Sharon Huether
，
A piece of land hoped to be permanently protected on the coast of Maine， know as Fellowship Point。Agnes wants the partnership dissolved， her friend Polly; who has three sons， may want something different。The book was too long。 The story could be written with less words。
Kim McGee
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A story of a lifelong friendship between two women with all the ups and downs that life throws at them。 Agnes and Polly have looked forward to summers spent at Fellowship Point on the coast of Maine along with the handful of other families。 Now at the sunset of their lives Agnes persuades Polly to push the other families to dissolve a generational old trust and give the land back。 This is a prickly point for many including Polly's children。 Agnes has been approached by Maud to write her memoir a A story of a lifelong friendship between two women with all the ups and downs that life throws at them。 Agnes and Polly have looked forward to summers spent at Fellowship Point on the coast of Maine along with the handful of other families。 Now at the sunset of their lives Agnes persuades Polly to push the other families to dissolve a generational old trust and give the land back。 This is a prickly point for many including Polly's children。 Agnes has been approached by Maud to write her memoir and starts prodding Agnes to dig deeper and reveal the stories behind her popular children's book series。 We are privy to the witty and sometimes caustic banter between Agnes and Polly。 We are also able to read over Maud's shoulder as she reads Agnes's journals to discover the secrets and untold stories surrounding the very private Agnes。 The secondary characters are just as entertaining and play a pivotal role in understanding life on Fellowship Point。 Deep ties to family and lifelong friendships that seem more intimate than their marriages， this is a beautifully crafted book that quietly pulls you along like a lazy river。 The perfect compliment to a summer retreat cold drink in hand as you gaze across the water。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Alesha Walker
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Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for reviewI believe that this book is very well written。 I love the way the characters were written - especially the author。 I will say it's a very long book and about half way through I took a little break for a faster， what I call "Brainless" read。 This wasn't something I wanted to read at bedtime because I felt like I was skimming and missing things。 Over all I feel it's a really good book。 A tad drawn out but a good read。 Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for reviewI believe that this book is very well written。 I love the way the characters were written - especially the author。 I will say it's a very long book and about half way through I took a little break for a faster， what I call "Brainless" read。 This wasn't something I wanted to read at bedtime because I felt like I was skimming and missing things。 Over all I feel it's a really good book。 A tad drawn out but a good read。 。。。more
Lana
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Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Where do I begin expressing thoughts and feelings regarding Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark？ This rich， multilayered novel of lifelong friendship resonated with me。 The two friends， elderly women now in their early 80s， grew up together as daughters of wealthy Philadelphia Quaker families who summered at Fellowship Point， Maine。 They couldn't be more different; one is an outspoken single author of best-selle Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。Where do I begin expressing thoughts and feelings regarding Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark？ This rich， multilayered novel of lifelong friendship resonated with me。 The two friends， elderly women now in their early 80s， grew up together as daughters of wealthy Philadelphia Quaker families who summered at Fellowship Point， Maine。 They couldn't be more different; one is an outspoken single author of best-seller children's book and the other is an aim to please wife of a well known published college professor and mother to sons。 They are both owners of property at Fellowship Point and how to leave an enduring legacy at the end of one's life and protect the environment at the same time is the focal point of the novel。Yet， this novel is so much more。 Although written in gorgeous lyrical prose， it is 570 pages， yet its length seemed neglible。 The author's skill is at the same level as Wharton， Cather， and Henry James。 There are so many evocative thoughts on aging， feminism， grief， ecology， marriage， etc。 that it could almost be considered a series of beautiful essays。 The story weaves back and forth through the years of the two friend's lives， yet I was never "lost in time。" The reader comes to know the characters， even the minor ones， intimately and the descriptions of the land and the homes are minds-eye perfect。Without revealing a spoiler， my only concern was a large revelation at the end of the book that I found to be somewhat farfetched， but it didn't detract from my overall love of the book。#BookClubFavorites 。。。more
Rose
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Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 This is my first Alice Elliott Dark book and it is a whopper tome， coming in at 576 pages。 I have to be honest， I almost abandoned the story， but since so many reviews were positive， I kept going， and I am glad that I did。 The 2nd half of the book was the best part of the story for me！This is ultimately a story about friendship。 It is also a story about the love and respect for the land， caring for others， and a b Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 This is my first Alice Elliott Dark book and it is a whopper tome， coming in at 576 pages。 I have to be honest， I almost abandoned the story， but since so many reviews were positive， I kept going， and I am glad that I did。 The 2nd half of the book was the best part of the story for me！This is ultimately a story about friendship。 It is also a story about the love and respect for the land， caring for others， and a bit about mental health。 It is also a story of a writer at the end of her life， and other writers in her life。 The story is mainly about Agnes and Polly， but it is also about Nan， Heidi， Maud， Robert， and Virgil。 Friendship and the land are the main themes。 There is heartbreak， death， sadness， and love in this story。 I ultimately enjoyed it。 。。。more
Karen
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A lifetime friendship is sacred。 One knows the good， the bad， and the sad times of their friend。 Agnes and Polly have this lifelong friendship。 I am lucky enough to have two life-long friends that I have had for over fifty years。 I kept thinking about them as I read Alice Elliott Dark’s Fellowship Point。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book which is set in Maine。 For some this book might seem a little too long， but for me it was just right。 My thanks to Simon and Schuster Book Club Favorites for an AR A lifetime friendship is sacred。 One knows the good， the bad， and the sad times of their friend。 Agnes and Polly have this lifelong friendship。 I am lucky enough to have two life-long friends that I have had for over fifty years。 I kept thinking about them as I read Alice Elliott Dark’s Fellowship Point。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book which is set in Maine。 For some this book might seem a little too long， but for me it was just right。 My thanks to Simon and Schuster Book Club Favorites for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。Agnes and Polly’s lifelong friendship is filled with all the loves， secrets， betrayals， mistakes and longing that make up our own real-life friendships。 I felt deeply connected to these women， and find myself often returning to and reflecting upon their disappointments and stalwart love。 I love this book， and it will stay with me for a very long time。 。。。more
Maria
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This is a story about friendship， love， family and loyalty。 It’s also just under 600 pages 😳。Agnes， a writer， is in her 80’s and loves the bird sanctuary on which Fellowship Point is。 There are a few houses that entered an agreement about preserving the land and its wildlife decades ago。 But as Agnes is aging， she is concerned with what will happen to the land， as the younger generation is keen to develop it。 But， at the heart of the story is Agnes’s friendship with Polly who has led a different This is a story about friendship， love， family and loyalty。 It’s also just under 600 pages 😳。Agnes， a writer， is in her 80’s and loves the bird sanctuary on which Fellowship Point is。 There are a few houses that entered an agreement about preserving the land and its wildlife decades ago。 But as Agnes is aging， she is concerned with what will happen to the land， as the younger generation is keen to develop it。 But， at the heart of the story is Agnes’s friendship with Polly who has led a different life than Agnes。 As both women enter the life changes in their 80’s their friendship also grows and changes。 And then there is 27yr old single mother Maud who is trying to convince Agnes to write a memoir which Agnes stubbornly refuses to。 The unlikely bond that forms between Maud and Agnes leads to some surprises for both women。 This book was lovely as the reader really gets to know the characters。 But， it’s long and it took me over 150 pages to invest in the story。 If you like family saga type stories， you will love this。 The storyline is slow but richly filled with well developed and endearing characters。 This novel will be released on July 5， 2022。 I received this advance readers copy from Simon and Schuster and Book Club Favorites as part of their Spring Titles Selection。 Thank you for an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fellowship Point
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fellowship Point&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fellowship Point&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0