Count the Ways
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- Create Date：2021-07-14 21:35:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joyce Maynard
- ISBN：B071FLVNLV
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Summary
In her most ambitious novel to date， New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard takes on the story of a family from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood， divorce， and its costly aftermath—to illuminate how the mistakes of parents are passed down through generations to fester， or to be healed。
After falling in love in the last years of the 1970s， Eleanor and Cam follow their dream of raising three children on a New Hampshire farm。 Theirs is a seemingly idyllic life of summer softball games and Labor Day cookouts， snow days and skating on the pond。 But when a tragic accident permanently injures the family’s youngest child， Eleanor blames Cam。 Her inability to forgive him leads to a devastating betrayal: an affair with the family babysitter that brings about the end of their marriage。
Over the decades that follow， the five members of this fractured family—and the many others who make up their world—make surprising discoveries and decisions that occasionally bring them together， and often tear them apart。 As we follow the family from the days of illegal abortion and the draft through the early computer age， the Challenger explosion， the AIDS epidemic， the early awakenings of the #MeToo era， and beyond？through the gender transition of one of the children and another’s choice to cease communication with her mother？we witness a family forced to confront essential， painful truths of its past， and find redemption in the face of unanticipated disaster。
With endearingly flawed characters and a keen eye for detail， Joyce Maynard transforms the territory she knows best—home， family， parenthood， love， and loss—into the stuff of a page-turning thriller。 In this achingly beautiful novel， she reminds us how great sorrow and great joy may coexist—and frequently do。
After falling in love in the last years of the 1970s， Eleanor and Cam follow their dream of raising three children on a New Hampshire farm。 Theirs is a seemingly idyllic life of summer softball games and Labor Day cookouts， snow days and skating on the pond。 But when a tragic accident permanently injures the family’s youngest child， Eleanor blames Cam。 Her inability to forgive him leads to a devastating betrayal: an affair with the family babysitter that brings about the end of their marriage。
Over the decades that follow， the five members of this fractured family—and the many others who make up their world—make surprising discoveries and decisions that occasionally bring them together， and often tear them apart。 As we follow the family from the days of illegal abortion and the draft through the early computer age， the Challenger explosion， the AIDS epidemic， the early awakenings of the #MeToo era， and beyond？through the gender transition of one of the children and another’s choice to cease communication with her mother？we witness a family forced to confront essential， painful truths of its past， and find redemption in the face of unanticipated disaster。
With endearingly flawed characters and a keen eye for detail， Joyce Maynard transforms the territory she knows best—home， family， parenthood， love， and loss—into the stuff of a page-turning thriller。 In this achingly beautiful novel， she reminds us how great sorrow and great joy may coexist—and frequently do。
Reviews
Elle Kaye
，
What a miserable story。 Eleanor learned nothing in the end and lived a lonely， bitter life。 I regret reading this。
Alex Watson
，
“Count the Ways” is a beautiful story that spans decades and really focuses on the complexities of family relationships。 It takes its time and really establishes Eleanor as a fully realized and layered character。 We know her， we understand her and we sympathize with her throughout every difficulty in her life as a daughter， wife and mother。 Maynard’s writing is so emotionally compelling and precise it is hard not to get invested in this family’s story。 She utilizes real life events like the Chal “Count the Ways” is a beautiful story that spans decades and really focuses on the complexities of family relationships。 It takes its time and really establishes Eleanor as a fully realized and layered character。 We know her， we understand her and we sympathize with her throughout every difficulty in her life as a daughter， wife and mother。 Maynard’s writing is so emotionally compelling and precise it is hard not to get invested in this family’s story。 She utilizes real life events like the Challenger explosion， the AIDS crisis and the Watergate hearings to bring about nostalgia for the reader and enforce a deep rooted connection to these characters。 “Count the Ways” is an exceptionally written and compelling novel that I will never forget。 Thanks to William Morrow Books for this gifted copy！ 。。。more
Brett
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So good。 So。 Very。 Good。
Jenny
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This book was a little slow for me （hence why it took me so long to read it）。 However， it was a good story and came together at the end （as most books do）。 It was sad at times but had some great words of wisdom throughout。 Evident to the rating， I’m one of the few who didn’t love it so good for Maynard。Thanks to William Morrow imprint for the ARC。
Katie B
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4。5 starsIt took me about a week to finish this 400+ page book which is more days than it usually takes me。 That is not a reflection though of my interest level as I did enjoy the book。 I think taking my time led to me fully appreciating what the writer did with the story and in particular the character of Eleanor。 It might not meet the definition of an exciting read but it was worthy of my time。 The story is much more character driven than an action packed plot。 I recommend not reading the publ 4。5 starsIt took me about a week to finish this 400+ page book which is more days than it usually takes me。 That is not a reflection though of my interest level as I did enjoy the book。 I think taking my time led to me fully appreciating what the writer did with the story and in particular the character of Eleanor。 It might not meet the definition of an exciting read but it was worthy of my time。 The story is much more character driven than an action packed plot。 I recommend not reading the publisher synopsis as it gives away much of the story although it's fair to say you will be able to predict quite a few things as you are reading the book。 Eleanor is the main character and basically the story is about her starting and raising a family。 Near the beginning of the book you find out Eleanor is attending the wedding of her transgender son who she hasn't seen in years。 You also find out Eleanor and her daughter Urusla have been estranged since soon after the birth of Ursula's daughter， three years ago。 The author then takes the reader through everything that happened in the lives of this family that led to this moment。When you have a story that covers such a huge chunk of a person's life， in this case about 40 years or so， it allows you to really get to know a character。 Eleanor is a character you might feel like you know in real life or perhaps you see some of yourself in her。 At times， I was frustrated with some of the decisions she made but she was authentic。 What's fascinating to me is I didn't like some of the parts of the ending and yet I also can't stop thinking how the author chose to finish the story。 The novel actually would be a good pick for a book club because I think each reader has the potential to take away something from the story， Eleanor， and the other family members。 And there are more than a few plot points that could lead to a lively debate。 With that being said， not every reader is going to enjoy the book and quite frankly might think it was a waste of time。 Aww， the joy of reading！ This book might be a good fit for you or it might not be。 Only you can decide if it's worth taking a chance。I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway by LibraryThing and William Morrow。 All views expressed are my honest opinion。 。。。more
Holly
，
This is the first book I’ve read by Joyce Maynard and it won’t be the last！ I highly recommend this book for its realistic portrayal of a family in both good times and bad。 Maynard takes us through the life of the family， from the initial meeting of the couple through the growth of their children and beyond。 The characters are extremely well-drawn and the reader feels like they have really gotten to know each one of them。 As such， it is hard to say goodbye to this family at the end of the story。 This is the first book I’ve read by Joyce Maynard and it won’t be the last！ I highly recommend this book for its realistic portrayal of a family in both good times and bad。 Maynard takes us through the life of the family， from the initial meeting of the couple through the growth of their children and beyond。 The characters are extremely well-drawn and the reader feels like they have really gotten to know each one of them。 As such， it is hard to say goodbye to this family at the end of the story。Eleanor wants her children to have the perfect childhood， unlike her own。 She tries to give them everything she didn’t have and protect them from sadness， loss and Crazytown， a “place” her own parents sometimes visited， especially after drinking alcohol。 But as much as Eleanor wants an idyllic childhood for them， deep down she knows it’s impossible。 Still， she confronts each challenge with a fierce determination until events transpire that she has no control over。 Like most families， these characters have their flaws but perhaps that is what makes them so relatable。 There are tragedies， milestones， resentments， bitterness， and love above all else。 Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Karen R。
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Joyce Maynard made me feel a part of this family- beautifully written！This is the story of Eleanor’s life， and it drew me in from the very beginning。 A true family saga， from her early years to old age。 I related on so many levels。 Thank you for this jewel of a book！
Ilyssa Wesche
，
I think I read a different book than most other early reviewers。 I certainly had a different reaction。 I wanted to throw this book across the room， but I read it on my iPad so。。。Lately， I've been trying to at least appreciate the books I have not enjoyed， because I read somewhere that just because you are not the audience for a book doesn't mean it doesn't have value。 In that regard let me say that the beginning of this book was very evocative， in terms of the setting and describing the house an I think I read a different book than most other early reviewers。 I certainly had a different reaction。 I wanted to throw this book across the room， but I read it on my iPad so。。。Lately， I've been trying to at least appreciate the books I have not enjoyed， because I read somewhere that just because you are not the audience for a book doesn't mean it doesn't have value。 In that regard let me say that the beginning of this book was very evocative， in terms of the setting and describing the house and the life they lived。 It's not the life for me - in fact the perfectly imperfect life of people who never watch TV and only eat home grown vegetables in their rambling farmhouse in second-hand yet trendy clothes makes me want to vomit。 （in this way， Count the Ways reminded me a lot of This is How It Always Is - sanctimonious。） But I did definitely get a sense of place。 I was invested in the story， even though Cam was an artisan jackass， the kind of fun dad who makes cupcakes for breakfast and never cleans up the kitchen afterward。 Who is happy to live off his wife's money， the kind who "babysits" his own kids。 I was happy reading along with my hate。 But by the end I hated every single character in the book， including the kids。 The only person I didn't hate was Tommy， and even he got a hearty eye-roll。 Was I supposed to feel sorry for Eleanor？ Be impressed by her selflessness and her superhuman ability to forgive？ Because all I thought was fuck this！ Fuck not telling your kids the truth， and fuck letting your husband have everything his way， and fuck letting your own needs and desires get run over by everyone else's。 I understand the redemptive power of forgiveness， and I also understand putting your kid's needs before your own。 But I also understand boundaries， and standing up for myself， and realizing that happiness is not a zero-sum game。 。。。more
Mary
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Heart wrenching novel covers wide span of experiences and feelings – childhood loneliness and loss; sexual abuse; creativity and career desires; the concept of home - both physical location and emotional connection; love and marriage and the slow breaking apart of a once strong union; the joy and anguish of motherhood; the eventual understanding and compassion toward a child with identity questions; the devastating event that fractured a family; the struggle and fortitude to carry on in spite of Heart wrenching novel covers wide span of experiences and feelings – childhood loneliness and loss; sexual abuse; creativity and career desires; the concept of home - both physical location and emotional connection; love and marriage and the slow breaking apart of a once strong union; the joy and anguish of motherhood; the eventual understanding and compassion toward a child with identity questions; the devastating event that fractured a family; the struggle and fortitude to carry on in spite of life’s setbacks; and ultimately forgiveness and re-connection。 Without providing specific details， I can only say that I very much enjoyed this book and could truly feel the range of emotions encountered by the main character。 Highly recommend this story and author。 。。。more
Victoria
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Very well-written and engaging book。 It was hard to put down。 It encapsulates the daily ups and downs as well as the life-altering events of both marriage/relationships and family life very well。 It really touches on the deep love and also the heartbreak that comes with motherhood and raising children。
Rosemarie Rung
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I received an advanced copy of this book and despite its 425+ pages， I finished it in 3 days over a holiday weekend while I was hosting guests， sneaking away every available moment to read it - it was that hard to put down。 Maynard's Eleanor takes us through moments of our own lives - the unloved childhood， family loss， family gain， betrayal， and the complicated experience of motherhood， divorce， and match。com。 Beautifully written and precise in its narrative， this book will stay with the reader I received an advanced copy of this book and despite its 425+ pages， I finished it in 3 days over a holiday weekend while I was hosting guests， sneaking away every available moment to read it - it was that hard to put down。 Maynard's Eleanor takes us through moments of our own lives - the unloved childhood， family loss， family gain， betrayal， and the complicated experience of motherhood， divorce， and match。com。 Beautifully written and precise in its narrative， this book will stay with the reader long after the last word is read。 。。。more
R。J。 Sorrento
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A family drama with themes of betrayal， tragedy， loss， and ultimately forgiveness。 The characters felt very real but the plot became melodramatic after the halfway point。 I found the themes surrounding women and motherhood to be relatable at times but other times I didn’t quite gel with Eleanor’s choices and her reasons behind them。LGBTQ take: one of Eleanor’s children is transgender， but since the story is told from Eleanor’s perspective and most of it is about their childhood and there is freq A family drama with themes of betrayal， tragedy， loss， and ultimately forgiveness。 The characters felt very real but the plot became melodramatic after the halfway point。 I found the themes surrounding women and motherhood to be relatable at times but other times I didn’t quite gel with Eleanor’s choices and her reasons behind them。LGBTQ take: one of Eleanor’s children is transgender， but since the story is told from Eleanor’s perspective and most of it is about their childhood and there is frequent deadnaming。 The transgender character plot line is not significant to the overall story （one of the other children’s tragic accident is the key event to the unraveling of Eleanor and Cam’s marriage） but as a Queer reader and mother， I didn’t care for how the transgender storyline was handled at times。Overall， this is a well-crafted family drama that covers many women-centered topics， and I would recommend Count the Ways to fans of women’s fiction。Thank you， William Morrow Books for the gifted copy。 。。。more
Nancy
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“There was more than one way of feeling lonely。”A beautiful line and representative of the foundation of the life of Eleanor， the main character in Count the Ways。 Eleanor’s childhood was so sad。 She was the only child of two self-centered and likely alcoholic parents who died in a car crash。 Her life was lonely when her parents were alive， and she adapted to that， wanting only to be part of a real family。At a young age， she turned to art and wrote and illustrated what turned out to be a success “There was more than one way of feeling lonely。”A beautiful line and representative of the foundation of the life of Eleanor， the main character in Count the Ways。 Eleanor’s childhood was so sad。 She was the only child of two self-centered and likely alcoholic parents who died in a car crash。 Her life was lonely when her parents were alive， and she adapted to that， wanting only to be part of a real family。At a young age， she turned to art and wrote and illustrated what turned out to be a successful series of children’s books just after graduating from high school。 Her success enabled her to buy a farm in the small town of Ackersville， NH， where she lived on her own for several years before meeting Cam。Cam and Eleanor were a good couple and parents for many years until a tragic situation impacted their family。 The book covers 30+ years of their lives and during that time， we fully experience the highs and lows of their lives: marriage， raising children， divorce and its difficult impact and aftermath， and how to rebuild a life。 Ms。 Maynard adeptly weaves in key historical events while telling the family’s story， including the Challenger explosion， introduction of computers， AIDS， Me Too， LBGQT rights and more。In addition to being Eleanor’s story， I also saw Count the Ways as a story about motherhood: how do you parent when your mother wasn’t a good mother？ What happens when there isn’t a balanced relationship？ And， how do you parent after a divorce （and especially when some of your kids are real brats）？As usual， Ms。 Maynard’s writing is beautiful and quickly drew me into the story。 The characters are fully developed and memorable - I what to know what happened to everyone after the wedding！Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Count the Ways in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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It took me a while to read this but I loved this book！！ I was hooked from start to finish！！
Rhona Leff
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Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it’s published。 This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time， and I read a lot of books！ I couldn’t put it down。 Joyce Maynard was a phenom when she wrote in the NY Times as a young woman and she’s continued to hone her craft as she has aged。 Her writing is just beautiful。 The characters are three-dimensional and complex。 In this story， a woman named Eleanor marries a fellow artist and lives with him on a fa Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it’s published。 This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time， and I read a lot of books！ I couldn’t put it down。 Joyce Maynard was a phenom when she wrote in the NY Times as a young woman and she’s continued to hone her craft as she has aged。 Her writing is just beautiful。 The characters are three-dimensional and complex。 In this story， a woman named Eleanor marries a fellow artist and lives with him on a farm she had bought on her own years before。 She aspired to be a great wife and mother to her husband and three children on this farm， and really was。。。sounds idyllic， right？ It was for a long while until life got in the way。 Maynard so beautifully captures the kind of mother Eleanor was and how her thinking about what was best for her children had dire consequences for her own life。 Told over a period of over 30 years， the reader is so immersed in the choices Eleanor makes that you either feel like giving her “ queen for the day” or just strangling her。 This would make a great book for a book club because there’s certainly much to discuss。 。。。more
Ginny
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I've been reading Joyce Maynard since her column "Domestic Affairs。" I could relate to her struggles with marriage and child rearing。 Along the way， I followed her life， her joys and her heartbreak and read her books as they came along。 Count the Ways is a beautiful book of a marriage from beginning to end， and then so on。 This is a wonderful， immersive story。 I've been reading Joyce Maynard since her column "Domestic Affairs。" I could relate to her struggles with marriage and child rearing。 Along the way， I followed her life， her joys and her heartbreak and read her books as they came along。 Count the Ways is a beautiful book of a marriage from beginning to end， and then so on。 This is a wonderful， immersive story。 。。。more
Lori
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I loved this book。 I believe it is my favorite book of the year so far。 I enjoy an involved family saga。。
Diane
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ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A beautiful story of an imperfect life: love， marriage， home， children and forgiveness。BRIEF REVIEW: Eleanor had never known love， as the only child of alcoholic parents who were married twenty years when she was born。 Her parents were wrapped up in each other and never seemed to want her around。 She was sent off to boarding school and it was while she was at school at the age of sixteen that she learns her parents were killed in a car crash returning from a ski weekend in ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A beautiful story of an imperfect life: love， marriage， home， children and forgiveness。BRIEF REVIEW: Eleanor had never known love， as the only child of alcoholic parents who were married twenty years when she was born。 Her parents were wrapped up in each other and never seemed to want her around。 She was sent off to boarding school and it was while she was at school at the age of sixteen that she learns her parents were killed in a car crash returning from a ski weekend in Vermont。 For Eleanor art， as a form of expression， was a way out her loneliness， her early passion turned into a way to earn a living。With a little money and income from her illustrations and later children's books， she falls in love with a farmhouse with lots of land and even a brook in New Hampshire。 She purchased the house complete with furnishings， housewares and tools and so much - it was a house with a history。 She is immediately in love with her home。 A few years later she meets handsome Cam at a craft's fair in Vermont where he was selling his wooden wares， there is instant passion， and before long three children make them a family。 Their Bohemian lifestyle and family makes Eleanor one of the happiest of women in the world。 She even overlooks the fact Cam isn't exactly the most hardworking， helpful or responsible partner but， they have built a life together and the children seem happy and their life is everything she ever wanted。 So when something terrible happens， Eleanor is beside herself and soon life as the family has known it has changed。Count the Ways is a story that spans decades。 Eleanor is a wonderful， fully fleshed character that women who have experienced the trials and tribulations of motherhood and marriage will be able to relate to （at least I did。） I felt her joys， her disappointments， and her sadness。 She experiences possibly more than her share of life's disappointments and difficulties but， she finds a way to cope and keep going。 There are a lot of things that happen in this story and yet most everything is still vivid and etched in my mind。 I don't want to say too much， I was happy I went into the memorable story without reading what the book was about beforehand。 There was so much nostalgia in this story for me as I was raising my children during the same time period: the music， the movies， the news events and more。 Everything about this story felt realistic and I don't think it could have been improved upon。 The author covered it all - life， family and all the detours along the way that sometimes make our lives turn out different than we imagined when we were young。 I felt like I was a close friend of Eleanor and of this family when I turned the final page。 I didn't want this one to end。 The book is sure to make my faves list for 2021。 Highly Recommended。Thanks go to Edelweiss and William Morrow for allowing me to download this eGalley at no cost in exchange for my unbiased review。 This book releases on July 13， 2021。RATING: 5/5MEMORABLE QUOTES:"This is my radical act， she had told the young Harvard woman。 "Raising three human beings， who will go out and change the world。""For me， being a feminist means manifesting the strength and confidence and tenacity to pursue whatever it is you most want to do with your life。 In my case， the goal was having a family。 I'm doing that。 If I don't get to make art that much at the moment， I can live with it。 Nobody gets everything in life。 You have to make compromises。"Children had to know pain， or how would they ever know what to do when they encountered it？ Trouble would come， no matter what。 The best you could do was to raise your children in such a way that when trouble found them--as it would--they's be able to survive it。" （Teach your children well）"Standing at the kitchen counter， looking out the window， Eleanor could almost feel her heart expand in her chest。 Two sensations came to her。 Wild happiness at the sight of her three children， terror at the thought of what it would be to lose one of them。 If it was possible to love someone any more than this， she could not imagine how。"EPIGRAPH （Ho'oponopono prayer， phrases spoken in any order， for reconciliation and forgiveness。）I'm sorry。 I love you。 Thank you。 Please forgive me。 。。。more
Jo Dervan
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Eleanor was the only child of alcoholic parents。 They died in a car accident when she was 16 and away at school。 Then she realized that she was alone in the with with no close relatives。 Her roommate’s family invited her to spend vacations and holidays with them but she was not happy。 Eleanor had used her talent to write and illustrate a series of books for children。 Rather than attend college， Eleanor bought an abandoned farm in rural Vermont where she could continue writing and illustrating bo Eleanor was the only child of alcoholic parents。 They died in a car accident when she was 16 and away at school。 Then she realized that she was alone in the with with no close relatives。 Her roommate’s family invited her to spend vacations and holidays with them but she was not happy。 Eleanor had used her talent to write and illustrate a series of books for children。 Rather than attend college， Eleanor bought an abandoned farm in rural Vermont where she could continue writing and illustrating books。 Then she met Cam， a handsome wood carver at a craft fair。 The couple married and had 3 children。 However Eleanor was not only the breadwinner but also the one who was responsible for the family finances。 She illustrated book series， created a comic strip for newspapers and even created greeting cards for a supplier to support the family。 Cam continued making wood bowls even though they were not selling。 He seemed more interested in enjoying life and entertaining his children than worry about family finances。Then tragedy struck the family and everything changed。I enjoyed this story but found it very sad。 Although Eleanor & Cam loved each other， they were not the perfect couple。 Eleanor tried to compensate for the poor parenting skills of her Mom & Dad by being overly involved in the lives of her 3 children。 Cam was too self centered to worry about his family until it was too late。 I received this ARC from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reena G
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This is my first book I have read by Joyce Maynard and certainly won’t be the last one。 Its an amazing story about a family saga， tragedy， love， hope and forgiveness。 The main character Eleanor sneaked into my heart and I had tears in my eyes as to what she endured throughout her life。 I haven’t read such a good book in a long time and will re read it many more times just because it’s been written so well。 Thank you William Morrow Publishing and Goodreads for your giveaway which will stay with m This is my first book I have read by Joyce Maynard and certainly won’t be the last one。 Its an amazing story about a family saga， tragedy， love， hope and forgiveness。 The main character Eleanor sneaked into my heart and I had tears in my eyes as to what she endured throughout her life。 I haven’t read such a good book in a long time and will re read it many more times just because it’s been written so well。 Thank you William Morrow Publishing and Goodreads for your giveaway which will stay with me for years to come。 I am looking forward to reading more books by Joyce Maynard。 。。。more
Mary Jo
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I loved this book！ I loved the pace and how the story unfolded with depth and emotion and beauty。 Life is hard and life has a lot of joy。 Both are true and this story illustrated that truth beautifully。
Leslie Lindsay
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Looking for your next great read？ Check out my reviews and interviews here， every Wednesday: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。 Such a deeply felt and invested novel， COUNT THE WAYS is so authentic， so flawed， so gorgeously rendered， you might feel you are reading a story from your own life。 After falling in love in the last years of the 1970s， Eleanor and Cam set out to follow their dream to raise three children on a New Hampshire farm， a parcel of land she has purchased with her hard-ea Looking for your next great read？ Check out my reviews and interviews here， every Wednesday: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。 Such a deeply felt and invested novel， COUNT THE WAYS is so authentic， so flawed， so gorgeously rendered， you might feel you are reading a story from your own life。 After falling in love in the last years of the 1970s， Eleanor and Cam set out to follow their dream to raise three children on a New Hampshire farm， a parcel of land she has purchased with her hard-earned children's book royalties。 Their life is pretty idyllic， if only Cam would step-up and be a bit more of a provider--overall， there's love and heart and good things happening in this quiet， secluded life of art and merrymaking。 But there's a tragic accident that brings a chasm between Cam and Eleanor， changing the family forever。 There's grief and blame， resentment， and more， but they will manage。 But they don't。 Cam has an affair with the babysitter， the marriage ends （not a spoiler; this is all mentioned on the back jacket）。We follow the family through heartache and loss， life and birth， art and stagnation， days of illegal abortion， the draft， computer age， AIDS， early #metoo era， the Challenger explosion， divorce， and so much more。 I was thrust back to my own childhood--many scenes triggered ideas and scenes quite vividly for me。 Told in 101 short， named chapters， Joyce Maynard is a master at observation， a keen eye for detail not just in the visual sense， but also in social-emotional nuances as she transforms the landscape of words into meaningful connections of home， family， parenthood， love， loss， identity， and also forgiveness。 There were a few passages that felt a little slow/predictable--at least for me--and so I can't go with a full on five star review， but really loved this book， its characters and overall story。 I was reminded， in part， of SO HAPPY TOGETHER by Deborah K。 Shepherd for the time frame， age of characters， abortion， and so many other things。 Look too at Jennifer Weiner's MRS。 EVERYTHING for similar themes， BENEFICIENCE by Meredith Hall。 Also， you might like Elizbeth Brundage's work--particularly ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR and THE VANISHING POINT。 While these books are not exactly the same， they offer some overlap。 For all my reviews， including author interviews， please see: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。 。。。more
Diane Hassler
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This book has something for everyone。 It is a very enlightening read。 It will make you take a look at why we don't slow down and enjoy the good things that happen in life and not dwell on the bad。 This book has something for everyone。 It is a very enlightening read。 It will make you take a look at why we don't slow down and enjoy the good things that happen in life and not dwell on the bad。 。。。more
Helaine Banner
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Joyce Maynard has written a beautiful and emotional story about the complexities of raising a family。 Eleanor and Cam fall in love and have three children。 Eleanor loves her life and children fiercely but life doesn’t go smoothly。 To do what’s best for them she makes difficult choices and sacrifices her own happiness。If you’re a fan of Joyce Maynard’s you will recognize some anecdotal stories from her domestic affairs book and columns。 This felt like visiting an old friend。 References to histori Joyce Maynard has written a beautiful and emotional story about the complexities of raising a family。 Eleanor and Cam fall in love and have three children。 Eleanor loves her life and children fiercely but life doesn’t go smoothly。 To do what’s best for them she makes difficult choices and sacrifices her own happiness。If you’re a fan of Joyce Maynard’s you will recognize some anecdotal stories from her domestic affairs book and columns。 This felt like visiting an old friend。 References to historical events really put me back to those emotional events。I loved these well developed characters and they will stay with me for a long time。 I highly recommend this book。 Hopefully like Labor Day it will be made into a movie。 。。。more
Robin
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4。5 Wonderful writing with fully developed characters but so heartbreaking in places。 I loved it。 More to come。
Karen
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Count the WaysI’ve just finished reading Joyce Maynard’s newest novel “Count the Ways，” an epic family saga。 I measure a book and whether I would recommend it， by how much the story makes me feel， how immersed I become while reading and whether I rush to get back to reading -- often neglecting lots of to do's in the process。 This book checked all those boxes for me。Joyce’s book was a big dive into a range of feelings along with a palpable desire to keep reading。 The story takes place over severa Count the WaysI’ve just finished reading Joyce Maynard’s newest novel “Count the Ways，” an epic family saga。 I measure a book and whether I would recommend it， by how much the story makes me feel， how immersed I become while reading and whether I rush to get back to reading -- often neglecting lots of to do's in the process。 This book checked all those boxes for me。Joyce’s book was a big dive into a range of feelings along with a palpable desire to keep reading。 The story takes place over several decades and is filled with the ordinary daily tasks of raising small children。 Right alongside the mundane， are the extraordinary and unplanned circumstances that occur during what often feels like a never-ending daily grind and what we do when the unexpected happens。 I found Joyce’s characters well developed and complex。 I felt frustrated， surprised， sad and curious。 I applaud the talent and writing craft that enabled Joyce to bring the story and all the threads of it to a conclusion that forged new territory for all the characters。 I loved the backdrop tapestry of events including music and significant news stories which were woven throughout the book。 That element in the book rooted me in time and space and conjured up memories of times gone by in my own lifetime。 All the characters in this book reflected the unique and also common ways in which humans both lift and fail each other and themselves， and how life always goes on in ways we could never imagine whether we wish it to or not。 The story also made real the folly of attachments we create to the perceived wrongs in our lives – the way in which we struggle to let go of our pasts， and move beyond the feelings of hurt， and if we are lucky our hearts land in a place of forgiveness and/or acceptance。 I appreciated the story for leading the reader to reflect on forgiveness， as well as the power of love in the face of great disappointment and heartache。 The story revealed that even in the rubble of our lives we can choose to create meaning and something that matters。 I will remember these characters and this book for a long time。 。。。more
Carol
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You feel the love， bitterness and sorrow of Eleanor's life。 She is stronger than she thinks。 A great story that covers todays lifestyles。 You feel the love， bitterness and sorrow of Eleanor's life。 She is stronger than she thinks。 A great story that covers todays lifestyles。 。。。more
Kit Keller
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Joyce Maynard wrote this book for me。 She might not know it， but Eleanor’s story was written with me in mind and in some cases， with my thoughts in Eleanor’s head。 I read this book during our first in-person， hug-enabled family gathering since the pandemic started。 During every family coming together， there are strong emotions， hopes and fears that foment for me。 But reading the arc of Eleanor’s life， from youth through to her senior years， I was able to step back and gain a clearer perspective Joyce Maynard wrote this book for me。 She might not know it， but Eleanor’s story was written with me in mind and in some cases， with my thoughts in Eleanor’s head。 I read this book during our first in-person， hug-enabled family gathering since the pandemic started。 During every family coming together， there are strong emotions， hopes and fears that foment for me。 But reading the arc of Eleanor’s life， from youth through to her senior years， I was able to step back and gain a clearer perspective on my own journey， and that distance was valuable。The characters are flawed （as we all are） and as I watched seemingly off-hand decisions play out over the years， I realized how true this is。 Life is random – that’s my takeaway。 But life is also very rich and good and worth it all。Read it。 You won’t regret it。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard is a very highly recommended， excellent， heartrendingly beautiful family drama spanning five decades。Eleanor was already accustom to living a solitary life when her self-absorbed， usually inebriated parents died in a car accident while she was a teen away at boarding school which left her truly alone in the world。 She has always been an artist and a series of children's books she started after this were published and became successful which provided for her the fi Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard is a very highly recommended， excellent， heartrendingly beautiful family drama spanning five decades。Eleanor was already accustom to living a solitary life when her self-absorbed， usually inebriated parents died in a car accident while she was a teen away at boarding school which left her truly alone in the world。 She has always been an artist and a series of children's books she started after this were published and became successful which provided for her the financial independence to buy an old farmhouse in New Hampshire。 Eleanor loves her farm house and spends several years living there alone， happy and working on her books。When she meets Cam at a craft fair the handsome， redheaded woodworker steals her heart。 He moves to her farm where the two have three children they adore: Alison， Ursula， and Toby。 They are a busy， active family， but when a terrible accident occurs caused by Cam's negligence， Eleanor can't forgive him。 Cam， however， turns to the teenage babysitter for solace。 The marriage breaks up， but the children never learn about Cam's betrayal and blame Eleanor for everything。 Over the decades that follow the family encounters more trials， decisions， and experiences that shape all of their lives。Eleanor is a wonderfully fully-developed character and will elicit empathy， understanding， and compassion。 She loves her children above all else。 She is relatable and you will feel her pain and understand the losses she endures。 Maynard interweaves into the plot historical events of the times and， because the novel spans decades， many readers will recall and relate to all of the historical events， as well as the music。 Eleanor does the right thing for her children， yet she is the one who ultimately pays the price for her integrity。 Eleanor's life experiences are both frustrating and tragic， and， ultimately， result in hard-fought wisdom and integrity。 I really can't recall another novel where I related so completely to the character that I felt we knew each other， that we comfortably sit down and visit with each other like old friends。I was totally engrossed in the poignant， heartbreaking story of this woman's life and her her family。 Following all the changes Eleanor and her family goes through is touching， but also painful。 The narrative opens with Eleanor in her fifties， her children grown， and she has long been divorced from Cam。 Then the novel goes back in time and follows Eleanor's life up to the time of the opening scene。 And I was totally enmeshed in the entire story of her life and all of her experiences。 Maynard realistically captures the life of a family as they confront fundamental， difficult truths from their past， and ultimately find common ground in their love of each other which allows them to continue。 This will be a contender for my list of top novels of the year。 The Ho'oponopono prayer which Maynard opens Count the Ways with is so fitting: I’m sorry。 I love you。 Thank you。 Please forgive me。 There are a few events that are a part of Eleanor's life which perhaps make it a bit too melodramatic and on-topic， on-trend， and obviously political （for example the MeToo story line）， but the plot elements are resolved and handled well。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins in exchange for my honest opinion。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Lynette Murphy
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Loved this book。 Seemed a little daunting when I started it but it was soon hard to put down。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Count the Ways
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Count the Ways&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Count the Ways&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0