Maine

By: J. Courtney Sullivan

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

In her best-selling debut, Commencement, J. Courtney Sullivan explored the complicated and contradictory landscape of female friendship. Now, in her highly anticipated second novel, Sullivan takes us into even richer territory, introducing four unforgettable women who have nothing in common but the fact that, like it or not, they're family.

For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree bearing the initials "A.H." At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath the surface.

As three generations of Kelleher women descend on the property one summer, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

By turns wickedly funny and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to Maine and to each other.

©2011 J. Courtney Sullivan (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"I have never stayed at this cottage in Maine, or any cottage in Maine, but no matter: I now feel I know what it's like being in a family that comes to the same place summer after summer, unpacking their familiar longings, slights, shorthand conversation, and ways of being together. J. Courtney Sullivan's Maine is evocative, funny, close-quartered, and highly appealing." (Meg Wolitzer, author of The Uncoupling)

"Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan is a powerful novel about the ties that bind families tight, no matter how dysfunctional. Sullivan has created in the Kelleher women a cast of flawed but lovable characters so real, with their shared history of guilt and heartache and secret resentments, that I’m sure I’ll be thinking about them for a long time to come." (Amy Greene, author of Bloodroot)

"Everyone has dark secrets. It’s why God invented confession and booze, two balms frequently employed in Sullivan’s well-wrought sophomore effort. Alice Brennan is Irish American through and through, the daughter of a cop, a good Catholic girl so outwardly pure that she’s a candidate for the papacy... As Sullivan’s tale unfolds, there are plenty of reasons that Alice might wish to avoid taking too close a look at her life: There’s tragedy and heartbreak around every corner, as there is in every life... Sullivan spins a leisurely yarn that looks into why people do the things they do - particularly when it comes to drinking and churchgoing - and why the best-laid plans are always the ones the devil monkeys with the most thoroughly. The story will be particularly meaningful to Catholic women, though there are no barriers to entry for those who are not of that faith. Mature, thoughtful, even meditative at times - but also quite entertaining." ( Kirkus)

Excellent!

I hope this author writes another nove soon.
The overall performance of the narrator was really good too.
The story is about a family, their rise and downfall, the family members as individuals and all their airs, graces and secrets. A good read!

Unpleasant characters and bad narration

I like Courtney Sullivan’s other books but this one was quite bad. I enjoy complicated characters but these characters were not so much complicated as truly unpleasant. The narration for an adult book was terrible. Sounded like being read to in a child’s library. I had a long drive and couldn’t return it because I didn’t use a credit or I wouldn’t have finished it. Her other books had great narrators and that may have affected the overall feeling as well. Try The Cliffs of you would like to read a great book of hers.

I don't Always Write Reviews, But When I do..

...You Know the Book is Superb.

This book turned me into a huge Sullivan fan. Gorgeous writing, refreshing plot, realistic characters, far from cliche.
I'm neither Irish nor from the East Coast, but Sullivan basically described my family and some of the people In my life-that's how nuanced and realistic her characters are. And that's why they are likable-because they are relatable, they are real. Sullivan's psychological insight into family dynamics and dysfunction is a real talent. She provides an unbiased view into characters' motives and motivations and reveals how simple misunderstandings and differences of character can develop into feuds and hurts, and also, how simply sometimes they can resolve- how funny life can be.
Caveat: The narrator spoke slowly and overly dramatically. I got used to her mid-novel though, so don't let that detract you from purchasing this.

LOVED THE CHARACTERISATION

Thought the 'worm farming' descriptions were amazing - and such a powerful reflection of the character of Kathleen. I did enjoy this book - the irresponsible Gabe, the family dynamics, the ways people misread situations. The dollhouse.........

Everyone seemed angry.

Would you consider the audio edition of Maine to be better than the print version?

Yes in print I may not have finished this one.

What other book might you compare Maine to and why?

Nothing to compare it with.

Which character – as performed by Ann Marie Lee – was your favorite?

The granddaughter who is expecting a baby

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Family drama at it's best... or worst.

Any additional comments?

This wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

What a disappointment!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I feel misled by all the talk of it as a "beach read." That implies a fun book, light hearted, romantic maybe intriquing. But this book was about family problems that never get fixed. And there is a huge logic problem that is never addressed. Grandma's big sacrifice to make up for past sins isn't a sacrifice for her, just for the rest of her family.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Alice needs to be set straight.

What about Ann Marie Lee’s performance did you like?

Performance was great.

The ending was awful

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

NO. At first i really enjoyed getting to know the characters but the abrupt ending ruined it for me.

Has Maine turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.Just ones by this auther

What does Ann Marie Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She developed the characters nicely and then ended the sotry. very disappointing

Did Maine inspire you to do anything?

I would like to visit Maine again. her descriptions were beautiful.

Any additional comments?

WAs really enjoying the book until the end. very disappointed.

struggled to finish this one

Slow! and winding without much direction.
I struggled to finish this one, but persisted.

Can women get along?

This was an interesting story about women of three generations, all bringing major problems and baggage. Each had strong attitudes. None had much understanding nor empathy for the others.
I enjoyed the changes going from and between each woman. How their thoughts integrated into but mostly disagreed with the others. The abrupt ending is life, yes true but leaft me three choices. I could not or would not choose.
I felt left up somewhere and could not get down?

a *must* listen!!!

there is so much i could say about Maine - but you just have to listen to it! the story is spot-on! the narrator's performance is so amazing that even before i was finished listening to Maine - i looked up other books w/ her reading... it is just great!

the story follows four boston irish catholic women throughout generations and both the writing and the narration actually bring this terrific story to life...

my *only* single complaint would be - occasionally there seems to be a lot of "catherine said, then maggie said, then catherine said, then alice said, then ann marie said..." at multiple points throughout the book. i don't know if it is the writing or the narrating that makes it so noticeable??? but it *really* stood out at times for me during my listen - and that is a first for me w/ an audiobook... usually i can listen w/out really hearing all the "he said, she said" stuff... but with this book, it made an impact.

but honestly - it was a fantastic book! i have recommended it to my family and friends w/ audiobooks accounts or i have purchased it for the family members who don't have one...

if you enjoy a good family drama told from a variety of points of view over an extended period of time - then you definitely need to get this book *now*!