A Scattered Life [Kindle Edition]

Karen McQuestion (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An emotional and engaging novel about family." – Delia Ephron, author of The Girl with the Mermaid Hair

Product Description

When free-spirited Skyla marries proper and predictable Thomas Plinka, she finally finds the love and stability she’s craved since childhood. She also acquires a new family: mother-in-law Audrey, disapproving and suspicious of Skyla’s nomadic past; father-in-law Walt, gruff but kind; and Thomas’s brothers, sofa-bound Jeffrey, and Dennis, who moved across the country seemingly to avoid the family.

Skyla settles into marriage and motherhood, but quiet life in small-town Wisconsin can’t quell feelings of restlessness. Then into her life comes Madame Picard, the local psychic from the disreputable bookstore, Mystic Books, and new neighbor, Roxanne, whose goal in life is to have twelve kids even though she can’t manage the five she has. Despite her family’s objections, Skyla befriends Roxanne and gets a job at the bookstore, and life gets fuller and more complicated than she ever imagined.

Exceptionally heartwarming and inevitably bittersweet, A Scattered Life is a story that will stay with the reader long after the last page is read.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 321 KB
• Print Length: 267 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 193559706X
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002R8LF8O
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (215 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,367 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #96 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Emotions & Feelings

More About the Author

Karen McQuestion writes books for both adults and kids/teens and is a bestselling author in Kindle. Two of her novels placed in the top 100 Customer Kindle books for 2010, based on sales and reader reviews. Her novel, A Scattered Life, has been optioned for film. Originally self-published, she now writes for AmazonEncore and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Ms. McQuestion (really her last name) lives in Wisconsin with her family.

www.karenmcquestion.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

227 of 241 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "OPEN YOUR HEART", August 10, 2010

By 

Imogen Rose "Author of the Portal Chronicles" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Scattered Life (Kindle Edition)

Three women living a small-town life in Wisconsin. Karen McQuestion's novel is narrated by these three voices. The first, Skyla Plinska, a former free-spirit, now firmly seeded into a middle-class life with her level-headed husband and their well-behaved daughter. The second is Skyla's mother-in-law, Audrey. Audrey has spent her life caring for her now three grown-up sons and husband, but always longing for a daughter. Will Skyla fill this void? The third is Roxy, Skyla's new neighbor and friend. Roxy is totally obsessed with her five sons and longs for more children, particularly a daughter.

Karen McQuestion draws us into the life of these three women in an engaging and easy fashion. The story line is entertaining and touching on many different levels, as each of the characters are fleshed out and their personalities and quirks revealed. I am very much looking forward to the movie adaptation of this novel. Thanks for a great read, Karen.

106 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Life requires adjustments, August 22, 2010

By 

J. Grattan "Ideas can move the world" (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Scattered Life (Paperback)

In this nice, but unremarkable, story set in small-town Wisconsin, the lives of three women are followed for about a year. Skyla, after a childhood of moving around the country with her father, has settled down with Thomas and has a six-year-old daughter; Audrey is Thomas' mother and is obsessed with keeping order in her and others' lives; and Roxanne, who exudes friendliness, has just moved in next door to Skyla with her five children and a clearly messy and chaotic life in full display. Skyla with her long-repressed artistic side is immediately attracted to the free-spirited Roxanne, much to the dismay of Audrey.

But things change for these women. Skyla takes a job in a nearly defunct book store and virtually single-handedly turns it around. Leaving her daughter Nora to be cared for by Roxanne after school distresses Audrey no end, which she intends to do something about. However, the unexpected intervenes in both Roxanne's and Audrey's lives. Especially, Skyla and Audrey are forced to question stances that they have taken in their lives. It is a book that has the intent of exploring personal growth, understanding others, and learning what is important.

The book is not without its appeal but lacks depth and breadth. The characters are not fully developed; they seldom rise beyond being stereotypes. After a couple of events, the story just fizzles out. The book is easily read, but just does not really try for much. Nonetheless, it is a fairly pleasant and heartwarming story, though tragedy does stalk.

114 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, November 9, 2009

By 

New Jersey Mom (Maplewood, NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Scattered Life (Kindle Edition)

I wasn't sure what to expect from an independently published novel, but figured for $1.99 (less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks!) I could take a chance.

I am so glad that I did. This is a remarkable book. It is beautifully written, well paced, with characters who seem real. It easily ranks with books published by the big houses, and is in fact considerably better than many books I have read (and I read quite a lot).

I hope that Ms. McQuestion is picked up by the big publishing houses as she has a true gift. I would love to recommend this book to several people, but as they don't own Kindles they won't be able to read the book. That is a shame, as her books could and should have a wide audience.

I will certainly be trying out McQuestion's other books available on Kindle.