House and Home [Paperback]

Kathleen McCleary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

"[One] of the most engrossing books this season."
--O at Home

"Altogether so superior it's hard to believe that it's a debut."
--Booklist

"This novel is a delight. It grabs you from the opening paragraph . . . and holds you with its cathartic exploration of home and family."
--The Oregonian

Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy, if irresponsible, husband. And she adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks, and a million memories. But as her eighteen-year-roller-coaster marriage heads toward divorce, she's about to lose it all--her house, her husband . . . and her sanity.

Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After initiating a separation from her husband—whose repellently named invention, the splotch-catching hot dog diaper, has bankrupted them—Ellen Flanagan, faced with supporting two young daughters, makes the levelheaded decision to sell the family home in the suburbs of Portland, Ore., to pay off debts and keep her business (a smalltown coffee shop) afloat. One daughter takes the change in stride, another plots to disrupt the sale, and Ellen soon finds herself struggling with her own deep feelings for the house. Obnoxious buyers make things worse, and lurking behind all her preparations to move is the possibility—alternately tempting and unsettling—of reconciling with husband Sam, who seems blindsided and bewildered. HGTV.com columnist McCleary's tale of real estate woe (plus a little entrepreneurship gone wrong) will resonate with unhappy homeowners, as will her portrait of a regular woman pushed to extremes trying to do the right thing for her family. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ellen can stand losing her husband. With his weird inventions and obsession with magic tricks, he has ignored family finances and sent them plummeting into financial hell. It is the loss of the beloved home that she has decorated so lovingly over the years that threatens to shatter her. The fact that her daughters don’t want to leave the house, either, only adds to Ellen’s sorrow. To make matters worse, the perky new owner shows up early to measure windows, check out the walls, and make notes for her contractor. As this oblivious woman rambles on about the changes she is going to make, it becomes obvious to Ellen what she needs to do. In McCleary’s poignant, gently humorous novel, the characters seem utterly alive, and the locations are exquisitely described. This book also has one of the best opening paragraphs in recent memory, and is altogether so superior it’s hard to believe that it’s a debut. Readers who enjoy fine women’s fiction, such as Mary Alice Monroe’s Sweetgrass (2005), will be delighted to discover this new author. --Shelley Mosley --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Voice; Reprint edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401341047
• ISBN-13: 978-1401341046
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,512,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen McCleary was born and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., and lived in New York, Tennessee, and Oregon before moving to Virginia in 2004. She has worked as a staff writer and editor and freelance writer for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, Good Housekeeping, More, Health, Martha Stewart Living, and Ladies Home Journal. She was a columnist for several years for HGTV.com. She has also worked as a bookseller, barista, and bartender. Currently, she teaches writing as an adjunct professor at American University.

She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two daughters, and two cats, and spends several weeks each year in the Pacific northwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Home Sweet Home, July 1, 2008

By 

A. Krueger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House and Home (Hardcover)

I really related to Kathy McCleary's main character, Ellen. I even have some of the same taste as she does: Fiesta ware and Hazel Atlas state glasses! But it's her attachment to a place where she built a family and life--and how unhinged she becomes when she has to leave it-- that really ring true. I once moved into a house where the home seller sat crying in front of a closet door where she'd marked her son's height twice a year. It was like she was leaving part of her self behind. Kathy McCleary's book has that kind of authenticity--in the conversations, the details, the emotions, the consequences--plus a whole bunch of drama and twists that keep you turning the pages to the surprising end. I loved it!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect summer read, July 9, 2008

By 

Leslie H. Zemsky - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House and Home (Hardcover)

I started reading House and Home and could not put it down. The characters are warm and engaging. Ms. McCleary does a great job with describing the details in life as well...from the coffee shop to her home, the meals and drinks served etc. I hope there will be another book by this engaging author in the future. She is a kind of modern day Rosamunde Pilcher or Maeve Binchy.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and Fun, July 1, 2008

By 

A. Wiley Loughran (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House and Home (Hardcover)

A great story that keeps you turning the pages. Lots of good twists and turns. Although it is a factitious, the story seems like it could be amazinly true! Great references to Portland and the surrounding area. Would be a great book for the beach or other summer trip.