Pros:
This is it. This is my book of the year. I've had it on my TBR since it came out, but I just now picked it up. Now, I wish I would've read it earlier.
To be frank in this review, as I always am, I had some concerns about this book. I feared it would turn out to be a purely political work focused on feminism and women’s empowerment. Don’t misunderstand me—I believe in equal rights for everyone, not just a select few. But when I pick up a book, I want an escape from reality and all my adult duties. Thankfully, it wasn’t a political book, and I found that this story touched on many themes close to my heart: yearning for more, striving for something different, and longing for change.
This book presents four perspectives, but the narrative remains clear. All women are married; three have children, one does not (no spoilers). Margaret forms the group, and Charlotte's arrival brings energy. The ladies read The Feminine Mystique, a pivotal text for the 60s and 70s feminist movement. While its impact feels less dramatic today, it's important to understand its historical significance. Some scenes, such as Margaret's bank experience, were frustrating for me as a married woman, but I won't reveal any spoilers.
What makes this particularly interesting—and refreshingly non-political—are the perspectives shared by the book’s female readers. Three are in their mid-to-late thirties and one is in her twenties, while I’m in my late forties and married, which matters to what comes next. At some point, each character reaches a turning point—a 'moment'. I experienced this myself in my late thirties: that sense of feeling stuck, whether at home, at work, or just in life. You’re not sure how to move forward; you simply feel trapped. This is where I really appreciate the author’s storytelling, as she guides every character toward their own unique journey. I also commend her for avoiding politics and respecting housewife and stay-at-home mom roles.
I would like to share my perspective: I chose not to have children and instead pursued a professional career. However, I hold deep respect for individuals who dedicate themselves to raising families at home. This role is demanding and often underappreciated. I highly recommend this book; it would be an excellent choice for a book club.
Bonus Pro:
At the end of the book Marie Bostwick, the author, pens a letter to the readers. It brought me to tears to hear the sincerity and kindness in her words. It tied the book perfectly together.
Cons:
I have no cons for this book.
Synopsis:
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
The novel takes place in the summer of 2020 in Richmond, VA and follows two estranged sisters as both of their respective marriages hit a breaking point while in their city, a major social upheaval rises up as the Confederate monuments of old come down at the hands of the social justice activists.
Kait, Book Nerds Across America: How has the tour been so far?
Virginia Pye: Very fun! I've done events around where I live in Cambridge, MA, but I've also gone down south, which started with Bethesda, MD. There's a writers’ center there and that was a very fun event. Then several events in Richmond, where the novel is set, then down to Flyleaf Books in North Carolina. Now more events around the Boston area, then I go to the Virginia Festival of the Book in a few weeks, which I'm excited about, and several more events down there. It's been very, very fun sharing this book.
BNAA: Can you tell me a little bit about your personal connection to Richmond and how that helped develop MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS?
VP: My husband and I and our two children moved there in 1998 and ended up living there for close to 20 years. It's where we raised our kids, and I had set down pretty deep roots there. My mother's side of the family is Southern. I grew up in the Boston area, but when we moved there, it felt familiar because of my extended family being Southern. So I ended up loving it. I was very happy to be there.
BNAA: You describe the novel as historical fiction, and I agree, even though it only took place 6 years ago. When you saw the events there, did you know right away that you wanted to write about that time and place?
VP: The story around this is I had written another novel in 2007, 2008 that was, like MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS, about two estranged sisters whose marriages implode around the same time and how they then have to turn to each other in different ways. That novel was set during Occupy Wall Street, which nobody remembers and it feels like an awful long time ago. [Laughs.] And that novel tried to capture Richmond. We had been living there a long time and I wanted to capture this city I really love, and in particular the different classes living in the city. There was the wealthy patriarch and the unhoused kids living on an island in the middle of the river, and everything in between. Anyway, we didn't succeed at selling that.
I set it aside and went on to write other books. And then in the summer of 2020, soon after the death of George Floyd, I was in lockdown up in Massachusetts while my son was down in Richmond, along with some of my really close friends. Things immediately heated up down there, the way they heated up everywhere. There were riots, there were protests, there were nighttime skirmishes between protesters and police. And I was so drawn in because I cared so much about the people and the city, that I stayed up late nights watching videos as people were posting them in the midst of this action.
At the time, I wasn't thinking “Oh, this is good novel material.” I was just worried about my friends and my son, who was living very near to where this all was happening. But I was really engaged in watching, including the action that was happening around the Confederate monuments. The crowds pulled some of them down and then the mayor declared that they were going to be taken down, professionally.
I just kept wanting to be there, is really what happened. I didn't start writing this novel until half a year later, maybe a year. But I suddenly realized how much my mind and heart had been with everybody during that time. I was fascinated by it and the history of the monuments that I circled back to the earlier novel, resurrected some of those earlier characters, wrote new scenes in a new time frame, now in the summer of 2020.
BNAA: What is difficult to toe the line between recent past and present?
VP: I think there’s this way these days where time has speeded up and what happened yesterday feels like history, practically, because so many dramatic things have happened in such a short period of time. If I hear the word “unprecedented” one more time, I’m going to scream. [laughs] But it is true, it’s all very unprecedented, what we’ve all been going through. So when I decided to circle back to the summer of 2020, I had enough distance and enough hindsight, I thought, to put characters in that setting and imagine how they would respond to it.
You have to have suspension of disbelief, so you have to get things right. You have to not make it seem unreal to the reader. And so I did research, like you would with a historical novel. I did research on the history of the monuments and the history of Richmond and the history of certain neighborhoods, the history of prominent citizens there, particularly black citizens. And I realized “Oh, I’m treating this like a historical novel.” That’s all woven into the book.
BNAA: Were you researching anything on protestor networks or community activism networks to help bring the story to life?
VP: You know, I actually avoided that. I was aware of it and I did follow, on social media, different activists and the way those people were on social media. But I purposely chose characters who were not on the front lines. They were not the leaders. There’s one out of the four main characters— It’s a novel about two married couples— and there’s only one of those four who’s even repeatedly at protests, and she considers herself a foot soldier, not a leader. I didn’t want to presume, for a number of reasons. One is I didn't have the expertise. I hadn’t been there. Also, most of the protests were led by black people of different ages, so that wasn’t exactly my story to tell. But I could tell the stories of some marriages that were on the rocks. That I felt like I could tell.
BNAA: You said the story has always been inspired by two sisters and their marriages. Was that inspired by anything in particular or did these characters just kind of come to you?
VP: I have a sister, but it’s not inspired by my relationship with her. I think I really just wanted— I’ve been married a long time. My husband and I started dating in 1980 when I was 19. I won’t tell you how old I am now, but it’s been a looong time! Part of my thinking with this book was that I’ve managed to have a good marriage for a really long time. That is something I know something about and I would like to share something about that. How does that happen? How do you have a marriage that works? The best way to delve into that territory was to do what you do with novels: You show people where things aren’t working. You show people walking on shaky ground and there’s confusion between two people. Their communication is off. Can they work their way forward to where that marriage can make it or not?
In terms of siblings, it’s the same sort of thing where it’s another type of relationship that can go off so easily, and just how to try to get it back on track. That’s interesting to me. That’s the territory for me in fiction that I find fascinating.
BNAA: Of the four characters, did you have a favorite or least favorite point-of-view to write?
VP: People have asked me this! It’s genuinely like people asking which of your children do you love more. I really like all four of the characters for different reasons. I like their arches. I like where they end up.
I almost like the two male characters… I don’t want to say “better,” but I’m very pleased and proud of the two husbands. I think their arcs are very interesting. One is a man who is born with a silver spoon and really doesn’t know what to do with it and is pretty lost. The other is a very hardworking man who’s never been given anything. He’s always had to fight or work for something. I like both of their stories especially, I guess.
BNAA: On a technical note, what is your writing process like?
VP: When I start a book and I'm getting into it, I'm at my desk a lot. I write at a desk, on a desktop computer, not a laptop— I'm very old school in that way. Then I write the book before the beginning or the middle or the end. And I… It’s really crazy but I use 3x5 cards, and I turn them length-wise. I use color-coded 3x5 cards, a different color for each of the four point-of-view characters. And then, as I'm thinking of the storyline, I mark down for the chapter who the main point-of-view character is, what's happening to that character, what they’re thinking, what they’re doing or what their major moment is. Just in a very cursory way, not into detail. And then I tape it to a string that I hang up on my bookcase.
BNAA: I love that! I love it when author's storyboard.
VP: It’s a storyboard, exactly. Everyone I know uses Scrivener and they're like “Ginny, it's so much easier!” No, I love my little dumb strings and my 3x5 cards in different colors! I hang them up and then I sit down in the morning and I know I'm on Chapter 12 and oh, right, it's a Bobby chapter. “Bobby is at the river and…” and then I start to create the scene. And then when I finish that chapter, I get the sheer pleasure of ripping that card off the string. There are fewer cards hanging up and that's how I can view my progress. [laughs]
I've mentioned it to so many people and they're all like “Uh huh.” Nobody is ever like “Oh, I'll try that!” [laughs] Don't, there are so many other ways of doing it.
BNAA: But I love the physical representation! It's like you're giving yourself a little treat every time you finish something.
VP: Right? That is my huge reward! I start to pile up the used ones and I'm like “Ah, I'm getting somewhere.” By the way, I switch them around. I start to think “No, it wouldn't be Bobby's chapter here, it would be Cynthia's chapter and move them around. It's a way for me to visually see everything outside the computer, outside just paper. It works for me!
BNAA: I won't ask what's next because I know everyone hates that and you're still enjoying this one right now, so my last question is: What are some of the books you've enjoyed recently?
VP: I just finished listening to— which I believe is allowed—
BNAA: Yes!
VP: — Ian McEwan’s last novel, which is called WHAT WE CAN KNOW. Really beautiful, really smart, really a good one.
For a different conversation, I read ON BEAUTY again, by Zadie Smith. Someone asked me, in connection to MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS, to name another book that I thought in some way resembled it. And I couldn't think of an exact comp, but ON BEAUTY is about two families where race and politics play a big role. Also, the contrast between the older generation and the younger generation is easy to connect. Maybe that's the best one to mention because I would love to be compared to Zadie Smith. [laughs] But just in terms of the different elements we see too in MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS.
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MARRIAGE AND OTHER MONUMENTS is available now wherever books are sold!
A book about life and death has been done a million times, in a wide variation. However, the title caught my attention more so than the blurb. I mean, who wouldn't love a library at midnight. Thy mystery of it all! So, of course, it sat on my TBR forever until I finally picked it up ... and then read it all in one sitting
Pros:
If you read this book at 21 or 25, I'm not sure if it'll have the exact same impact as it did for me ... a middle-aged, almost completely over the hill, woman. The reason I say that is not to demean those in their twenties, but it's something about late 40's, almost 50's, which makes you stop and think ... what if?
In this beautifully written book, Nora has been through it. Her life has been ... well ... rough. She feels as if there is nothing right and makes a very permanent decision. First, if you are thinking of harming yourself, please call someone, anyone, there are people who love you and don't want you to hurt yourself. Nora felt as if she had no one to be there for her.
When she opens her eyes, she's in the Midnight Library and the books are her life, at various points. Now she can 'redo' it all. The right way, or so it seems. Now, I'm not one to spoil a story, but we - myself included - all have THAT moment in life where it all changes. Which is why I stated if you're older reading this book, then you'll know what this particular moment it. This is what Nora had to learn, in the Library and in her life. Did she learn it? Well, read the book and see.
Cons:
Normally, I love fast paced books. I'm too busy to have a story linger on and on, but there are some moments/events in Nora's life that I wish the author would have spent more time on, because they were significant for her, and the story.
Rating:
I give this book 4 1/2 stars and would definitely recommend it to others!
GOOD READS SUMMARY:
When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.
After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.
Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?
TEE'S THOUGHTS
I seem to be reverting back to my old love of YA vampire books and I am not even mad about it! This my second one that I have read in a month, I think the last ones I had read were.....yep.... you know it....The Twilight Series. I quit reading YA vampires because I thought Breaking Dawn was so bad. Listen it is ok if you like it, I am good with that, but in my mind the entire Bella getting pregnant thing was just way over the top. Yes I know, even vampires are over the top, but I had to draw the line somewhere hah.. I will say, vampires in this age group have come along way since Twilight...thank goodness.
I just finished up THE LAST VAMPIRE by Romina Garber ( Thank you Net Galley and RB Media for the advance listen ), what really caught my attention was the Pride and Prejudice meets Crave. Honestly, Crave was the first vampire book I read last month. It had been sitting on my shelf for years, but it was the Pride and Prejudice mention that reeled me in.
Now I did see similarities to Crave, Lorna enrolled in a boarding school and falls in love with a vampire, however I saw little of Pride and Prejudice, which was a little disappointing. Lorna is a fan of Austin, and William who is the vampire has the last name of Pride.
It is fairly typical- kind of- Lorena accidentally finds Williams casket and awakes him. She of course is frightened of him, I mean yea, he is a vampire after all, but William is in a constant state of annoyed with her. They slowly find themselves falling for each other. To me the feelings felt fast, not
like fast or soon in the book, but more like a jarring I was reading on one page and they disliked each other and the next page, they were in love
William is apparently the last of his kind, but then he finds out he is not, so he sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to the other vampires, esp. his family.
For me, this booked work in several places, but not others. It felt slow at times, but then would move at a quick place in others. Besides being a romance, it is also a mystery, there are lots of secrets as William tries to figure out his past.
I did struggle a bit with the characters. I guess, well, they were school age, I cant remember if it was high school or college, because I am older I found them a bit frustrating, and very whiny at times. I did listen to the book as opposed to reading it and I thought both the narrators, Stacy Gonzales and Eddie Lopez did a great job at playing the characters. Lopez, especially made me feel William's annoyance with Lorena.
The Last Vampire isn't a bad book, it certainly kept me entertained enough to keep listening to the finish, and I will say it was much better than the Twilight books. I am in no way denying my love for Twilight, I think it will always have this place in my heart, but I also think it was a moment in time, and maybe you have had to be there to understand, but the writing in The Last Vampire was 100 percent better if I must be honest.
This is a good book for paranormal, vampire, or dark academic readers, so if that includes you, give this one a try,
