About the book:
A heart-warming coming-of-age debut novel where sisters learn that even motherless daughters must grow up and become women one day.
Arkansas, 1953. Nine-year-old Hazel McKay knows little girls need a mother. So, when her mother decides to leave her and her little sister, Ruthie, without any reason except she wants more, Hazel feels like her life is falling apart. With their father working out of town most days, Hazel and Ruthie are left on their own in the little house in the middle of the woods, where they find more than just animals and birds hiding in the forest.
Meanwhile, not far away, ten-year-old Joel lives with his alcoholic father. Caught in a struggle to survive his father’s volatile nature and the desire to satisfy his curiosity about the little girls that live in the house in the woods, Joel finds a world of friendship and love he never knew existed.
Together, the three encounter school dances, heartbreaks, first loves, and a world turned upside down by the threat of nuclear war. With a new beginning on the horizon, Hazel, Ruthie, and Joel find their happiness is in jeopardy when tragedy strikes, and they are forced to make a choice. Bury a secret so deep no one will ever know the truth or lose everything they hold dear.
About the Author:
Tennille Marie is obsessed with books! No matter the genre. She’s so obsessed that she decided to follow her own dream and write a novel. Crazy! It’s true, but with her husband’s encouragement and support, she has finally done it. Even old dreams can still come true.
Her writing is inspired by her southern roots, her close family connections, and the kindness of others. There’s just something about a nice word, a warm hello, and a kind gesture that makes her heart glow. She hopes that readers find these sentiments nestled in the pages and words of her novels. Our Kept Hearts is her debut novel and is the first book in the Waldron Hearts series.
If you’d like to keep up with Tennille and get upcoming news about book releases and sales, then consider becoming a part of her heart-to-heart community by joining her email list at www.tennillemarie.com.
What I thought…
I’m a little stuck. I thought the story was interesting and I always want to support first time novelists.
But, the short sentences, the miscellaneous anecdotes of the children’s formative years and the slow plot development just didn’t do it for me. There was just too much going on. (And, the type face was too big. I know that is picky but it was annoying.)
The prologue sets up the ending of the book so the reader has some inkling where the plot is headed from page one. It just seemed like it took a long while to get there. I was literally scanning whole pages and I didn’t feel like I was missing any real vital movement in the story.
On a brighter note, I did enjoy watching the characters grow up and I think Marie definitely know how to depict small town life. While Ruthie, Hazel and Joel were developed, there were other characters that just fell short, like Joel’s father and Ms. Faye.
It’s a first novel. I get it. And, I wish Marie all the best.
The food…
I usually always do a food/recipe tie-in with my book reviews. While there was some food mentioned like home cooking and small town drive-in fare, I just wasn’t inspired. I even looked up the state foods of Arkansas (the setting), but I still couldn’t come up with anything. (Arkansas Cheese Dip—it’s a thing—does sound pretty delicious, though.)
I fill like I failed this tour…
Please note that Our Kept Hearts has a Goodreads rating of 4.37 stars. I just didn’t get it so please check out what others on the tour thought:
Monday, April 29th: @kyliegh.reads
Wednesday, May 1st: @arrow_reads
Thursday, May 2nd: A Bookish Way of Life
Friday, May 3rd: @thecalicobooks and The Calico Books
Monday, May 6th: Eliot’s Eats
Wednesday, May 8th: @niks.bookshelf
Thursday, May 9th: @dana.loves.books
Friday, May 10th: @books_old_and_new
Thursday, May 16th: Girl Who Reads
Saturday, May 18th: @subakka.bookstuff and S
Monday, May 20th: @marbooks88
Tuesday, May 21st: @alexandriavwilliams_
Friday, May 24th: @melissas_bookshelf
Tuesday, May 28th: @beckys_bookshelves
Wednesday, May 19th: @kristens.reading.nook
Follow TLC Book Tours on Instagram at @tlcbooktours
For all my TLC book reviews, click here.
Leave a Reply