This is my second book by Ms. Summie, the first was short stories which is a whole other ball of wax when it comes to reading if you ask me. Geographies of the Heart is the kind of book you pick up, start to read and suddenly you find it’s the end of the day and you haven’t eaten anything because you got so lost in the story you just never left it.

That doesn’t happen to me very often and when it does I save the book for a second reading ’cause I know I was reading and missing things because I was so enthralled. It’s the second reading that really brings out the beauty inside. I love books like that. They are few and far between and I have a special shelf (well I will if my stupid bookshelves EVER arrive) for these books.

This book is a book about family, both the insular and the generational and the ways that all of these different relationships install their locations on us or their geographies of the heart. None can be removed once placed but oh can boundaries be altered.

Any of us of a certain age could find ourselves in a situation where we are dealing with children and parents/grandparents needing care. It’s a difficult stage of life when there are compete pulls on time and heart. The way this story is told expresses that in a lyrical way that you won’t soon forget.

This is not a light, easy book but it is a book that will stay with you and make you think about your own family relationships for the good or the bad. We all have them and they are sometimes … complicated. ( )

It isn't often that you can pick up a book and feel like you know the characters - that they are your family and you care deeply about them. I was pulled into the lives of Sarah and Al from the first chapter and they never let me go.

This novel begins in1994 when Sarah first meant Al in college and continues until the present day with all of the ups and downs of a normal marriage. It's told by Sarah , Al and Glennie about their lives over the years. We get more of Sarah's story than we do Al's because she adds a lot about her life growing up. She and her sister Glennie had been close when they grew up but in high school they became almost strangers and Sarah had no idea why Glennie turned away from her and their family. Sarah had to help take care of her grandparents and parents and over the years and she began to resent how Glennie had turned her back on her family and refused to help. Glennie became a doctor and used her studying and her busy schedule as her excuse for not helping Sarah with the family. But no matter what happened with Sarah, she always had Al there, loving her and taking care of the family. He helped the neighbors and made friends with them. He was compassionate and caring and loving no matter what crisis was going on. When they had a daughter, he handled much of the child care. As time passes, Sarah grows bitter about her sister and her lack of help. It isn't until a family crisis that they begin to talk and to bettter understand each other.

This book made me smile and it made me cry. I knew these characters and understood the geographies of their hearts as they touched my heart. This is one of a few books that I wish I could give more than five stars. The writing is exquisite and the characters are very real. When I finished this book, I couldn't pick up another book for a few days. Sarah and Al stayed in my heart and I wasn't ready to let them go. This book will definitely go to my 'keepers' shelf where I keep the books that meant the most to me over the years.

This author has written well reviewed short stories but this is her first novel. I predict success for her in the future and can't wait to read what she writes next.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. ( )

The relationships forged between family members creates the foundation for our adulthood. We carry forward the confidence and love and the pain and insecurities forged in family. The relationship between sisters is usually the closest, most enduring bond that lasts into adulthood. What happens when that bond is broken, when one sister withdraws?

Geographies of the Heart is the story of sisters whose early closeness is broken.

As girls, Sarah and Glennie were close. When Glennie went off to school, she became estranged from the family, staying apart and out of communication. Sarah ends up carrying the burden of caring for ailing and dying family members, resentful that Glennie isn’t there to support her. That anger and resentment builds over the years.

Glennie was a dedicated student and has a career as a doctor. She appears to be apathetic towards her family. When their grandfather was hospitalized and dying, Sarah was angry that Glennie did not join the family in support.

I loved the character of Al, who Sarah meets while a senior in college. He is a Ph.D. student teacher in the Religion Department with a desire to figure himself out and a deep interest in people. He carrys a hope that redemption can change lives. Through the novel, this large, loving, teddy bear of a man forges friendships, supports his wife, and cares for his children.

Throughout the novel, we view twenty-five years through the eyes of Sarah and Al, the strength of their marriage that is especially based on Al’s compassion.

After decades, Sarah and Glennie confront their relationship, Glennie finally telling her side of the story. Communicating their feelings, recognizing what they do share, begins the healing.

We started out differently, Sarah and me. We started out carrying light inside us, not needing to gather it. We were two halves of a heart, our Grandma would say…I wonder if she knew we would split apart.

from Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
The next generation of sisters, Sarah and Al’s only daughter and their adopted daughter, have been carefully raised with a family endeavoring to be whole, a positive model. They carry on the tradition of MacMillian women building upon the strength of generations, symbolized by a quilt each woman adds to.

This universal story of family alliances and losses is vividly rooted in time and space. Sarah’s story arc is relatable and real, embracing the many roles women are called upon to take, and the emotions that often accompany those roles.

I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. ( )