Category Archives: Kathryn Craft

Review: The Far End of Happy by Kathryn Craft

far endTitle: The Far End of Happy by Kathryn Craft
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Ronnie’s husband is supposed to move out today. But when Jeff pulls into the driveway drunk, with a shotgun in the front seat, she realizes nothing about the day will go as planned.

The next few hours spiral down in a flash, unlike the slow disintegration of their marriage-and whatever part of that painful unraveling is Ronnie’s fault, not much else matters now but these moments. Her family’s lives depend on the choices she will make-but is what’s best for her best for everyone?

Based on a real event from the author’s life, The Far End of Happy is a chilling story of one troubled man, the family that loves him, and the suicide standoff that will change all of them forever.

Review:

Powerful. Intense. Emotional. Gut wrenching. While all of these adjectives fit The Far End of Happy, I believe that “heartbreaking” is probably the one that comes closest to describing this riveting novel. Incredibly moving and achingly poignant, the story is a fictionalized account that is based on actual events from Kathryn Craft’s life. This haunting tale provides readers with an unforgettable look into her failed marriage and the tragic circumstances that culminate with her first husband’s dramatic stand-off with police.

Veronica “Ronnie” Farnham’s marriage is over and the day has finally arrived that her husband Jeff is supposed to move out. From the moment she awakens, she realizes something is not quite right, but it not until she, along with their two sons, Will and Andrew, spy Jeff in his car that they realize how terribly wrong things are that morning. It is apparent that Jeff is drunk and at first, their main concern is to keep him from driving away. But to Ronnie’s horror, she notices a shotgun in the front seat of the car and she knows that everyone’s lives are in terrible danger. Soon, their quiet farm is surrounded by police and the media while she and her children are whisked away to safety. Meanwhile, Jeff barricades himself in their farm store with the shotgun and over the next several hours, police try to negotiate with him to peacefully surrender.

As Ronnie, her mother Beverly and her mother-in-law Janet anxiously wait for news, the women cannot fathom how they ended up at this point in their lives. Each of them reflects on the past as they try to pinpoint the moment things began to go wrong. Through each woman’s perspective, a picture begins to emerge of a deeply troubled man who turns to alcohol to cope with his problems.

Ronnie slowly surrendered her dreams after her marriage to Jeff. At first an eager participant as they renovate their dilapidated home, in recent years, she has grown tired of the endless projects. Her weariness is compounded as Jeff slowly checks out of their life, leaving her with the responsibility of raising their sons while balancing running their farm store with her freelance writing projects.   As Ronnie comes to the realization their marriage is beyond saving, she must then cope with Jeff’s increasing despondency. When Jeff threatens suicide, she is forced to make one of the hardest decisions of her life as she tries to get him the treatment he so desperately needs. But as she quickly discovers, Ronnie cannot force him to get the treatment he needs and she moves forward with her plans to divorce him.

Janet is completely blind to her son’s faults and at first, she is convinced that Ronnie is to blame for Jeff’s problems. He has carefully spun events so that it appears all of his decisions have been to make Ronnie happy. But as the hours pass and tempers flare, Janet is forced to face the fact that Jeff is not blameless in the demise of his marriage and that her efforts to help him only enabled him to continue on his destructive path.

Beverly’s main concern is for her daughter and grandsons, but she too revisits painful events from her past. She objectively reflects on the defining event that led to poor decisions and a lifelong search for happiness. Her long held secrets are finally revealed and true healing finally begins for both her and Ronnie.

The suspense builds as the hours stretch into the early evening and The Far End of Happy quickly hurdles to its inevitable conclusion. Although it is impossible to avoid shedding a few tears as the story comes to a close, Kathryn Craft does a spectacular job of ending the novel on a hopeful note as Ronnie and her family begin the arduous task of healing from the day’s traumatic events.

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Review: The Art of Falling by Kathryn Craft

artTitle: The Art of Falling by Kathryn Craft
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

One Wrong Step Could Send Her Over the Edge

All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance—and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning.

The Review:

The Art of Falling is a spectacular debut novel that is utterly captivating from beginning to end. This in-depth look into the world of dance is quite fascinating and Kathryn Craft does not gloss over the physical and mental toll the sport can sometimes take on dancers. Poignant and powerful, this emotional story of friendship, healing and new beginnings is thought-provoking and compelling.

Her whole life has been dedicated to dance, but broken in both body and spirit, Penelope “Penny” Sparrow is trying to make sense of her life after surviving a horrific fall. With no place else to go, she finds herself back in her mother’s house where she is forced to come to terms with her lifelong struggle with body image. But it is through the two people she meets at the lowest point in her life that Penny learns life’s most valuable lessons. Angela Reed offers Penny something that has long been absent from her life: friendship, unconditional love and acceptance. Marty Kandelbaum literally saved Penny’s life and his gentle wisdom and his willingness to take a chance on love after tragedy provides her a new perspective on both her past and her future.

Penny is in a very dark place at the beginning of The Art of Falling. Her body is not typical for a dancer and she has fought to find her niche in the dancing world. When her dream job and romance end, Penny is overwhelmed with doubts about herself-her talent, her body and her accomplishments. In the aftermath of her fall, Penny battles depression as she faces her fear that she might never dance again but with the encouragement of Angela and Kandelbaum, Penny comes to a new understanding of herself and the people in her life.

Angela and Kandelbaum are an excellent cast of secondary characters and I absolutely adored them. Angela is upbeat and positive despite her health issues and their friendship is a wonderful chance for Penny to focus on someone but herself. Kandelbaum is a sweet, spiritual man with a very calming presence and although he has suffered a great loss, he is a ray of sunshine. Their friendship reminds Penny of how much she let slip away when she became so focused on her career and the man who ultimately betrayed her.

One of the most difficult story arcs is Penny’s relationship with her mother Evelyn. Penny’s disdain of her mother’s weight overshadows all of the good that Evelyn has done for Penny. Penny is concerned about the health risks obesity poses for Evelyn, but it also propels Penny to count calories and meticulously maintain a strict diet. Evelyn is not the typical stage mother, pushing her daughter to succeed. Instead she gives Penny the opportunity to pursue her dream even when that means stepping out of Penny’s life. Although Penny does not always see it, Evelyn is her biggest supporter and she goes to great lengths to protect Penny. It is intensely gratifying to see them repair their fractured relationship and come to a better understanding of each other.

Kathryn Craft’s The Art of Falling is a beautiful mix of heartache and hope as Penny finds her way back from the brink of despair. The mystery surrounding her fall is intriguing and uncovering the truth takes the reader and Penny on a phenomenal journey of growth and self-discovery. An impressive first novel that I heartily recommend.

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Filed under Contemporary, Fiction, Kathryn Craft, Rated A, Review, Sourcebooks Landmark, The Art of Falling