Maine

By: J. Courtney Sullivan

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In her best-selling debut, Commencement, J. Courtney Sullivan explored the complicated and contradictory landscape of female friendship. Now, in her highly anticipated second novel, Sullivan takes us into even richer territory, introducing four unforgettable women who have nothing in common but the fact that, like it or not, they're family.

For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree bearing the initials "A.H." At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath the surface.

As three generations of Kelleher women descend on the property one summer, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

By turns wickedly funny and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to Maine and to each other.

©2011 J. Courtney Sullivan (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"I have never stayed at this cottage in Maine, or any cottage in Maine, but no matter: I now feel I know what it's like being in a family that comes to the same place summer after summer, unpacking their familiar longings, slights, shorthand conversation, and ways of being together. J. Courtney Sullivan's Maine is evocative, funny, close-quartered, and highly appealing." (Meg Wolitzer, author of The Uncoupling)

"Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan is a powerful novel about the ties that bind families tight, no matter how dysfunctional. Sullivan has created in the Kelleher women a cast of flawed but lovable characters so real, with their shared history of guilt and heartache and secret resentments, that I’m sure I’ll be thinking about them for a long time to come." (Amy Greene, author of Bloodroot)

"Everyone has dark secrets. It’s why God invented confession and booze, two balms frequently employed in Sullivan’s well-wrought sophomore effort. Alice Brennan is Irish American through and through, the daughter of a cop, a good Catholic girl so outwardly pure that she’s a candidate for the papacy... As Sullivan’s tale unfolds, there are plenty of reasons that Alice might wish to avoid taking too close a look at her life: There’s tragedy and heartbreak around every corner, as there is in every life... Sullivan spins a leisurely yarn that looks into why people do the things they do - particularly when it comes to drinking and churchgoing - and why the best-laid plans are always the ones the devil monkeys with the most thoroughly. The story will be particularly meaningful to Catholic women, though there are no barriers to entry for those who are not of that faith. Mature, thoughtful, even meditative at times - but also quite entertaining." ( Kirkus)

A good family story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, a good story about the different and complex perspectives of an average american family.

Would you recommend Maine to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, good story not to complicated. Good read.

Which character – as performed by Ann Marie Lee – was your favorite?

Alice.

Do you think Maine needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, from the deep character development in the book you understand how they are going to move on with their lives without the house in Maine or without Alice.

Ms. Sullivan is a Masterful Writer

Fabulous writing — only drawback was that ending felt more like author just got tired of writing this story and ended it — unsatisfying. But still recommend for the wonderfully wrought characters and interplay.

Loved the story, narrator was totally annoying

I liked this story because it spoke to me as an Irish Catholic woman raised in Maine. I could pluck people out of my own life and set them down in this setting. This is an adult book and deserves a sophisticated narrator not one who sounds like she's reading to kids. I would recommend it to those who are interested in Irish-Catholic guilt and fatalism.

a New England tale

Enjoyed it. Sometimes trying to kerp track of the different generations of charactets was tough. Did a lot of decade jumping back and forth

OK story, annoying reader!

I had to stop listening to this book, though I had read good things about it and was looking forward to it. The reader sounds as if she is reading to toddlers, she is so slow and "flight attendant-ish." Having just finished listening to a book read by Hope Davis, who is terrific, this reader seemed intolerable.

Great beach read

Would you try another book from J. Courtney Sullivan and/or Ann Marie Lee?

I will try one more.

Would you recommend Maine to your friends? Why or why not?

I love well written sagas that cross generations. The characters were interesting, the story well developed and the plot was non formulaic.

Was Maine worth the listening time?

Absolutely worth the listening time.

I hated the ending!

I got the storyline ending but it still left me gazing off and feeling like I wasn't finished!
Very good narrator though!

Captivating

What made the experience of listening to Maine the most enjoyable?

I listened to the entire book in a day. The author carefully doled out just enough information in each chapter about the key character in that chapter so that I understood what was happening, but at the same time it was clear that there were secrets yet to be revealed. I could not turn off my iPod until I reached the end. The book was particularly enjoyable when all four key characters were together in Maine.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I found all four main characters well developed and interesting, albeit quirky. None was terribly likable, yet none was entirely dislikable either. I felt like I was reading about family members I have met in friends' families, but, thankfully, not about my own family members.

Have you listened to any of Ann Marie Lee???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first performance by Ann Marie Lee I have heard. I did not read any of the other reviews before I listend to the book and was surprised by the number of negative reviews. I never noticed that the narration was particularly slow. In fact I found the pace enjoyable. Some performances are read so quickly, I find myself rewinding to catch what I missed. I was also not troubled by the Boston accent. While the accent may not have been perfect, as a former New Englander, I felt quite at home. I would not hesitate to buy another book narrated by Ms. Lee.

Any additional comments?

Ms. Sullivan's first novel Commencement has been on my wishlist for some time. After reading Maine, Commencement is moving to the top of the list for my next purchase.

All time favorite

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to listen to the book from beginning to end in one sitting - my favorite book of all time!

Amazing book!!

I really liked this book! It was very interesting to see the different points of view of every family member! It kept me intrigued and I wanted more!