By: Ethan Joella
Narrator: Chris Henry Coffey
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 978-1668024607
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: 07/02/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
From the author of the Read with Jenna Bonus Pick A Little Hope, an uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town about a local restaurant owner at a turning point.
Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant and Jack has been at the helm since the death of his father. Jack puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach, or even enjoyed a moment to himself.
Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been gradually snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast and are pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands.
Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders if closing the door on the restaurant might open a new window for him. But who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that they will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?
When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to reshape his life and forge unexpected new friendships. But will he really let go of the very things that have defined him?
My Review
Ethan Joella returns following A Quiet Life (5 stars) with his latest emotionally resonating and reflective literary fiction, THE SAME BRIGHT STARS —set in a Delaware beach small town, a local restaurant owner at a turning point in his life with some life-altering decisions to unravel.
About...
Set in the resort town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Jack Schmidt, age 52, is a successful beachfront restaurant owner. A three-generation family-owned company, he has dedicated his life to the restaurant, employees, and community. He has neglected his personal life, family, and friends for work.
As he ages, he reflects on his life, realizing that he can't even recall the last time he took a moment for himself on the beach. His journey of self-discovery and longing for a simpler life will surely resonate with many readers.
When the larger DelDine group approaches him with an offer to take Schmidts off his hands, he has some decisions to make. But what would he be without the restaurant that has defined his life?
Can he trust this larger company to continue the legacy, honor his family's name, and take care of his employees?
He has money in the bank, and a business does not guarantee happiness. This is all he has known since his mother died when he was twelve. He has never had a family of his own.
When he receives some news from his past, he must decide if he is ready to let go of the things that have defined him his entire life. This internal struggle with his identity and the potential for a new beginning will keep readers hooked.
My thoughts...
Perceptive, heartfelt, and enlightening. There is always a little magic, heart, wisdom, and soul-searching, within the pages of Ethan Joella's novels.
Ethan Joella is a master storyteller, and THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is a testament to his skill. His introspective, reflective look at life in a small town and a man at a crossroads—a thought-provoking story of community, family, grief, legacy, and perseverance that readers will surely appreciate.
This heartwarming story is about community, relationships, family, and family, not blood-related, friends, and the unexpected ways those around us can transform us.
The author has a signature style and understands the human connections with his insightful well-developed characters who come alive on the page. From life's messiness, complexities, and struggles we learn from experiences to make us stronger to live the best life we can. After all, we only have one life, and we need to live it to the fullest. A beautiful, poignant life-affirming, and hopeful novel. I loved the letters and the Rehoboth Beach Guidebook.
THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is an emotional, resonant story about the power of human connection, time, death, grief, reflection, hope, forgiveness, community, and what it takes to live life without regrets.
Recs...
I highly recommend this author's books and writings. For Joella fans and those who enjoy books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Elizabeth Berg, Fredrik Backman, Susan Fletcher, Suzanne Redfearn, and Gillian Jackson.
Thanks to Scribner for an advanced digital reading copy via NetGalley for an honest opinion.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5)
Pub Date: July 2, 2024
Praise
"A feel-good summer tale."
—Publisher's Weekly
"A touching tribute to a cherished place and the people who make it home.”
—Nikki Erlick, New York Times Bestselling author of The Measure
"I recognized and rooted for all the wonderful small-town characters in this moving story about a man at a crossroads in his life. Ethan Joella skillfully explores how grief shapes us, and he captures those perfect moments of human connection we all crave."
—Tracey Lange, author of We Are the Brennans
"Ethan Joella writes with wisdom and emotional precision about the ache to feel alive and the unexpected ways relationships comfort, devastate and transform us. Absorbing, tender and filled with heart, The Same Bright Stars moved me with its unwavering hope."
—Hanna Halperin, author of I Could Live Here Forever
"With his signature heart, hopefulness and hard-won wisdom, Ethan Joella more than delivers in The Same Bright Stars. Readers will laugh, cry, and dream alongside the earnest, sentimental Jack and his instantly lovable, warm-hearted community of Rehoboth Beach natives, a town that sparkles to life from the very first page. With his story of family, grief, legacy, and perseverance, Joella has crafted a sensational summer read. I will forever feel lucky to read (and yes, unabashedly weep over!) anything Joella. writes."
—Becky Chalsen, author of Kismet
About the Author
Ethan Joella grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania. He teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware and specializes in community writing workshops and online instruction. His work has appeared in River Teeth, The Cimarron Review, The MacGuffin, Delaware Beach Life, and Third Wednesday. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters.
