The Blessings

By: Elise Juska

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

"Bursting with wise observations." -- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Engagements and Maine

"Gleams like a jewel." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Stunning. . . Unique and unforgettable." -- Glamour

Hailed as one of the best books of 2014 by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Elise Juska's The Blessings is a moving novel about a tight-knit Irish Catholic clan over the course of twenty years.

The Blessings rally around one another in times of celebration and those of sorrow, coming together for departures and arrivals, while its members harbor private struggles and moments of personal joy. College student Abby ponders homesickness in her first semester away from her Philadelphia home, while her cousin Stephen commits a petty act of violence that takes a surprising turn, and their aunt Lauren faces a crisis in her storybook marriage she could never have foreseen. Through the lens of one unforgettable family, this beautifully moving novel explores how our families define us and how we shape them in return.

Critic reviews

"Elise Juska is so good at describing people, places, and moments that you not only picture them, you feel them."—Curtis Sittenfeld

Lovely Family Saga

Any additional comments?

A moving story about the highs and lows of a close-knit Irish family in Philadelphia over the course of many years. Well written and read.