Cherise Wolas - THE RESURRECTION OF JOAN ASHBY

Plot (via Goodreads):

I viewed the consumptive nature of love as a threat to serious women. But the wonderful man I just married believes as I do―work is paramount, absolutely no children―and now love seems to me quite marvelous.

These words are spoken to a rapturous audience by Joan Ashby, a brilliant and intense literary sensation acclaimed for her explosively dark and singular stories.

When Joan finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she is stunned by Martin’s delight, his instant betrayal of their pact. She makes a fateful, selfless decision then, to embrace her unintentional family.

Challenged by raising two precocious sons, it is decades before she finally completes her masterpiece novel. Poised to reclaim the spotlight, to resume the intended life she gave up for love, a betrayal of Shakespearean proportion forces her to question every choice she has made.

Epic, propulsive, incredibly ambitious, and dazzlingly written, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby is a story about sacrifice and motherhood, the burdens of expectation and genius. Cherise Wolas’s gorgeous debut introduces an indelible heroine candid about her struggles and unapologetic in her ambition.

Review:

Last summer, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby was all over Bookstagram - I am here to tell you why. The way that Cherise Wolas writes is spellbinding, haunting, and completely immersive. 

The plot to this novel is unlike any other out there. From the beginning of this lengthy and heavily detailed novel, I knew that I was going to be in for a journey - unlike the thrillers and mysteries I mostly read, this was going to be something unworldly. Like a favorite vacation, this journey is one that will stick with me for a while to come. I absolutely am under the spell of Wolas' writing. The way that she can take these details within her writing, weave it into the mood of Joan Ashby, and then build a plot is spectacular. This novel is definitely more of a slower pace, but it's meant to be a novel that you can really immerse yourself in and enjoy this character for who she really is. 

I loved the way Wolas covered such a lengthy chunk (I.e. a lifetime) of this character and holds the reader hostage with a plethora of details and some rather impressive examples of the writing that made Joan Ashby the kind of author that America fell in love with and was so heavily intrigued by, that her career was taken off by storm. If you ask me, America in real time needs to do the same with Cherise Wolas. Not only is the character built, but her surroundings grow, her family grows, and she remains unapologetic, fierce, and one of the most reliable characters I have ever read. 

I'll admit, in the beginning I wasn't as into this book as I wanted to be as I was left waiting for something to happen within the first 100 pages, but I was quickly proven wrong. The pace to this novel is slower than most, but about midway really kicks off and not one chapter is like another. Wolas gives you a laboriously detailed insight into not only Ashby's life, but a major glimpse into the lives of her family and what it was like to be surrounded by this fascinating woman. I loved the second portion of this book that discusses an act of betrayal and was left with my jaw hanging at how this specific event could have happened and who was responsible. Once the pieces began to come together, I was even more hooked. 

The novel takes some great twists and turns, but in a completely separate way than a thriller novel would. As this novel is about growth, it's great to see the way that Joan Ashby handles herself when found in quite the predicament that is the betrayal of this novel. Without giving away more, I absolutely loved how this novel ended. It was the type of ending that makes you feel whole, leaves you with some things you have to piece together yourself, and at the same time, was reassuring that no matter what happens in life, there's always a way to either move on or fix it. 

Congratulations, Cherise Wolas. You are the Joan Ashby that I needed and the writer I've been waiting for. 

Special thanks to Flatiron Books for providing me with this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5