Review by ArielJMartin -- Kindred Journeys

[Ariel_Martin]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Kindred Journeys" by Marjorie Tapley-Olson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Kindred Journeys, by Marjorie Tapley-Olson, is a whirlwind adventure as Martha, and later Francesca and Andy, take readers up, down and all around the country. The story begins with a very pregnant Martha, who has lit after Farley, her boyfriend and father of her unborn, across the U.S.. After her car breaks down she unexpectedly finds herself giving birth in a hayloft she stumbled upon. But the real surprise comes when Martha discovers there was more than one baby in there! Now what is she supposed to do? A bit unconventional and a tad crazy, Martha packs her babies into a buggy and continues her mission to find Farley, on foot.

Kindred Journeys is a narrative told from five points-of-view, the first being Martha. Andy has recently been promoted to detective, but it cost him his marriage and a scar. Despondent and missing "the beat" he decides to take a creative writing class to improve his favorite hobby. Francesca, a nurse's assistant, is ready to move on from her husband's death and chooses to move her son closer to his grandparents, states away. Ariel, a runaway, has found a lovely couple to give her work at their house and a place to stay. And finally Frank, a lonely traveler. After stumbling across a family, he is welcome as one of their own. One discovery sends them all on a journey for answers.

What I liked most about Kindred Journeys is how the author maintains the tone and dialect for the various character narratives. Each chapter is told from a different character's point-of-view in no particular order or fashion, the characters were so well defined that is was still simple to follow. The authors attention to detail within the individual narratives helped to develop the character yet left the reader still questioning the story twists. At some points I thought the story was going to be predictable.There were just enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes. Kindred Journeys is a very engaging book, it had me laughing and crying at all the right places.

I genuinely enjoyed the book but if I had to pick something I did not like it would be how the story ended. I was not upset with how the story was resolved. I feel like the ultimate goal of the book was resolved, but the ending was very abrupt. There was not a lot of time to process all that was happening. The author has left me with a lot more questions than answers. That is not necessarily a bad thing though.

I would recommend Kindred Journeys to readers that enjoy multiple narratives. Some stories can be difficult for readers to navigate in this style. In this book the transitions of characters are cohesive and keep the reader engaged. I think that any reader would enjoy this book though. It was easy to imagine myself in a broken down car with Martha, or working with Ariel in her shop.

I give Kindred Journeys 3 out of 4 stars. It was an exceptional book that had my gears turning the whole time. I would have like to give it a 4, but the book did not appear to be thoroughly edited. I would like to read more from Marjorie Tapely-Olson.

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Kindred Journeys
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[Kirsi Cultrera]

I have been trying to decide whether to pick this book for reading or not. After reading your review I am pretty sure I would enjoy it. Thanks for introducing Kindred Joyrneys!

[MeganDJ]

I am impressed that the author was able to get multiple perspectives right, as it is an incredibly difficult thing to do. By the title, it seems that all the characters must have something in common, is that correct? Anyways, thank you for the lovely review! Happy reading