20190224_161631.jpgToday I have a review of The Testament of Harold’s Wife by Lynne Hugo and am taking part in the blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved! Please make sure to read all the way to the bottom to enter to win a copy!

About the Book:

From award-winning author Lynne Hugo comes a witty, insightful, refreshingly unsentimental novel about one woman’s unconventional path from heartbreak to hope….

After losing her husband, Harold, and her beloved grandson, Cody, within the past year, Louisa has two choices. She can fade away on her Indiana family farm, where her companionship comes courtesy of her aging chickens and an argumentative cat. Or, she can concoct A Plan. Louisa, a retired schoolteacher who’s as smart, sassy, and irreverent as ever, isn’t the fading away type.

The drunk driver who killed Cody got off scot-free by lying about a deer on the road. Harold had tried to take matters into his own hands but was thwarted by Gus, the local sheriff. Now Louisa decides to take up Harold’s cause, though it will mean outsmarting Gus, who’s developed an unwelcome crush on her, and staying ahead of her adult son who’s found solace in a money-draining cult and terrible art.

Louisa’s love of life is rekindled as the spring sun warms her cornfields and she goes into action. But even the most Perfect Plans can go awry. A wounded buck, and a teenage boy on the land she treasures help Louisa see that the enduring beauty of the natural world and the mystery of human connection are larger than revenge . . . and so is justice.

My Thoughts:

Louisa has quite the story to tell you. She’s lost her husband, Harold, and her grandson, Cody, within the past year. She can grieve her life away, or she can dust herself off and do something about it all. Louisa chooses the latter. 

Cody was killed by a drunk driver, and Harold believed the driver was lying about a deer causing the accident. Harold had taken on the cause of proving it up until he passed away. Louisa takes this on as her own, even as the local sheriff, Gus, takes an unrequited interest in her. 

Louisa also has to deal with her son who is throwing his money away on a cult and what he deems “art.” 

Louisa finds a purpose again in unexpected ways amongst her beautiful farm, cat, and beloved chickens. 

The Testament of Harold’s Wife is a quick read with plenty of depth. You can feel Louisa’s loss and thoughts on aging on every page; however, juxtaposed with that is her search for the silver linings and peace. There is humor and candor and humanity. I thought I would love the cat the most, but no, it was the chickens! 

Overall, The Testament of Harold’s wife is about a quirky, fun grandmother walking through losses in an empowering way. She readily shows her tenacity, and the story brought out a mix of emotions, while ending on a high note. Overall, The Testament is as eccentric and clever as its main character! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

Lynne Hugo is an American author whose roots are in the northeast. A National Endowment For The Arts Fellowship recipient, she has also received repeat individual artists grants from the Ohio Arts Council and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Her publications include eight novels, one volume of creative non-fiction, two books of poetry and a children’s book. She lives with her husband, a former Vice President for Academic Affairs of a liberal arts college and now a professional photographer, in the Midwest. They have two grown children, three grandchildren, and a yellow Labrador retriever.

Ms. Hugo has taught creative writing to hundreds of schoolchildren through the Ohio Arts Council’s renowned Arts in Education program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, and a Master’s from Miami University.

When an editor asked her to describe herself as a writer, she responded:

“I write in black Wal-Mart capri sweatpants. They don’t start out as capris, but I routinely shrink them in the drier by accident. And I always buy black because it doesn’t show where I’ve wiped the chocolate off my hands. Now that my son and daughter are grown, my previous high grade of ‘below average’ in Domestic Achievement has dropped somewhat. But I’m less guilty about it now. I lose myself in crafting language by a window with birdfeeders hanging in the branches of a Chinese elm towering over the house. When I come up for air, I hike by the ponds and along the river in a nearby forest with my beloved Lab. My husband, with whom I planted that elm as a bare root sapling, joins us when he can.”

***Book Giveaway***

For a chance to win a paperback copy of The Testament of Harold’s Wife, please simply comment below. Sorry, US entries only per publisher rules. 

Have you read The Testament of Harold’s Wife, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR