"Excellent. . . . A compelling, unique story. . . . Grabs the reader right away." –San Francisco Chronicle
"Lovely. . . . Memorable. . . . Waldman's vivid writing makes the reader feel a part of both the wildly beautiful Maine coast and two families' heart-crushing grief." –Chicago Sun-Times
"Waldman writes beautifully. . . . [She] keeps her eyes on the road, carrying us into dark territory with wisdom and grace." –The Washington Post
"You won't be able to tear yourself away." –Real Simple
"This beautiful novel shows us how families cope with the most painful kinds of loss and reminds us that even as grief fractures, it can pave the way for unexpected grace." –Ann Packer, author of
The Dive from Clausen's Pier and
Songs Without Words "Waldman knits [relationships] together with the pleasing symmetry of a doily. . . . She also constructs an impressive parallel between the vocations of shipbuilding and playing a stringed instrument. . . . Readers will enjoy the ride." –
The New York Times Book Review "Articulately plumbs the depths of the parent-child bond with clarity and intense feeling." –
USA Today "Waldman writes with practiced skill. . . . It's a love story, a tragedy, a family saga, as well as a novel about class conflict that pits two stubborn, controlling women against one another." –
The Boston Globe "Terrific. . . . Waldman's prose style is lovely and fresh. . . . This book made me happy, and happy to be alive."
–Pat Conroy, Amazon.com Review
"With the careful attention of a movie director, Waldman renders a panoramic scene of a wedding. . . . Lyrical descriptions." –
Philadelphia Inquirer "A handbook offering all the varieties of responding to loss. . . . A literary puzzle with rich and emotional rewards. . . . Delicate and insistent. . . .
Red Hook Road proves life and art are worth it." –
Bookslut "[An] engagingly complex examination of two close families." –
O, The Oprah Magazine "Moving. . . . [A] wise and beautifully written book." –Downeast.com
"Searing. . . . All of the characters are acutely rendered. . . . One of the pleasures of the book is in its detailed description of work: boat building, boxing, teaching and learning music. Sometimes, it suggests, what saves us is the work of our stubborn hands." –
Minneapolis Star Tribune "Elegant and riveting. . . . A masterful imagining of the way a single tragic event impacts the psyches and behaviors and dynamics of two families." –Kelly Korrigan, author of
The Middle Place and
Lift
