Book Summary and Reviews of A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

A Little Hope

A Novel

by Ethan Joella

  • Published:
  • Nov 2021, 288 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

An "immersive…illuminating" (Booklist) and life-affirming novel following the residents of an idyllic Connecticut town over the course of a year, A Little Hope explores the intertwining lives of a dozen neighbors as they confront everyday desires and fears: a lost love, a stalled career, an illness, and a betrayal.

Freddie and Greg Tyler seem to have it all: a comfortable home, a beautiful young daughter, a bond that feels unbreakable. But when Greg is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, the sense of certainty they once knew evaporates. Throughout their town, friends and neighbors face the most difficult of life's challenges and are figuring out how to survive thanks to love, grace, and hope.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Greg confronts his diagnosis in a head-on, almost aggressive way. What do you make of his emotional response?
  2. Do you or have you lived in a small town? What is your network of friends and family like? How does your own compare to that of the characters?
  3. Consider Ahmed and Damon's friendship. How do you think their relationship compares to most male friendships? What does their dynamic add to the novel?
  4. When Alex and Kay tell Greg and Freddie about Alex's daughter, Freddie reflects she could forgive Greg for anything, "if it meant they could get to Alex and Kay's age." Each relationship informs others throughout the novel. What can be learned from having a variety of perspectives at different stages of life?
  5. ...
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Reviews

Media Reviews

"A surprising page-turner... Its calm wisdom about bearing the toughest losses—sometimes lightened by unexpected gifts—makes this novel a comforting companion for difficult times." —People

"Poignant and quietly powerful…Joella is particularly deft at deconstructing quiet moments in small-town life and amplifying their significance... more than a tad hopeful." —New York Times Book Review

"Forgiveness and redemption are the soul of this novel, but it's the love you will remember long after you put it down." —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Lucia, Lucia and The Shoemaker's Wife

"A quietly powerful portrait of small-town life, about how the private worries and dreams of a set of characters intersect, told with wisdom and tenderness." —Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes

This information about A Little Hope was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Ethan Joella

Ethan Joella teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware. He is the author of A Little Hope, which was a Read with Jenna Bonus Selection, A Quiet Life, and The Same Bright Stars. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters.

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Read-Alikes

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