Three Story House: A Novel by Courtney Miller Santo

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

As they renovate a historic Memphis house together, three cousins discover that their spectacular failures in love, career, and family provide the foundation for their future happiness in this warm and poignant novel reminiscent of The Postmistress and The Secret Life of Bees.

Approaching thirty and trying to avoid the inescapable fact that they have failed to live up to everyone’s expectations as well as their own aspirations, cousins and childhood best friends Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel seek respite in an oddly shaped, three-story house that sits on a bluff sixty feet above the Mississippi River.

As they work to restore the nearly condemned house, each woman faces uncomfortable truths about her own failings. Lizzie seeks answers to a long-held family secret about her father in their grandmother’s jumble of mementos and the home’s hidden spaces. Elyse’s obsession with an old flame leads her to a harrowing mistake that threatens to destroy her sister’s wedding. And Isobel’s quest for celebrity tempts her to betray confidences in ways that could irreparably damage her two cousins.

This sharply observed account of the restoration of a house built out of spite but filled with memories of love is also a tale of friendship and a lesson in how relying on one another’s insights and strengths provides the women with a way to get what they need instead of what they want.

my thoughts:

Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo is a family drama through and through.  Its chock full of relatives who love each other too much and too little at times.  There are family secrets, a run-down family home to repair, and personal issues to confront - all of which make for one spellbinding read.

Santo has written a terrific new story about three cousins who are best friends, nearly thirty, and searching for direction in their lives.  She brings them together to work on restoring their grandmother's old Spite House.  As each woman attempts to salvage a part of the home, they begin to mend the broken parts of their lives.  The book is broken into three sections, each one representing a different cousin, Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel.  I love when authors provide us with each character's perspective on their own lives and the lives of those around them - its fascinating to see how differently everyone remembers the past or views the present.  I found myself hooked from the beginning when Lizzie is first introduced to her new cousins, Elyse and Isobel - she discovers a whole new world of family and friendship that will last a lifetime.

Three Story House is a book that I knew I would love, because of its focus on family dynamics.  I felt that Santo really explored the ways in which families support, encourage one another, while also looking at the ways in which families can fall apart.  This story had an interesting cast of characters that were realistic and very relatable.  I loved getting to know these best friends. 

I would definitely recommend Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo to fans of women's fiction, specifically those about family dramas.  You will love this book!  And if you want to find out what everyone else has to say about this great book, here's the link for the TLC Book Tour schedule:
Three Story House

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!