THE LADYLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE is a historical fiction family saga inspired by true stories about the Gillis family. It centers around a multi-family Victorian home purchased in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1951 for the elderly and illiterate Marceline Gillis to live in while caring for her alcoholic husband and disabled WWII veteran son. Marceline assumes she will be the property's new landlady, fulfilling her lifelong dream of homeownership while ending her days of abject poverty -- only to discover that her two sons and their wives have other plans for the property’s management, feeling she is ill-equipped for the job. This sets off a small war within the tight-knit Catholic immigrant family from Nova Scotia, Canada, where Marceline has always been the undisputed, unchallenged matriarch of the entire Gillis clan--up till now! BOOK REVIEWS "This was an incredible story that tugged at my heart in a million ways. Marceline is such a misunderstood and broken character portrayed so well, with her final transformation being one of the sweetest endings I've ever read. A well-paced story filled with rich and delightful characters conveying so much love they couldn’t seem to express for themselves. Its richly told storyline provided many opportunities for self-reflecting, humor, and tears alike, leaving the reader craving more all the time. I would recommend this book to anyone and feel it would make an excellent book club read!" Editor/Reader AB "Wow! What a beautiful and painful novel! Hard and incredibly realistic in dealing with family dynamics. The reader can ‘see’ the house and the neighborhood and sense the entire place. The characters' voices are realistic and immediate providing great insight into Marceline's emotional struggles as well as her marriage. The things she does and does not do -- makes it even more heartbreaking with palpable loneliness. What a memorable book!" Beta Reader, Fiverr TP "These characters are all relatable and real. Between Marceline's continued selfishness and Fred being a drunken mess with a moral conscience, it is Tommy who continues to be the ray of sunshine with his gut-wrenching lovefest, especially when he befriends the local moms, which is absolutely hilarious. He continues to be my favorite character, and I can see readers absolutely loving him for his sweet, positive energy. You did a wonderful job showing the extent of his disability and how it impacts not just him but the entire Gillis family and the neighborhood at large. Fred’s death and the events leading up to it were so well-written that it gave me goosebumps. Poor Fred indeed!” Editor/Reader, HS "The Landlady of Maple Avenue is a heart-wrenching and joyfully entertaining novel filled with family conflicts, hardships, love, and forgiveness. The characters are dynamic and all originally unique, each leaving a lasting impression. I can absolutely see this being made into a movie or TV series." Beta Reader Fiverr YU
Copyright © 2024 maple avenue - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.