A DEEPLY FLAWED & DELICIOUSLY ENTERTAINING IMMIGRANT FAMILY SAGA
INSPIRED BY TRUE STORIES ABOUT THE GILLIS FAMILY
AWARD WINNING 1950s IMMIGRANT FAMILY SAGA NOVEL
LITERARY GLOBAL BOOK AWARD - HISTORICAL FICTION
AMERICAN WRITING AWARD FINALIST - FICTION & WOMEN'S FICTION
LITERARY TITAN BOOK AWARD - LITERARY FICTION
READERS FAVORITE BOOK AWARD - FIVE STARS
READER'S CHOICE AWARD - SILVER WINNER 5 STARS
In 1951, wife and mother of seven, Marceline Gillis, is moving from one of the poorest areas of Cambridgeport to a grand Victorian property in a prosperous middle class suburb of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is her final move with her husband Fred and her adult son Tommy, who has special needs. Marceline’s son Andrew recently passed away following a heart attack, and her other children have moved out of the family home. Marceline isn’t entirely happy about the move. Her two other sons, Bernie and Johnny, purchased the large property as an investment. They plan to divide the property into apartments, providing a home for their parents and a rental income for the family. Marceline’s name is not on the deeds, and she has no say, or control over anything happening in the house. She struggles with the transition from the head of the household in her previous home, into what she considers forced retirement. Determined to own the house outright and become the new landlady of 27 Maple Avenue, Marceline has a secret plan to gain back control. As Marceline attempts to regain control of her home, she reflects back on her life and her turbulent relationships with her husband and children. But, when further tragedy strikes the Gillis family, Marceline is forced to reconsider her future. The Landlady of Maple Avenue is a heartfelt novel by author Suzanne Gillis, about Marceline Gillis and the Gillis family. The novel is inspired by true stories of the authors family, but the characters and events have been altered and fictionalised. Suzanne Gillis crafts a touching narrative about an elderly matriarch whose life is turned upside down as she reluctantly moves to a new house. The book explores themes of aging, womanhood and motherhood, identity and displacement. Suzanne Gillis beautifully captures the nuanced textures of Marceline’s world, her beliefs and behaviours, her routines and rituals, her deep attachments to traditions and her resistance to change. Suzanne Gillis does not paint Marceline as a caricature of stubborn old age, but as a deeply human and complex woman navigating change in later life. For readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction, with subtle social commentary. READER'S CHOICE AWARD - Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A graceful and tender novel that explores the female identity, and the triumphs and tragedies of life. After reading The Landlady of Maple Avenue, I’m left with a mix of admiration and empathy for the complex family tapestry the book presents. It tells the story of Marceline Gillis and her family, taking us through decades of emotional highs and lows in their lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Marceline, a stubborn yet caring matriarch, navigates the trials of raising her children, managing her properties, and dealing with losses that force her to reckon with her past. The book touches on family loyalty, the bittersweet passage of time, and the undercurrents of pride and generational conflict within a family that can be both loving and tumultuous. The writing shines when it captures Marceline’s fierce and unbending personality. There’s a scene where she argues with her bank manager about an overdraft, refusing to admit her error until the last minute. Her interactions with the bank manager and her stubbornness felt all too real, showing her pride and aversion to appearing vulnerable or mistaken. But these moments of rigidity are balanced by glimpses of her care for her family, though expressed in non-traditional ways. Marceline’s relationship with her children, especially Bernie and Johnny, is complicated by her own personal struggles and regrets, making her both an imposing figure and a woman weighed down by her choices. The Landlady of Maple Avenue is a heartfelt and thought-provoking family fiction novel that would appeal to readers who enjoy family dramas with intricate but flawed characters. While Marceline’s sternness can be off-putting, her journey through motherhood, loss, and self-reflection creates a powerful story that will resonate with readers. FIVE STARS - Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite The Landlady of Maple Avenue by Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis is a poignant and humorous literary family saga inspired by true events. Set in the 1950s, it follows the aging Marceline Gillis, an immigrant mother of seven, as she plots to reclaim her position as the matriarch and rightful landlady of a Victorian house on Maple Avenue. Battling family tensions, disappointments, and the grief of losing loved ones, Marceline navigates the complexities of power, ownership, and legacy within her tight-knit Catholic family. Her journey is filled with heartache and determination as she seeks validation after a lifetime of hardship. Gillis demonstrates remarkable skill in bringing the complex dynamics of a mid-20th century immigrant family to life in a way that modern readers can easily connect with. Her sharp wit shines through in the dialogue between family members, creating moments of levity that balance perfectly with the more poignant aspects of the story, and every character felt so real like they'd jumped straight out of a time machine. Overall, The Landlady of Maple Avenue is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a well-crafted family saga that tackles complex emotional terrain with both humor and heart, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it FIVE STARS - Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite THE LANDLADY 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! FIVE STARS - Thomas Anderson, Editor In Chief Literary Titan
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