A HISTORICAL FAMILY SAGA THE LANDLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE by Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis This novel is inspired by true stories about a Canadian immigrant family of nine. "A three-unit Victorian house purchased in 1951 for the elderly and illiterate Marceline Gillis to live in rent-free while caring for her elderly alcoholic husband and disabled WWII veteran adult son. She assumes she will be the house's new landlady, fulfilling her lifelong dream of homeownership while ending her days of abject poverty and despair. But her two adult sons and wives who live elsewhere have other ideas, feeling she is not equipped for the job. This sets off a small war within the tightly-knit Catholic immigrant family from Canada, where Marceline has always been the primary patriarch of the family--up till now." The Author, Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis, is an established writer with an MFA with Honors in Screenwriting from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and a BA in playwriting and film from Hampshire College. She owns a website (scriptstories.com) where she helps non-writers develop story ideas into feature scripts and TV series since 2007. This is her first novel, based on a true story about her father's immigrant family from PEI, Canada, who settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the mid-1920s, surviving both the Great Depression and WWII before becoming US citizens themselves. THE LANDLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE has been compared to novels such as COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett, A THOUSAND ACRES by Jane Smiley, and WE WERE THE MULVANYES by Joyce Carol Oates. READ THE REVIEWS by FICTION BOOK EDITORS such as;' "I'd classify this book as a huge success! Throughout the story, I often felt like I was part of the Gillis family, watching as the characters interacted during their daily journeys, laughing, scoffing, and even shedding a few tears for them. The book chugged along nicely, adding tension, conflict, and humor while keeping the reader engaged to its surprising and insightful ending, proving a delightful read. Congratulations!" "Maple Avenue is a heart-wrenching and joyfully entertaining historical fiction novel filled with family conflicts, hardships, love, and forgiveness. The characters are dynamic and lovable, especially Tommy, who is both heartbreaking and adorable. I found myself rooting for the entire family as if we'd been neighbors or friends in another life! I highly recommend giving this book a read!" "I haven't read a plot similar to this before. A lovely tone to the writing and excellent structure added historical chapters at pivotal moments, jumping between time zones revealing the character's past experiences and pain, which were all brilliantly applied. This added great depth and suspense to the story, keeping the reader fully enthralled in this memorable historical family saga, which I thoroughly enjoyed!" "What a beautiful novel! Incredibly realistic in dealing with family dynamics about the generational tensions and fights over money and assets! Powerful, funny, and heartbreaking, we finally see all of Marceline's regrets, pain, and loneliness as everything comes together in the end as the reader finally makes peace with her and the rest of the family. It made me cry like a baby! Well done!" family saga fiction fiction historical novel family saga fiction novel family saga
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