maple avenue

WINNER OF 9 BOOK AWARDS - THE LANDLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE

Based on true stories about an Immigrant Family from Canada who resided in Cambridge Mass for 60 yrs.

BOOK REVIEW - JULY 2025

REVIEW RATING FIVE STARS

READERS' CHOICE BOOK REVIEW - SILVER AWARD

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 author's family, but the characters and events have been altered and fictionalized. Suzanne Gillis crafts a touching narrative about an elderly matriarch whose life is turned upside down as she reluctantly moves to a new house.

REVIEW RATING 5 STARS - LITERARY TITAN BOOK AWARD

Thomas Anderson, Editor In Chief Literary Titan

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 family dynamics are as rich as they are fraught. Marceline’s interactions with her daughters-in-law, particularly Julie, show an interesting but tense familial push and pull. Julie’s efforts to teach her mother-in-law how to manage checks and the bank registry reveal the gap between their generations. Marceline’s resistance to the “modern” way of banking is both humorous and frustrating, and it speaks to her desire to hold on to some sense of control. The struggle between Marceline’s need for autonomy and her sons’ well-meaning attempts to support her adds another layer of realism to the story, as it reveals the tensions of caregiving that many families experience.

A surprisingly touching part of the book is the unexpected Florida trip. Marceline’s “reluctant” journey with her son Tommy to see alligators adds humor and warmth to the story and provides a rare moment of levity in their otherwise serious lives. Marceline’s confusion about being on a plane and her eventual confrontation with a misbehaving child in flight are memorable for the way they capture her no-nonsense nature in unfamiliar settings. This scene allowed me to see her vulnerabilities in a new light, and I felt both amused and touched by her innocence mixed with her strong demeanor.

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.

REVIEW RATING FIVE STARS - READER'S FAVORITE BOOK AWARD

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.

I was particularly drawn to the rich development of Marceline's character, finding myself deeply invested in her struggle for dignity and recognition within her family. The attention to historical detail is layered into every scene with great detail, but never an overwhelming amount and it creates an immersive experience that transports readers back to the 1950s, while the exploration of family power dynamics and personal validation will speak to anyone with lived experiences of tense or difficult family relationships. What truly sets this book apart is how Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis weaves together themes of the immigrant experience in such a relevant way, creating a tapestry of human emotion and cultural issues that feel both deeply personal and universally relevant. 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

REVIEW RATING FIVE STARS - READERS FAVORITE BOOK AWARD

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

REVIEW RATING FIVE STARS - READERS FAVORITE BOOK AWARD

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite

THE LANDLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE by Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis is a literary novel that follows Marceline Gillis after she acquired a Victorian house in Cambridge. Marceline has trouble asserting her authority and is increasingly marginalized by her sons, Bernie and Johnny, and their wives, Julie and Corinne, who take over decisions about the property. Things go from bad to worse as plans shift further from her vision, particularly regarding renovations and potential tenants, which Marceline opposes, fearing change and feeling overlooked. As she tries to reign in her role in managing the household, she faces emotional challenges stemming from her past, especially the loss of her son Andrew, and another that comes later. At its heart, this is the story of Marceline's journey to reclaim her sense of identity and authority within a family that thwarts her at every turn.

Suzanne Elizabeth Gillis's THE LANDLADY OF MAPLE AVENUE is an insightful and deep look at motherhood and womanhood in mid-century America, and the infantilizing of women, which happens with far more regularity than most want to admit. Gillis’s writing is sharp even with an intentionally slower pace, allowing Marceline's character and the events that shaped her to fully blossom. Marceline's frustrations are captured with realism, and there is one scene in particular where her family essentially trapped her in another state which triggered a similar experience of my own that I did not expect. The weight of unspoken feelings that Gillis evoked was heavy, and I'm sure others will be able to relate in one way or another. There are some timeline jumps that were a tiny bit bumpy, but, in the grand scheme of building backstory without giving away the entire plot at once, it makes sense. Overall, this is a thoughtful, thought-provoking novel that is definitely worth a read. Very highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW - BETA READER

"I haven’t read a plot similar to this before. A lovely tone to the writing; you can hear the characters’ accents as you read their dialogue. Great sentence structure and pacing throughout, reflecting the chaos of Gillis's family's daily lives. The plot keeps you intrigued to find out what happens to the family, especially Marceline to see if she changed her ways. The structure was excellent throughout, avoiding revealing too much too soon. The added historical chapters at pivotal moments, jumping between time zones, revealing the character's past experiences and pain, and were brilliantly applied. This added great depth and suspense to the story, which kept the reader fully enthralled till the very end. Excellent pacing and writing for this memorable historical family saga, which I thoroughly enjoyed!"