Kaya McLaren

I hate first person present tense. Even worse, though, is a story told from the alternating viewpoints of five separate characters, when all five use first person present tense. ALL FIVE. The only exception is the opening passage, which is written from the moon’s (literally, the moon) POV… in third person present tense. Hell, for all I know, we are also treated to the dog and the imaginary friend as narrators in first person present tense, but I only got to page 37 before I closed the book and threw it across the room at the garbage can.

Paperback, which has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for so long that I no longer remember when or why I even bought it. I suspect it was a recommendation from the (now defunct) Books on the Nightstand podcast.… (altro)

Strong Look At Often Unexplored Topics. Glancing through the other reviews (as I generally do before writing my own, fwiw), it seems that so many people miss what I happen to see as the overall point of the book: Exploring how individuals can find themselves again and discover what they feel is worth keeping in the face of overwhelming tragedy. Here, McLaren uses three primary characters: A mother who has "survived" cancer, including a mastectomy and radical hysterectomy, only to have to piece back together her sense of self and whether she is still attractive. (A battle, it seems, that the author herself went through in real life.) A father who began working as a cop in order to provide for his then-young family, and who was one of the first responders shifting through the rubble behind Timothy McVeigh trying to save as many people as possible after the bombing of the Alfred P Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City - a tragedy that still haunts him all these decades later, at the end of his career. And a daughter who learns that her mother's cancer is to some degree hereditary, causing her to question any future she may have even as she graduates high school.

In these situations, McLaren points to tragedies and situations that are relatable to many of us, and paints a story that even across roughly 500 books read in under three years, I've rarely if ever seen. A story of survival (which is common, in and of itself) and of finding love (also common), but these particular wrinkles of the overall story have often been overshadowed in the stories by other, "flashier" topics.

While I am genuinely sorry that the author lived through at least some of this, I am exceedingly happy that she was able to use those real life experiences to craft this tale in this way. It is a story that needed to be told, and it is a story that needs to be read by far too many. And for that reason, it is a story that is very much recommended.… (altro)

What’s Worth Keeping is a life-affirming novel that explores important themes such as love, family, perseverance, and finding your way when you feel lost. Not only that, it is full of wonderful imagery and metaphor. From Oklahoma City to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, McLaren imbues the novel with a definite sense of place, from the South Central plains to magical, forested mountaintops.

This is the story of Amy, Paul, and Carly – a woman, her husband, and their teenage daughter – who are all lost and floundering in life. Amy is a recent cancer survivor recovering from a double mastectomy and hysterectomy. Paul, many years later, is still suffering post-traumatic stress disorder from his role as a first responder at the Oklahoma City Bombing. Carly is angry and lashing out over her fear that she will be overcome with cancer like her mother and grandmother; and is also questioning the fruitfulness of going to college as she planned.

What’s Worth Keeping is based on the author’s own experience with breast cancer, treatment, and recovery, which gives the story a strong sense of authenticity. It starts out with a scene of Amy sorting through her clothing and deciding “what’s worth keeping” and what should be donated, an apt metaphoric theme for the novel, as Amy, Paul, and Carly struggle with putting their lives in order. The unsung star of the show, however, is Amy’s Aunt Rae, a wise and feisty wrangler of Clydesdale horses, who firmly, but gently, helps Amy, Paul, and Carly see what is truly meaningful and what can be discarded.

If I had any complaints, it would be that while McLaren has excellent usage of symbolism and analogy, it does at times feel a bit heavy-handed. And, occasionally, scenes such as Paul’s home remodeling project are over-explained, as if the average reader doesn’t have the capacity to understand simple construction techniques.

Despite these couple of small bumps in the road, I do recommend the novel as I did really enjoy it. I especially loved traveling across the country with Amy from Oklahoma City to the Pacific Northwest, sharing with her the novelty and beauty of each of the National Parks along the way (I have some new places on my bucket list!). Also, Aunt Rae is a true kick in the pants, with rustic yet astute advice for every situation – I found myself wishing I could plunk right down into one of her horse camping trips with those beautiful Clydesdales.

A big thank you to Kaya McLaren, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of What’s Worth Keeping in exchange for this honest review. What’s Worth Keeping is available January 19, 2021 from St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

#WhatsWorthKeeping
#KayaMcLaren
#StMartinsGriffin
#StMartinsPress
#WomensFiction
#NetGalley… (altro)