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Thursday, November 5, 2009

TLC Tour Stop: Now and Then by Jacqueline Sheehan




Anna O'Shea has failed at marriage, shed her job at a law firm when she and her recalcitrant nephew are summoned to the past in a manner that nearly destroys them. Her 21st Century skills pale as she struggles to find her nephew in 1844 Ireland. For one of them, the past is filled with privilege. For the other, the past is brutally difficult, filled with hunger and struggle. Will every choice that they make reverberate through time? And do Irish wolfhounds carry the souls of the ancient Celts?




My thoughts:

I jumped at the chance to read this book and then host a Tour Stop on my blog. Why? Because I had just recently finished Lost & Found and totally fell in love with the entire story and cast of characters, most especially the dog! The first thing that struck me was that Now & Then had a totally different feeling to it, right from the very first page. I found that really refreshing. Sometimes author's get stuck in a rut and one book reads like the last one, but that didn't happen here. It's really hard to paraphrase this novel because the story is complicated, but not in a bad way. It starts off in the present day, and then the next thing you know Anna and her nephew Joseph get ripped from this world and find themselves in Ireland circa 1844. As you read you think to yourself, "How in the hell is the author going to make the connection here?"
I said that often but then I quit trying to figure out the WHY and just relaxed and let the story take me where it wanted. The pieces fall into place... and you begin to realize how past choices can have such a major affect on present day situations and relationships. Saying much more would really ruin the reading experience so I will end with a gentle nudge and tell you that you won't regret the time you spend reading Now & Then.......a favorite read of mine for 2009!

Favorite passage:

"Glennie was for the living. When my wife and sons died, it was Glennie who kept me from slitting me own throat, or turning to drink. She told me to honor them by living. She said the dead, the fairies, and God, all of them grow sad when we throw away the sights and smells of this life. When we sing, they sing. When we love, they love." They fell back on the blanket-covered hay. "I always knew that it would come to talk of fairies. Should we make them all happy? Will you make love with me?" she asked.


P.S. This book made me want an Irish Wolfhound!!!



Thanks again to TLC for asking me to be a part of this wonderful book tour and a huge thank you to Jacqueline Sheehan for using her talent with words to create this magical book!!

Check out other tour stops for this book here.

23 comments:

  1. Sounds cool :) And in a bad time too so would be interesting

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  2. Staci, it sounds like a wonderful book. Not sure I'd ever want an Irish Wolfhound but I love a book that has a great dog in it : ) Adding this title to my list!

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  3. haha, that's all I need. A book that makes me want a dog! lol

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  4. There's an Irish Wolfhound living down the road from me. He's beautiful...but HUGE!!!! Practically the size of a pony...

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  5. I really like books that feature a person going back to the past. Such imaginative possibilities! And I love the passage you quoted as your favorite!

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  6. they need to write a book on my doggy's breed!!! lol!!! no one has ever heard of it!!! LOL!!! but yet when u see a photo of him....everyone's like....ohhhhhhhhhhhh yeah...i've seen that kind before!!! LOL!!! loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee your review!!! sounds like a great book! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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  7. Staci...I am so glad you enjoyed this book so much. I did love Lost and Found by this author.

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  8. I hate to admit how shallow I am, but I want that book simply for the dog on the cover! I'm glad to see the book lives up to it.

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  9. This story sounds really good! Putting it on my wishlist.

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  10. I know what you mean about authors getting stuck in a rut. It's so nice when an author can write books that are different.

    Thanks for being on this tour! I'm glad you liked the book. You've got me wanting to read the book. :D

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  11. I'd love an Irish Wolfhound too. I've seen both books at the library and will pick them up the next time I see them.

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  12. Well, you had me convinced as soon as I saw the cover! I am adding this to my wish list. I'm in Ireland right now (The Mist by CArla Neggers) and I love it here :)

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  13. This sounds like a terrific novel. I absolutely love the picture on the cover.

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  14. This sure sounds like an interesting read..I'll be checking it out myself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!

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  15. This sounds like one I'm going to have to pick up.

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  16. I just received a copy of this from the author in today's mail - so glad to hear it's great!

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  17. Sounds like a very interesting read. Right up my alley.I'll have to add it to my must read list!

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  18. Sounds like a very interesting read. Right up my alley.I'll have to add it to my must read list!

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  19. Love the cover and this one is definitely going straight on my list ~ time travel and a dog, two things I love. Although I think a wolfhound is actually a horse pretending to be a dog LOL

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  20. I'm so glad to hear that you liked this so much, because I just got a copy from the publisher to read.

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  21. I'm so glad I read this review because this book sounds fascinating!

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  22. love the cover of this book.

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  23. The author recently sent me this book...and I am really looking forward to reading it (I also loved her previous book!!!) Thanks for the great review.

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