Twelve Houses by Olga Soaje #WomensFic #BookClub #ReviewShare

Twelve Houses by Olga Soaje
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olga Soaje's Twelve Houses examines themes of loss, love, and self discovery as the protagonist Amelia is forcefully steered back into her present and future, after the loss of her husband has her lingering in the past. She is faced with the choice to allow her strength to elevate her work and her relationships, or to fall back, allowing her memories and past to define and defeat her. Newly widowed Amelia struggles to move on, as an undercurrent of hope and the search for meaning carries her forward.

Broken-hearted and left on her own after the death of her husband for 35 years, Amelia loses her way with her craft, unable to function as she once did. The needs of those that love her, as well as the threat of the work she cannot neglect act as a catalyst to her pursuit of something greater; something to satiate the emptiness created by the loss of her soul mate, and the strained relationship with her daughter Chloe.

In this compelling story, Amelia goes on an inspiring and telling journey toward self fulfillment and the difficulty of moving on. She shows that personal growth and development are never-ending and the ability to triumph over tragic circumstances; eventually allowing her creativity to take hold of her, and for love to embolden her once again.

Soaje's writing is gripping and emotional; the feeling of a devastating loss translates perfectly onto the page with such sensitivity and tenderness that many find so difficult to craft. She succeeds in building an incredible story for a woman who has become certain that her purpose in life has all but disappeared.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.

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Olga Soaje on Her Children, Writing & Motivation #Women #Writing #Contemporary

1.- How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

I think we all face this issue from time to time and the answer most of the time will remain the same: Acknowledge those feelings and move past them. The most important thing is to “move” and not allow yourself to get stuck in those negative mind frames.

2.-What make you the happiest?

Seeing my kids smile, having “date” night with my husband, writing, traveling to places I’ve never been.

3.- Why do you write?

Because I found this inexplicable joy when I started writing, I simply knew I had to do it.

4.- Have you always enjoyed writing?

I have always expressed myself better in writing than verbally and when a serious topic was on the table, it was easier for me to do it with pen and paper. I was from an early age an avid reader but somehow I saw writing as something foreign. Little did I know it would be something that would bring me so much joy.

5.- What motivates you to write?

I wish I could explain something that seems so intangible, but the best I can do is describing it as a need to do it. To express myself and get rewarded every time a reader sends me a message of how my book touched their life or inspired them.

6.- What books did you love growing up?

I loved and still do Dr.Seuss books; I also loved “Little Women” and Jane Austen lather on. In high school I started a routine of mix-reading self-help books with novels (a thing I still do).

7.-What book genre of books do you adore?

Women’s Fiction.

Self-Help

Literary Fiction.

8.-What book should everybody read at least once?

I would say there so many great books but one I always come back to for some reason is “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens.

9.-Is there any books you really don’t enjoy?

I would say I don’t enjoy horror or terror in movies or books.

10.- Where do you get inspiration from?

From seeing life situations and thinking “What if?” there are so many stories to waiting to be told.

Can anything good follow the best thing that ever happened to you?

Amelia Weiss loved her husband of thirty-five years very much, but now he’s left her a widow. Without him, she is unable to work in her sculpture studio without crying. She no longer has a bridge to her estranged daughter. And she can’t seem to keep her mind in the present.

But when her daughter reaches out asking for her help and her agent threatens a lawsuit if Amelia doesn’t deliver for an upcoming exhibit, she’s forced to make a choice. Will she reengage with her life and the people in it—allowing room for things to be different than they were before? Or, will she remain stuck in the past, choosing her memories over real-life relationships?

Thrust fully into the present, Amelia stumbles into a surprising journey of self-discovery.

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Genre – Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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