Don't Put the Boats Away
Book Feature - Don't Put the Boats Away by Ames Sheldon
HBL Note: I was talking to a few friends of mine about why I like historical fiction so much. I think it boils down to the fact that it is an approachable way to learn about history. It allows people who know nothing about a subject to “accidentally” learn about important historical events without the pressure from a teacher wanting you to memorize dates and under the guise of a compelling story. I never tire of reading WWII novels because each one has a different perspective on the war. Scroll down to read more about Ames Sheldon’s perspective through her novel, Don’t Put the Boats Away.
From the publisher:
In the aftermath of World War II, the members of the Sutton family are reeling from the death of their “golden boy,” Eddie. Over the next twenty-five years, they all struggle with loss, grief, and mourning. Daughter Harriet and son Nat attempt to fill the void Eddie left behind: Harriet becomes a chemist despite an inhospitable culture for career women in the 1940s and ’50s, hoping to move into the family business in New Jersey, while Nat aims to be a jazz musician. Both fight with their autocratic father, George, over their professional ambitions as they come of age. Their mother, Eleanor, who has PTSD as a result of driving an ambulance during the Great War, wrestles with guilt over never telling Eddie about the horrors of war before he enlisted. As the members of the family attempt to rebuild their lives, they pay high prices, including divorce and alcoholism―but in the end, they all make peace with their losses, each in his or her own way.
