Title: A Million Miles from Yesterday
Author: Maureen Connolly
Publisher: Slainte
ISBN: 979-8218378127
eBook ISBN: 979-8869224033
Genre: Inspirational, Literary Fiction
Availability: Paperback or eBook
Pages: 194 pages
Item Weight: 10.2 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 0.45 x 9 inches
Review:
There is a quote that speaks of grief from Dodinsky: “Grieving is a necessary passage and a difficult transition to finally letting go of sorrow – it is not a permanent rest stop.” This quote rings true for protagonist Hank Cleary in Maureen Connolly’s A Million Miles from Yesterday.
Hank Cleary is an island. The town doctor of Alma, Wisconsin, struggles to find his footing after losing his wife, Sarah, just three years prior. Despite Sarah’s song ending, Henry is haunted by the melody that lingers on throughout his everyday life to the extent that he works late at his clinic and he isolates himself from others, save for brief conversations from his clients and Livy Reyna of Livy’s Bar and Café.
After overhearing pieces of a conversation between Livy and Alex, a waitress and one-half of the “bookstore ladies” of Pied-à-Terre, he decides to get off his duff and take some time off by returning to Chicago, the place just three years prior, he had left with his wife.
At first blush, I thought that the story would be just about Hank overcoming the loss of his wife and maybe finding love again but it is so much more than that.
While Hank is the character that readers will mostly follow, it reads like an ensemble piece, where several characters get their time in the spotlight versus there being on single protagonist. We get to know various characters in the small town of Alma, Wisconsin. From the aforementioned Livy, Old Harry, Elrita, Joe, and their daughter Beulah, to name a few.
The writing is strong and Connolly does a fantastic job establishing the characters, their relationships, and the various struggles they all undergo throughout this story. The descriptions that Connolly paints, especially when it comes to a character’s emotions are very poignant and it helps the reader fully understand the character’s mental space, especially when it comes to Hank.
Hank’s journey is grappling with both his growing interest in Livy while also struggling with losing his wife, while Livy’s journey is her desire to have children, and her feelings regarding children, however, I want to give special mention to Beulah. The storyline surrounding Beulah is one that I would like to give a bit of a trigger warning for some readers to today’s more emotionally attuned or sensitive readers. What happens isn’t graphic or very detailed but the emotions that come after it may be harrowing for some readers. With that said, Beulah’s story of dealing with and eventually overcoming these circumstances is handled with the grace it deserves.
With its strong writing, its cozy but engaging and heartfelt plot, and strong characters, A Million Miles from Yesterday feels like watching a contemporary slice-of-life movie that will leave readers thinking about it long after you’ve read the final page and it earns a very comfortable recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)