Covering only a short span, from the day the three sisters learn of their father's death to the day they return to their "regularly scheduled" lives after his funeral, this short novel manages to address the complexities of family relationships, the ways we see ourselves vs. how others see us, and the ways we think about our pasts. Each chapter alternates viewpoints, so the story is told through the eyes of each sister, giving the reader the opportunity to understand how each sister sees herself, her father, and their family history differently. The book intermingles the sisters' remembrances of the past with the present--the funeral and the days leading up to it--focusing on how the past has influenced their present relationships with each other and their father. [SPOILER: They each walk away from the funeral toward a big change, giving the novel a feeling of hope and progress, but I ultimately found it to be more of a story about perspective and about the sisters' coming to terms with the past, themselves, and their family.]

(Thank you, GoodReads and Amazon Publishing for a copy of this book.) ( )

I really enjoyed the book. It's not action packed, its about three sisters dealing with the death of their father and naturally they grieve in different ways. With their father's death, Cal, Suzy and Violet start to learn about secrets that have been kept hidden for many years.

I loved reading about each sister and the family dynamics. Cal, Suzy and Violet each had a different relationship with their father. Cal made time to talk to him and visit. Suzy and Violet had more of a strained relationship with their father. With their dad's unexpected death, the sisters end up in Maine. With his death, memories come up and the sisters start to share what they remember. Growing up they never talked about their father's sudden career change as a teacher at a private school and the reasons behind him leaving.

I liked the characters and the writing style. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Emily Maine Cavanagh, for a free electronic ARC of this novel. ( )

What a wonderful book! After reading several books that would fall under the category of psychological thrillers, books with twists, and a book about the White House Chiefs of Staff, it was nice to read a book that didn't leave me guessing about what was to come. It was a book about people dealing with a sad reality of life.

The Bloom sisters, Cal, Violet, and Suzy aren't exactly close. Sure they talk but their lives aren't exactly entwined. Each is living their own life in their own way and it works for them, seeing each other on holidays.

Their parents divorced when they were younger and the event had a different influence on each woman's life. Cal was in college already, unaffected by her father's leaving, remaining close to him throughout her journey into adulthood. Violet, the middle child, was 15, an age that is already hard to begin with. She struggled, especially since she held onto a secret of her father's, unsure if she should share it with her sisters. Finally, the youngest Suzy, the only one who had to visit her father in his new home in Maine due to her age at the time. The sisters had different relationships with their father that all come to a head one day.

They each get a call that their father has died. Losing a parent has to be hard. Its not something most people look forward to. Even if one isn't exactly close to their parents, suddenly not having them can be jarring.

The Bloom Girls is a tale of 3 sisters coming together at one of the toughest times in their lives. Losing their father is going to change all of them. This book explores not only their relationship with their father but with each other. There are flashbacks to their childhood which help to shape each girl as she grows into womanhood.

This is a great novel about the toughest time in someone's life, the death of a parent. I look forward to reading more from Cavanagh. ( )

I would like to thank NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of "The Bloom Girls" by Emily Maine Cavanagh for my honest review. The genre of this novel is Women's Fiction. I find that the author describes her characters as complex and conflicted.. The novel revolves around the death of the father of the three Bloom daughters. Each of the sisters, Cal, Suzy, and Violet, have their own individual emotional baggage, and are not really close. Cal was the only sister who regularly kept contact with their father, after their parent's divorce.
The father had lost his job when there were some accusations against him, and he moved away. To Violet and Suzy, his moving away from them caused much resentment.
In this story, the women are struggling with their individual issues, and their memories of their life with their father when he was alive. They have feelings of guilt, anger, confusion and are mourning.
The author describes a dysfunctional family searching for answers of the past, current, and future . This novel is about family,love,growth and hope. I would recommend this novel for those that like Women's Fiction. ( )