It's funny how the events of a lifetime can easily be
replayed by simply walking from room to room in a house.
The growth charts that are etched forever in the woodwork
or the marks on the carpet can evoke even stronger memories
than a photo. To some, a house is just a structure. For
others, it's a place to call home.
Ellen Flanagan knows the history behind the four walls that
make up her beloved house. It was to this place that she
brought her newborn babies as well as suffered the pain of
losing a child she desperately wanted. With each year, this
home brings new meaning to her life as she carves out her
family's future and preserves her most cherished memories.
But when an error in judgment by her capricious husband
forces Ellen to throw away their marriage, she is faced
with the unthinkable. She must abandon what has served as
the beacon of stability in her life for the past ten
years... her dear house. Before she knows it, her home is
sold, her
life is in shambles, and her daughters are grasping for the
way things used to be.
As her family and friends stand by in helpless frustration,
Ellen chooses to mourn the loss of her home instead of the
disintegration of her marriage. Angered by the injustice
of it all, Ellen plots to get back what she thinks is
rightfully hers...her house. While setting her plan in
motion, a new man enters the picture that sends her heart
aflutter. How can she possibly juggle a potential take-
over, a new man, and her estranged husband all at the same
time? If only she could snap her fingers and make it all
go away.
HOUSE & HOME is the extraordinary debut novel by Kathleen
McCleary. Well-known as a reporter, writer and currently
a columnist for HGTV.com, she takes her fans to an
all new
level by introducing them to this whimsical spin on trading
places. With a bit of humor and just the right amount of
drama, HOUSE & HOME is a first-rate designer's dream.
The story of a woman who loves her house so much that
she'll do just about anything to keep it.
Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy
neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a
sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod
filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and
a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she's about to
lose it all.
After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen's
husband, Sam--who's charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly
irresponsible--has disappointed her in more ways than she
can live with, and they're getting divorced. Her daughters
are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the
house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be
sold.
Ellen's life is further complicated by a lovely and
unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish,
social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to
that the confusion over how she really feels about her
almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious
novel about what matters most in the end . . .
Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon,
Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read
debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very
notion of what makes a house a home.
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