G662 Book Review of The Precious one by Marisa De Los Santos
Author: Marisa De Los Santos
ISBN: 978-0-06-167091-6
Publisher: William Morrow
Type of book: homeschooled, father/daughters relationships, family, meaning of family, public school, society, second chances, perseverance, manipulative teachers, friendship
Year it was published: 2015
Summary:
From the bestselling author of Belong to Me, Love Walked In, and Falling Together comes a captivating novel about friendship, family, second chances, and the redemptive power of love
In all her life, Eustacia “Taisy” Cleary has given her heart to only three men: her first love, Ben Ransom; her twin brother, Marcus; and Wilson Cleary — professor, inventor, philanderer, self-made millionaire, brilliant man, breathtaking jerk: her father.
Seventeen years ago, Wilson ditched his first family for Caroline, a beautiful young sculptor. In all that time, Taisy’s family has seen Wilson, Caroline, and their daughter Willow only once.
Why then, is Wilson calling Taisy now, inviting her for an extended visit, encouraging her to meet her pretty sister — a teenager who views her with jealousy, mistrust, and grudging admiration? Why, now, does Wilson want Taisy to help him write his memoir?
Told in alternating voices — Taisy’s strong, unsparing observations and Willow’s naive, heartbreakingly earnest yearnings — The Precious One is an unforgettable novel of family secrets, lost love, and dangerous obsession, a captivating tale with the deep characterization, piercing emotional resonance, and heartfelt insight that are the hallmarks of Marisa de los Santos’s beloved works.
Characters:
While there are a lot of important characters in the story, I feel that the important ones are Wilson Cleary, Willow Cleary and Eustacia "Taisy" Cleary. Wilson Cleary is best described as a prickly man who takes advantage of his oldest daughter's heart and often disregards her emotions and feelings and doesn't listen to them. With Willow, however, she is his sunrise and he treats her far differently than he does Taisy and her twin brother Marcus. He also has some personal demons he needs to face. Willow is Wilson's youngest daughter and half-sister to Taisy. She is naive when it comes to the world outside her house, and also naive when it comes to people as well as men, but is extremely intelligent, and was raised in a very strict environment (Her father forbade her to read literature that was written in 1900s and 2000s). She used to be homeschooled before Wilson sent her to a public school and despite her status as Wilson's sunrise, she is insecure and worried as well as angry when Taisy comes over to visit. Taisy is Wilson's oldest daughter and she seems to be more of an ordinary woman who is trying to make peace with her decisions as well as trying to get to know Wilson's second family. She is hardworking and has a lot of perseverance.
Theme:
No matter what kind of family one has, family is very important for growth, well-being, and health
Plot:
The story is in first person narrative from Willow's and Taisy's points of view, and it switches in every chapter. The chapters are long though, and I get enough understanding about each woman's hopes and dreams regarding her life. I do feel that towards the end some things aren't well explained as I would have liked them to be (in particular why Wilson didn't connect to his first family), but I suppose its part of being human. Also, I guess this is my personal pet peeve, but I really could have done without the chapters where one of the characters goes to a school dance.
Author Information:
(From TLC Book Tours)
“Exceptionally well crafted.” —Publishers Weekly
Purchase Links
About Marisa de los Santos
A New York Times bestselling author and award-winning poet with a PhD in literature and creative writing, Marisa de los Santos lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her family.
Opinion:
How come I haven't heard of this author previously? Why am I hearing about her only now? Although it took me a bit longer than I thought, but once I got sucked in into the story, I couldn't get back out and when I wasn't reading this book, all I could do is wonder at how it will go and what will happen next, and once the author gains that momentum in the story, she doesn't lose it and continues with it until the end. Also, I've been blessed with reading a lot of Women's Interest stories, and although each one is different, they seemed to have a pretty common thread uniting them. The Precious One, on the other hand, definitely stands out because the main focus is family, and on a relationship between a father and his daughters, and the author never loses that focus, which is what I liked. While there is romance, its not on center stage as in others, and instead its more of a background or extra plots. If you're looking for a unique read about father/daughters relationships, then this is not to be missed.
This is for TLC Book Tours
Marisa’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, December 1st: The Book Chick
Wednesday, December 2nd: A Bookish Affair
Friday, December 4th: Booksie’s Blog
Monday, December 7th: I’m Shelf-ish
Monday, December 7th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Tuesday, December 8th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, December 10th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, December 14th: BoundyWords
Tuesday, December 15th: Books and Bindings
Wednesday, December 16th: Novel Escapes
Thursday, December 17th: Imaginary Reads
Thursday, December 17th: Joyfully Retired
TBD: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
4 out of 5(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
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