Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick
New York Times best-selling author Marie Bostwick has succeeded impressively with her latest novel Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly (William Morrow). It deserves to be a summer blockbuster! The dedication neatly summarizes the book’s theme: “To the Spectacular People, those who figure out how to keep going when they feel like giving up.” Three cheers for pragmatic optimists like Esme who daily get out of bed and move forward throughout their darkest hours. She will win your heart!
Her absentee mother, Robyn, was just 16 when Esme was born and abandoned her to be raised by her doting grandparents George and Adele who lived on the outskirts of Asheville, NC. As a young woman, fresh out of art school, Adele worked for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and in 1942 was sent on a government mission to the Biltmore Estate. Ostensibly, she was there to catalog Mrs. Vanderbilt’s extensive private collection.
In reality, she was supervising the transfer and storage of some of the nation’s most treasured artworks secretly stored in vaults inside the vast mansion. She remained with these artworks for the duration of the war while also assisting Mrs. Vanderbilt generally.
George, draft exempt due to a heart murmur, was instantly smitten when he met Adele. He had acquired a few acres of forested land situated on a small lake when property was still inexpensive. After crafting them a cozy home, little by little, as he could afford to, George methodically constructed several cabins that overlooked the lake. They opened a small resort and café that welcomed fishermen, the autumnal leaf peepers and visitors to Biltmore seeking a rural retreat.
It was an idyllic place for Esme to grow up with the exception of rare, stressful visits from her flaky mother who seldom failed to stir up trouble, eventually serving a prison sentence for abetting a ne’er-do-well boyfriend’s crime.
George and Adele ensured their granddaughter’s formal education was thoroughly rounded with practical life skills. From the time Esme was a toddler, she helped carry tools and learned basic plumbing, wiring, painting and carpentry to maintain their home and the tourist cabins.
Esme could fill in as a short order cook and learned to sew and tailor her own clothing like a professional from her grandmother. Not only a fine seamstress, Adele was an expert quilter who created her own unique intricately patterned and colorful designs. She was ahead of her time as in the 1940’s and 1950’s traditional patterns were favored, “quilt art” being relatively unknown and less appreciated. Discouraged by the reception of her sewing circle, she nevertheless continued to secretly quilt her own style.
The couple encouraged Esme’s interests, especially her passion for writing. When she was 19 and ready to fulfill her dreams of moving to New York City to become a successful author, she was an innocent yet confident and self-reliant young adult bolstered by the support, tremendous love and loyalty of her family. Esme Cahill may have been small-boned and 5’ nothing in her bare feet but she had determinedly formulated plans and set goals to achieve.
Unable to secure an agent or publisher for her several manuscripts, she compromised by getting an entry level job in publishing and began to work her way up the ladder. She ticked off another box by marrying her best friend. It wasn’t long before she felt assured of a major promotion and was contemplating the purchase of their first home in the suburbs. Life in New York City was sweet; work was interesting, even exciting, and she eagerly took advantage of the available cultural advantages as time permitted.
Until … her world spun off its axis. Books she edited and promoted weren’t selling. Then, a major author refused to work with her and created enough of a scene to instigate her dismissal. To top this personal catalogue of woe, her husband abandoned the closet and departed with his boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Adele called and requested that she come home to North Carolina. “The Toaster,” an older model boxy vehicle, was among her few possessions but would it be capable of making the trip through the mountains? With the passing of time, George was exhibiting signs of dementia, the resort was time worn, deteriorating and reservations were sparse. To make life worse, absentee mother Robyn has returned.
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly but she is resilient! How and when her life will turn around comprises the rest of this charming story. Esme is determined to return to New York but is that written in the stars or will life again serve her something entirely unanticipated?
Marie Bostwick has written a superb, highly original work of fiction that runs the gamut of human emotions. She examines the meaning of family and how the closest relatives can, intentionally or not, inflict the deepest hurts or, alternatively, provide needed love and support. There is a great deal of humor in Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly, a touch of romance and many surprises.
It would make a delightful movie and should be an excellent choice for book discussion groups. Fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Terri-Lynne DeFino, Adriana Trigiani and Emily Henry among others will thoroughly enjoy this novel. Readers have a real treat in store.
When not curled up with a good book, Marie Bostwick can usually be found in her office, trying to write one. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen uplifting works of historical and contemporary fiction, Marie’s books are beloved by readers across the globe.
Drawing on her lifelong love of quilting and her unshakable belief in the power of sisterhood, Marie’s popular Cobbled Court Quilt series has been embraced by quilters and non-sewers alike. Her standalone books have also found a passionate following among lovers of women’s fiction. Marie’s novel, “The Second Sister” was adapted into the 2018 Hallmark Hall of Fame feature film “Christmas Everlasting”, starring Patti LaBelle. Marie’s novel, Hope on the Inside, was published in March 2019 and was chosen as a Reader’s Digest “Select Editions” book. Her latest novel, “Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly”, was published by William Morrow on May 30th, 2023.
Marie lives in Washington state with her husband and a beautiful but moderately spoiled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Publish Date: May 30, 2023
Genre: Fiction
Author: Marie Bostwick
Page Count: 368 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062997319