The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Hello wonderful For the Love of Dewey Readers!!! 

I have news for you!  I am officially an Adult Services Librarian & I'm in charge of 2 new Book Clubs a month!  My first Book Club is called Fiction Addiction and my second Book Club is for Adults who love to read YA.  I am SO excited. 

So today I am sharing a review with you that will also be my first Fiction Addiction Book Club book in August, The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman.  (For those of you in the NJ area, reach out to me and I can share with you the details so you can join!) 

This novel explores the idea of intertwining maternal family relationships, as symbolized through a charm bracelet that has been passed down from generation to generation.  The charms were collected from important events within each woman's life, allowing them to take on a certain type of strength and energy.  The strength found within these charms made me think of mine (and Jillian's) collection of healing crystals.  

But anyway, let's talk about the plot.  This novel follows the story of Lauren and Arden, a mother daughter pair living in Chicago who gets called back to Lauren's original southern home when she learns that Arden's mother, Lolly, is becoming forgetful.  Lolly begins to exhibit signs of dementia.  She has post-its everywhere to remember simple tasks and names, and she frequently begins to forget to arrive to her shift at the local ice cream parlor, Scoops, on time.  Together the three begin to recall the past all the way back from Lolly's mother, while worrying about what the future will hold.  Ultimately, this novel also explores the feelings of heartbreak, of true love, and of regret.    

Broken down into sections based off of the charms, this story is a powerful journey about placing value in one's life, remembering the past, and making memories within the present / future.  But most importantly, it is about learning to value what you have now while you still have it, and to not let regrets take over the good memories.  

I think that this novel hit on my anxiety a little bit, because our Grandmother had suffered from Alzheimer's and dementia (and to be honest, for someone only 25 years old, I can't remember s**t).  While I thought that this novel overall came off as "sweet" and endearing, and I loved how Shipman broke the book into sections based off of the charms, it didn't engulf me in the same way that some of the other novels I have read the summer so far have.  So dear Dewey Readers, for this reason I leave you with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  I hope this Book Club goes well, and I hope that by the time August 21st rolls around I can still remember what I've read! 

~Jessica