"[A] touching debut. . . . MacKillop takes the pain of aging and regret and infuses it with soul and a touch of humor. This auspicious first outing tugs at the heartstrings." -- Publishers Weekly
On par with Olive Kitteridge! But where Olive woos, Eva Gordon captures. MacKillop’s characters landed in my bones, guts, heart--and took up residence. A poignant, utterly beautiful story of perspective and hope. -- Cheryl Grey Bostrom, award-winning author of Sugar Birds
A story about aging, caregiving, friendship, parenting, nostalgia, and dementia--and a delightfully memorable and flawed character who has made her fair share of mistakes in life. There is the kind of patience in the plot evolvement and character disclosure reminiscent of the writings of Marilynne Robinson. -- Jim Heynen, author of The Fall of Alice K.
Splendid! A novel full of life and transformation, as charming as a New England cottage by the sea. You can’t help but fall in love with spunky, hard-edged Eva Gordon and the others connected to Try Again Farm. Anyone living with regrets will appreciate the gentleness and grace of this story, and the permeating sense of love will stay with you long after the final page. -- Christine Kindberg, author of The Means That Make Us Strangers, Christy Award winner for YA
A stirring story of both great sorrow and great love . . . that reminds us that love is indeed redemptive. Much like Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon gives us a woman who begs to be hated but who, page by page, we find ourselves unable not to love, -- Katherine James, author of A Prayer for Orion
With lyrical and heartwarming prose, The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon masterfully captures themes of redemption and renewal in person, home, and land. Prepare to be endeared to the unlovable and contemplate the profundity of the grace of memory. -- Katherine Elizabeth Clark, author of Where I End
The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon is an engaging and timely novel. Well-written with a dose of humor and poignancy, you will fall in love with this cast of characters who create a misfit community. MacKillop tackles the difficult issue of aging, regret and memory loss, with hope for second chances. -- Correll Angela, author of Grounded
Her memory may be rapidly failing, but seventy-five-year-old Eva Gordon’s sharp-tongued wit is ever-intact as she navigates nagging regrets and unspoken desires. Readers of all ages will recognize the enduring challenges of living with difficult childhood memories in an increasingly inscrutable present and will root for Eva, even in her harshest moments. Linda McKillop's The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon is a big-hearted family saga, suffused with grace and kindness, featuring a cast of appealing characters who would be right at home in Jon Hassler’s Staggerford or Richard Russo’s Empire Falls. A quiet triumph of goodness. -- Adrienne Harun, author of A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain
A gently acerbic, absorbing, and deeply compassionate look at the disorientation and dislocation the elderly often face in their last years, and at those who face it with them. Eva is a captivating heroine, both prickly and poignant, and Mackillop is a wise and canny writer. -- Suzanne Berne, author of The Dogs of Littlefield
Linda MacKillop has created a cast of endearing characters that will touch your heart. MacKillop captures the essence of what dealing with memory loss looks like, but with hope and humor. I relished her beautiful writing style and ability to elegantly convey Eva’s thoughts and emotions. A gem of a book. -- Terri Kraus, author of The Project Restoration Series trilogy
