Readers' Comments for THREE STORY HOUSE
In August, a select group of readers who participated in one of our Special Contests won copies of THREE STORY HOUSE by novelist Courtney Miller Santo, best known for THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE. Take a look at some of the readers' comments to give you more insight into this book.
Judy Q. of Alpena, MI
I loved the whole story. I was so caught up in the lives of the three young women. I had never heard of a “spite house” before, but I plan on looking it up online now. I felt so sorry for her not knowing who her father was for so many years. I don’t agree that her mother should have kept that a secret for so long. But it all turned out in the end. I liked this book even more than the author’s first.
Rating:5/5
Would you recommend?:I have already passed the book to my daughter to read.
Heather F. of Rumford, RI
A poignant story of a family with a history. Three cousins become closer as they save a family house discovering so much about their lives and the lives of those around them. They feel they have failed in their lives but in reality their lives are full of love and friendship. Read the book to find out the truths uncovered and become part of the lives of three wonderful women
Rating:5/5
Would you recommend?:I already have and will continue to recommend this book.
Laurie W. of Fredonia, NY
THREE STORY HOUSE is a gem. I loved how the author told the story in three parts from the point of view of each main character; Lizzie, Elyse and Isobel. This expanded each character and made them "real" and down to earth. I felt like I could be a fourth cousin and join in the discussions. The cross references to THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE were unexpected, but very delightful. I loved that book also and was glad that Elyse got to know her great-great grandmother who was a remarkable woman.
As I reflect on the book, the following quote sums it up: "The brain filed its grievances against life and stored them, waiting for another situation to come up and compare it against. She had to leave her failures alone --- playing what-if games never made anyone happy." It reminds me of what is important in life and what you should --- and need --- to let go of.
Rating:5/5
Would you recommend?:Yes.
Linda M. of Tallahassee, FL
Loved this book. It's a realistic story about three female cousins who grew up together and maintain their relationship as adults. Their bond is in many ways like the bond of sisters and they are there for each other as each works through her own drama at nearly age 30. They work together to renovate/rebuild one of the cousin's grandmother's house and that project deepens their bond and their personal growth.
Rating:5/5
Would you recommend?: Yes, definitely.
Roseann J. of Forest Lake, MN
I think THREE STORY HOUSE is wonderful. There’s nothing like a book that grabs you in the first pages! It is a feel-good story of three women, cousins who come into their own while redoing a house that the one characters grandmother lived on. It seems an odd house but, the three women have the same quirkiness about them. I absolutely love this book. Courtney Miller Santos is on her way to becoming one of my favorite writers.
Rating:5/5
Would you recommend?: I already have recommended this book to many people, as it is I may not see the book back for ages!
Lana J. of Blue Springs, MO
This is a great story about three cousins/friends who come to live in a Spite House. It’s an interweaving of the lives of the cousins with the house, the past and the present. I loved it!
Rating:4.5/5
Would you recommend?: I already have!
Janet N. of N. Little Rock, AR
A book about three cousins restoring an old house in Memphis. Each woman has personal issues to overcome and many family secrets are brought to light during the restoration project. Reading it made me want to visit Memphis, so I went there on Labor Day weekend.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?: I have already recommended the book as an acquisition for this library and I gave the ARC to my sister. She lives in a small town in NW Missouri. Her first trip to Memphis was Labor Day weekend, and I was able to show her the area where the THREE STORY HOUSE would be. She and I both had enjoyed THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE.
Ilene H. of Naperville, IL
I would say it is a good friendship book. It gave me good ideas for decorating a small three-floor house. Thank you for the chance to read it.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Already have!
Patty M. of Kennett Square, PA
What I loved about this book: I enjoyed the cousins and the way they connected and worked together. I did not get the significance of the title until I got to the second story, which was Elyse's story... then I got it! Also, I love the way this author does family life. I felt as though I knew the key players really well!
What I did not love about this book: I found the cousins and their issues just a teensy bit dull at times. I think I wanted them to have more scandalous issues than they did. Plus, once we find out who Lizzie's father is, it just doesn't truly seem like that big of a deal. Her mother should have told her... and Lizzie should have asked more questions.
Would this be a good choice for you, potential reader? I started this book with such high hopes. The writing is good, the house stuff is interesting and the cousins’ personalities unique enough, but I just did not connect with these characters as much as I needed to in order to really love this book. It's nothing I can actually pinpoint... just sort of a disconnect on my part.
Rating:probably 4/5
Would you recommend?:Maybe
Helen M. of Tewksbury, MA
When I received the book, I remembered how much I enjoyed THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE. I can't recall the details of the plot, but what I learned about olive oil from the novel has stayed with me. At Christmas I bought olive oil at a fair to give as gifts. Also, I look for cosmetics that contain olive oil for I remember one of the characters had great skin and hair that was attributed to the olive oil. Unfortunately, I cannot get myself to drink a small glass daily like the women in the book.
I did enjoy THREE STORY HOUSE for a similar reason. I loved learning about “spite houses.” Sharing this information with family, friends, and co-workers led to many discussions. Some of us even thought we knew people with a “spite house.” For example, one woman tore down her house after a divorce and built the house of her dreams.
The book started off very well. It brought me back to my childhood, sharing great times with favorite cousins at the beach. I loved the way the novel was constructed --- the three strong women discovering their lives’ paths after early disappointments.
My favorite character was Lizzie. She seemed more real to me than Elyse or Isobel. However, I didn't like the resolution of discovering who her real father was. I found this to be icky.
The two other girls' stories were not that believable. Reality TV and trying to prevent a wedding seemed too much of a stretch.
I didn't understand the character of Benny. He added nothing to the story.
There were times while I was reading the book that I felt I had missed some crucial dialogue. Romances seemed to pop out of nowhere. I needed to go back to see if I skipped over something. Then I remembered I had this problem with the first book. I also had difficulty picturing the characters in my mind. I could see how they looked as children, but not as adults.
However, overall, I did enjoy the book.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:I have passed it on as a “beach read.”
Patricia R. of Henderson, NV
In THREE STORY HOUSE, Courtney Miller Santo has written an intriguing story. Three cousins come together to rehab a ready-to-be condemned "spite house” belonging to Grandmother Mellie on a 600-foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Memphis. A “spite house” refers to a home specifically built to annoy, thwart, aggravate or just plain spite another person or party because of a perceived personal grievance. The vividly descriptive setting of the novel makes the reader feel right at home.
The book is cleverly divided into three stories. The title refers not only to the multi-layered structure of the house but also to the individual “story” (life) of each cousin. Their names are all derivatives of "Elizabeth." The timeline starts from when the cousins are eight years old and continues up to the present as their 30th birthdays loom ahead. (The girls were all born during the same month in the same year.) Each cousin has her own personal longings and regrets, as well as choices made with ensuing consequences, and, like the house, each is undergoing her own sort of "rehabilitation." While their "foundations" are basically sound, essential parts of the "structures" of their "stories" need to be replaced, remodeled or improved. Each cousin has an important issue that needs "fixing": for Lizzie it's family, for Elyse love, and for Isobel career.
In "First Story Lizzie" she is undergoing rehab for a sports injury, which further diminishes her chances of competing in future Olympic soccer games. Despite her mother's refusal to reveal a long-kept secret, Lizzie yearns know the identity of her birth father. Her progress in both quests has unexpected repercussions.
In Elyse's story, her love for a childhood boy now engaged to her younger sister is in need of an attitude adjustment. Her decision to interfere with the upcoming wedding will have personal and potentially devastating consequences.
“Third Story Isobel” focuses on the former child star, who hopes that by letting a producer stage a reality show during house renovations, she will revive her career. Her decision also has some adverse effects.
While raw materials restore the house to a safe, strong and stable structure, the intangible materials of love, forgiveness, and redemption help the cousins get a new lease on life. The right tools and material, hard work, dedication, and persistence all help them succeed in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Sidebar: Readers of Santo's first novel, THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE, will be delighted by the cameo appearance of Annie, the centenarian who has an unusual longevity gene.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?: Yes.
Susan J. of McHenry, IL
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Anyone who enjoyed THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE should enjoy THREE STORY HOUSE. It reads as if it is a compilation of authors Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah and Sue Monk Kidd.
This is the story of three cousins who were childhood friends, now on the verge of turning 30 and are failures in their lives. They are back together work to restore a historic house, and discover themselves in the meantime.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes to all my friends and book club groups.
Magi E. of Boulder, CO
I truly enjoyed THREE STORY HOUSE. Courtney Miller Santo's characters are so beautifully drawn. I wanted to be friends with all three women. I also loved it that the author brought in Anna from ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE. It's a little extra connection to her readers.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:I have already recommended the book to friends. At least one of my book groups will be reading and discussing it in the next year.
Katherine R. of Woodbury, CT
A good read with wonderful writing!
Rating: 4/5
Would you recommend?:Maybe.
Julia H. of Excelsior, MN
I found I enjoyed THREE STORY HOUSE very much and the year it followed in the lives of cousins Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel as they renovated Lizzie's grandmother's house back to code. At times, I thought cousins Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel were too hard on themselves, so I liked the breakdown of the sections more devoted to each of the young women and their feelings, and how everything came together to create the whole story. I particularly liked the inclusion by Santo of a prequel of sorts of the beginning of this particular Spite House. She placed it after the afterword, perhaps for book club discussion, but I almost think it would have made as good a prologue as the beginning that introduced us to the new cousins as girls.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes, I would recommend THREE STORY HOUSE. In fact, I am already planning on passing my copy on to my friend.
Susan M. of Angleton, TX
I enjoyed THREE STORY HOUSE a great deal. I became really invested in the characters and cared about their lives, histories, and futures. I thought that the ending didn't spend enough time on the crux of the main mysterious theme of the book: the father’s identity. I would have preferred a much more fleshed out narrative of those events.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:I’ve already recommended it to others, including my daughter!
Carolyn K. of Cincinnati, OH
This is a perfect beach book, book for the airplane --- not great literature but great chick lit --- one to give to a friend knowing it is relevant without offensive language. It would be suitable for a book club because there are debatable questions. And I want to add it is a far better book than ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE. I do think it will appeal to a "younger" reader such as one between 25 and 50. I enjoy reading almost everything but appreciate books that tell a good story without scatology.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?: Yes, I have recommended the book and shared my copy.
Anne W. of Franklin, TN
Three female cousins, all almost 30, spend a year in Memphis
renovating a "spite" house and learning about themselves, each other, and
family history. You'll recognize parts of your friends and yourself in
their stories.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes. Already have. Also recommended and shared
THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE.
Enid G. of Northbrook, IL
I enjoyed this easily readable book and loved the double meaning behind “THREE STORY HOUSE.” This is a compelling story of three close cousins who deal with their family history, relationships and burgeoning futures. As they restore a spite house belonging to one of the girls’ grandparents, they embrace its past. It becomes a vehicle through which they reconcile with their demons and open themselves up to a new beginning.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:I already have and am anxious to discuss!
Virginia C. of Clifton Forge, VA
In THREE STORY HOUSE by Courtney Miller Santo, three cousins and best friends come together to renovate a old home with a troublesome history. The restoration and reinvention of the home is also a cathartic process for the women, and they each have their own story told out in the book. The "three-story house," a character in itself, is located in Memphis, Tennessee, a wonderfully atmospheric setting and the author's own home place.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes.
Pam M. of Albertville, AL
The book is carefully constructed with one “story” told from each of the cousins’ perspective as they join together in the old pie-shaped house with a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River. The three women struggle to keep the home within the family by returning the home to habitable shape. The restoration of the house parallels Lizzie’s search for her own identity which becomes the catalyst for all three for whom, like the house, appearances are deceiving. As they strip away layers within the old house, they also strip layers within themselves to discover who they are and what really matters. I liked the interwoven stories and the way the house itself is an outward symbol of the three stories of lives within.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes.
Annette S. of Duluth, GA
This is a story about a house and about three cousins, their relationships and how they meet challenges and uncertainties in their lives. While this is a story about renovating a house, it is also about the three main characters and how they transform their lives. Great symbolism --- the reader follows the transformation of the house and at the same time the important decisions the cousins make regarding their personal lives.
Rating: 4/5
Would you recommend?:I would recommend this to a friend as a light read.
Sharon B. of Albuquerque, NM
A captivating novel of family relationships and the three cousins whose lives are interwoven. A charming book which explores their lives which are altered and how they mature and develop an understanding of life, their choices, and futures.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes, will definitely recommend this book.
Chris R. of Albany, OR
Beautifully written; author enchants the reader with beautifully developed characters; I particularly enjoyed her unveiling of the story through different voices and time.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes, I have recommended THREE STORY HOUSE to friends and strongly recommended it for my reading group's 2015 selections.
Wendy R. of Potoma, MD
THREE STORY HOUSE centers around three cousins and the lives they share together and separately. It's a book that keeps you reading and reading in an attempt to decipher the dark, hidden secrets among close relatives while using the fixing-up of a condemned family home as a metaphor for what life has in store for these three vivid characters. Along with the secrets are the warmth, memories, and love of family --- a winning book combination. It was also interesting to see how Courtney Santo has matured as a writer since her previous book.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?: I would recommend THREE STORY HOUSE to a friend. I think it would prompt interesting discussion at a book club.
Karina W. of Bolingbrook, IL
I really enjoyed THREE STORY HOUSE. It was a great read.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:Yes.
Angela S. of Williston Park, NY
I thoroughly enjoyed the book; I found all the characters interesting and I wanted to keep reading to find out each of their history and what made them tick. I loved how the cousins knew each other better than they knew themselves.
Rating:4/5
Would you recommend?:I would readily recommend this book to friends and family, especially my cousins with whom I have a close relationship.
Sandi W. of East Moline, IL
I would describe this book as one with symbolism, realism and individualism. THREE STORY HOUSE, three girls, three individual stories and chapters. Stories that could easily be true. The individuality of each girl and each girls story along with her insights on the house and her part of that family, as she faces her own reality. I enjoyed the story and noticing growth of the author.
Rating:3.5/5
Would you recommend?:I have already recommended this book to many others and also had a friend pick it up and take it home with her.
Gayle M. of Dayton, OH
I found some of the situations in this book not very believable, such as the relationship between Elyse and her sister's fiancé. Also the whole thing with fixing up this house and the repairman, Benny. And I just couldn’t believe that Lizzie's parents would not tell her the truth about who her father was; seems a little far fetched. I didn't really think the characters were fully developed and found many parts missing; for instance, Lizzie went from "kinda dating" T.J. to all of a sudden they are getting married. I did think the book was well-written and easy to read. It kept my interest.
Rating:3.5/5
Would you recommend?:I would recommend the book to a friend as a "light" read.
Deby M. of Blaine, MN
A story of three cousins with different upbringings who are all trying to find themselves while they work together on a common goal. The book takes us through their individual and mutual twists and turns along the way.
Rating:3.5/5
Would you recommend?:I would maybe recommend this to a friend.
Susan J. of Willits, CA
I particularly liked the cousin angle and the way the characters dealt with their uncertain futures. I found it a nice, lighthearted read.
Rating:3.5/5
Would you recommend?:Yes. I recommended it to several friends.
Millie T. of Madison, WI
This story is about three very different women at a crossroads in their life… the Olympic hopeful who may never play soccer again, the former child star who has no acting opportunities, and the failed hotelier who is in love with her sister’s fiancée. They are three cousins who come together in a THREE STORY HOUSE for a time-out from their regular lives. Does the house have the power to heal their broken leg, broken heart and broken career? Or do the women learn to live as if tomorrow is the first day of their last year?
Rating: 3/5.
Would you recommend?:I would recommend this book to my daughter-in-law or anyone in the 30-40 age bracket. I think the book was geared towards a younger generation than mine and did not enjoy it as much as I loved Santo’s first novel.
LuAnn H. of Spartansburg, PA
I thought this was an ok read. Would be something I would take to the beach. Good for someone who enjoys women's fiction.
Rating: 3/5
Would you recommend?:I already have.
Sherrie E. of Bloomfield Hills, MI
It is a story of three cousins, all with difficult relationships in their lives, who at 28 years old (all of them) decide to go to Memphis to restore a family home. While there they meet others who matter to their lives, in separate personal ways, and come together in the end. Maybe not the end you were expecting while reading. I enjoyed this, but after THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE, I was expecting more.
Rating: 3/5
Would you recommend?:I did share my copy with a friend and she very much enjoyed it.
Susan M. of Waynesboro, PA
I read Courtney's first book, THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE, and loved it. I was very excited to read THREE STORY HOUSE. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This is a typical chick-lit story about family secrets, love lost and love found. I felt there were many topics that were touched upon in the story and never finished. As I was getting closer and closer to the end of the book, I started to worry that there were going to be way too many loose ends and there were for me. I loved the perspective of the story told from the views of all three cousins but never felt "invested" in the women.
Rating:3/5
Would you recommend?:Not sure…I was definitely left with a sense of disappointment.
Debra F. of Jackson, WI
It is a good story for younger women. It's nice escape literature.
Rating:3/5
Would you recommend?:Maybe.
Carol H. of Wilmington, NC
The characters were not developed enough, and I just couldn't relate to or empathize with any of the women.
Rating:2.5/5
Would you recommend?:I have passed it along to a friend and will discuss it with her
Stephanie S. of Easton, PA
I very much looked forward to reading THREE STORY HOUSE because I loved THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE; unfortunately, I was disappointed. I liked the idea of the story, the cousins’ relationship, the setting of the novel in the old house in disrepair, and I liked the characters. But, I felt like the writing was forced and choppy and I didn't feel the kinship between characters that I was hoping for. It didn't seem to flow as I thought it could have. I would describe it as a good story that needs a little something to warm it up. I'd also say it was not one of those books that I couldn't put down because I really wanted to know what happens next, but it was still an enjoyable read.
Rating:2.5/5
Would you recommend?: I would not recommend it.
Bev M. of Boise, ID
I gathered the title of the book was referring to each of the cousins’ stories of why they came to the house. I found the stories to be superfluous at best. The story never developed and just went on and on.I felt it had too many loose ends.
Rating:2/5
Would you recommend?:I would recommend THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE by the same author before I recommend this one. This book was a frustrating read for me.
Laura G of Chapel Hill, NC
I really did not like this book, and I so wanted to. I was intrigued by the story of cousins and I liked the beginning, but for the most part, I found the three women unlikeable, immature, and shallow. I was thinking that if this had been written with the characters made to be funny, it would have worked, especially the antics of Elyse. So much of the story seemed unresolved and disconnected, for example the diary cards, Benny, and even the renovation itself.
Rating:2/5.
Would you recommend?:No.
