Eva Pasco
Independently Published (2024)
ISBN: 979-8334144323
Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Reader Views (11/2024)
Aileen’s idyllic guest house is located in a small town in Rhode Island, New York, affectionately referred to as Quonnie (Quonochontaug) by the locals. Sitting atop sand and overlooking the water, it is disheartening to learn that such a beautiful view could set the stage for a heartbreaking tragedy that will befall the Stanton family. When Aileen’s three-year-old brother Reid succumbs to a fatal drowning on Aileen’s watch, her world is upended. Wrestling with a mixture of sorrow and guilt while inching towards womanhood (and a burgeoning teenage crush!) Aileen navigates her new reality.
On the heels of becoming a young widow, the loss of her vivacious three-year-old sends the single mother reeling. If she hadn’t given Aileen so much responsibility, maybe his death could have been prevented. Still, the guesthouse is her bread and butter, and she must persevere. She shockingly finds support in Miss Lillian Wright, one of her snooty elderly residents, who expects the world to bow at her feet. However, Miss Wright has her own dirty laundry, grappling with the guilt of carrying on a nearly fifty-year affair with a married man from a prominent Quonnie family.
It seems everyone is dealing with shame and guilt. Can the close-knit community of Quonnie find a sense of support and solidarity from one another?
“Aileen’s Guesthouse: A Heartfelt Contemporary” by Eva Pasco is a heartfelt contemporary novel with beautiful prose. The author transports readers back to Rhode Island in the 1970s, and we are quickly immersed in the goings-on of the residents. All dealing with various stages of grief and unrelenting guilt, the main characters—Aileen, Gert, and Lillian, along with the supporting character, Ox—must come to terms with the hand fate has dealt them and face the consequences of their choices. Themes of coming-of-age, love, grief, and family pepper the pages of the all-encompassing story.
We all have our crosses to bear, and Eva Pasco deftly illustrates how good or bad choices can change the trajectory of our lives. That moment you peel your eyes away from a child or the money you loaned to a drug addict can determine how the future pans out. I adored how the author illuminated heavier topics that go hand in hand with the human experience, instilling wisdom and humor into these often morose situations. Amidst the burning of tears, Eva’s lyrical writing gave readers a sense of hope and a reason to smile.
“Aileen’s Guesthouse” by Eva Pasco will appeal to readers who crave character-driven novels brimming with effervescent prose. Moreover, the cast of diverse personalities complement each other exceptionally well. I easily felt like I was part of the clan. This was a delightful read that left me profoundly affected. The guesthouse residents will be impossible to forget, and I am grateful to have made their acquaintance.
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