Twelve Houses by Olga Soaje #ReviewShare #Contemporary #Women

Twelve Houses by Olga Soaje
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twelve Houses follows the spiritual self-discovery of a woman named Amelia who has recently become widowed. In some ways she appears to have the perfect life, but with her husband gone she is confronted with the reality that she’s distant from her daughter, Chloe, and not as self-sufficient as she may have once thought. Nathan helped to take care of Amelia in many ways, and was always closer to their daughter than she had been. She also has a son, David, who she is closer with and he helps to provide some support for both women during this grieving process. There was some surprising drama from a named Barbara, and you’ll understand why as you begin to read. I wouldn’t call her or any other character “bad” people, but you like all humans they have faults and don’t handle each situation perfectly. The main story does focus on Amelia’s difficulty filling in the gaps in her life and working through her loss. It’s inspiring to see how she finds ways to mend her life and relationships.

Olga’s writing style is simple, succinct and the topic she writes about may be appealing to a large variety of readers. I appreciate that she did not provide unnecessary details about scenery or side stories, or try wow the reader with pretentious language. The story seemed genuine and heartfelt, and many readers will be able to see themselves in some of the characters at one point in their own lives. This book is definitely an emotional journey, and Olga really helps the reader to understand Amelia’s experiences as if they were their own. Personally, I felt really moved and I could relate to Amelia quite a bit. I enjoyed some of the flashback scenes of her relationship with Nathan, but overall I liked the development with her daughter best.

Interestingly, there is astrological theme that relates to the title of the book that the average reader may not have heard of before. The concept of the twelve houses in astrology perfectly melds with the overall theme of the book of dealing with relationships, grief, and love. For those interested, a person’s houses are determined by their birth month and date, and relate to their life experiences, relationships, ability to succeed and more. Keep in mind, a reader doesn’t need to know about this to enjoy the book, but an experienced astrologist may enjoy analyzing this theme more closely.


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Since You've Been Gone from TWELVE HOUSES by Olga Soaje #Literary #Women

Since You’ve Been Gone

Stay with me.

Don’t fall asleep too soon.

The angels can wait for a moment.

—Westlife, “Written in the Stars”

You promised you would never leave me. Thirty-five years ago, I looked you directly in the eye and heard, “I will never leave you,” as we stood next to the ocean. And now, like a thief in the night, you go. No last words, no promises, no tears.

As I look back at that moment, I can still feel your hand intertwined with mine, each finger between mine, like an oyster shut tight against the sea, protecting the treasure it carries inside. But the treasure was in my belly, full of love and expectations.

We walked like tourists along Pier 59, a place we came to think of as home. Wind in our faces and a carefree spirit in our hearts. Gently you stopped and pulled my hand so I would follow suit as you turned; I could see your eyes full of love and complete devotion. I felt I could stay in that moment forever. It was this feeling, this sublime happiness, that I did not want changed or challenged. That’s when I turned to you and looked into those blue eyes as I said aloud, “I don’t want this to change.”

Your face distorted into a concerned expression as you tried to reassure me. “It will be different when the baby arrives; it will be even better.”

“It’s not that. I’m excited about meeting the baby and having it with us.”

So you poked at the subject with concern on your face, as you asked, “Then what is it? What don’t you want to change?”

“Us,” I answered blithely, taking in a large whiff of air through my nose as a source of strength for what I was about to request of you. As I looked out to the sea right in front of us, I said, “I don’t want to forget this feeling. I want to always feel this love and peace between us.”

You gave me that dimply smile. “We will always have it. And when we don’t, we will have the direction in which we want to go.”

As a sea gull passed close to us, landing in the water with a tiny splash, I looked at you and finally said what had been on my mind, the deep seed of this conversation. “I don’t want to lose you.” Once again, your easy laugh, followed by an enveloping hug, while you gave me the grin I’d come to realize meant, You’re hormonal. “I’m serious. Just promise me…”

Can anything good follow the best thing that ever happened to you?

Amelia Weiss loved her husband of thirty-five years very much, but now he’s left her a widow. Without him, she is unable to work in her sculpture studio without crying. She no longer has a bridge to her estranged daughter. And she can’t seem to keep her mind in the present.

But when her daughter reaches out asking for her help and her agent threatens a lawsuit if Amelia doesn’t deliver for an upcoming exhibit, she’s forced to make a choice. Will she reengage with her life and the people in it—allowing room for things to be different than they were before? Or, will she remain stuck in the past, choosing her memories over real-life relationships?

Thrust fully into the present, Amelia stumbles into a surprising journey of self-discovery.

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Genre – Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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