Pop-Up Blog Tour: Arboria Park by Kate Tyler Wall (Chrissy’s review)

Arboria Park
written by Kate Tyler Wall
published by She Writes Press, 2017

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Target, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. It kind of reminded me of the TV series The Wonder Years and the movie, The ’60s, that starred Julia Stiles and Jerry O’Connell.

The story follows Stacy Halloran and her family through the years from after World War II to almost present day. It is a story of changing neighborhoods, society, cultures, music, and people. Some people never change, while others do. It was like listening to the family stories during a reunion. Or going to a class reunion and reminiscing about the old school and neighborhoods. I loved that Stacy’s family was so different and multi-everything. And I loved that Stacy supported all of them. There were so many changes that occurred, but Stacy remained the same, supportive sibling/daughter/mother/aunt/friend/neighbor throughout.

Arboria Park isn’t groundbreaking or overly emotional or anything like that, but it is a good story that kept me reading.

 

Would I recommend it: Sure. It is a good, lazy summer read.

 

About the book – from Goodreads: Stacy Halloran has lived most of her life in 1950s-era housing development Arboria Park. But her beloved neighborhood may not survive much longer. 

Despite her parents’ entreaties to “stay in the yard where it’s safe,” the Park is where young Stacy roams in quest of “real life.” Through her wanderings, she learns about the area’s agricultural history; meets people from backgrounds different than her own; watches her siblings develop interracial and same-sex relationships; helps launch the local punk-rock scene; and finally, settles as a wife and mother. As the neighborhood declines (along with her relationship with her mother), Stacy considers moving on to rescue herself and her daughter. But then a massive highway project threatens the ever-resilient Park–and it’s Stacy’s task to rally family, friends, and neighbors to save it.